Fenway Flashback: 1975 - Sox Rally Late to Snap Skid in Milwaukee
August 6, 1975
August 6, 1975: Sox Rally Late to Snap Skid in Milwaukee
As they boarded the flight to Milwaukee, the Red Sox were licking their wounds after dropping back-to-back games to the surging Orioles. While Boston still maintained a comfortable 7.5-game lead in the AL East, Baltimore was now chasing with renewed energy, and a soft stretch against the last-place Tigers, including a doubleheader. The Red Sox, meanwhile, were heading into their 24th game in 20 days, hoping that a dose of Midwestern hospitality might be enough to reset the team before a crucial West Coast trip.
Pitching Matchup and Lineups
The opener of this brief two-game midweek set against the Brewers was shaping up to be a challenge. Boston was going with a makeshift pitching plan, handing the ball to lefty Jim Burton, making just his fourth start of the year and first since May. Milwaukee countered with Jim Colborn, who had just thrown a complete-game shutout against the Sox during the previous homestand.
Knowing they needed a spark, Darrell Johnson rolled out this lineup in hopes of reversing their recent slide:
Bernie Carbo (RF)
Denny Doyle (2B)
Carl Yastrzemski (1B)
Jim Rice (LF)
Carlton Fisk (C)
Cecil Cooper (DH)
Rick Miller (CF)
Rico Petrocelli (3B)
Rick Burleson (SS)
Game Recap
For most of the night, it looked like Boston’s lineup was still stuck in neutral. They managed just two hits through the first seven innings, continuing Colborn’s dominance over them.
Burton, meanwhile, kept the Sox close. He retired the first six batters he faced before Gorman Thomas led off the third with a double and scored on Kurt Bevacqua’s RBI single to give the Brewers a 1–0 lead. It became 2–0 in the fourth when George Scott, the former Red Sox fan favorite, crushed his 23rd homer of the year. When Burton followed that up by allowing a single to Hank Aaron and walking two more, Johnson went to the bullpen and summoned Jim Willoughby, who escaped the jam by getting Robin Yount to ground out.
Willoughby settled things down and the score remained 2–0 until the eighth. That’s when Boston finally stirred. Rick Burleson doubled and scored two batters later on a single by Denny Doyle. It was the first run Colborn had allowed to Boston in his last 16.2 innings. A single by Yastrzemski put runners at the corners, chasing Colborn from the game. Reliever Tom Murphy came on and got Fisk to pop out, but the Sox were finally within a run.
Willoughby made quick work of the Brewers in the bottom half, giving Boston one last chance to avoid a three-game skid. Cecil Cooper led off the ninth with a double and was lifted for pinch-runner Juan Beniquez. Rick Miller grounded out, moving the tying run to third, and Rico Petrocelli’s single brought him home to even the score. Bob Heise pinch-ran for Petrocelli, and after Burleson singled to put runners at the corners, Milwaukee brought in lefty Rick Austin.
Darryl Johnson countered with a flurry of bench moves. He pinch-hit Dwight Evans for Carbo, prompting the Brewers to issue an intentional walk to load the bases. Johnson then went to Doug Griffin to hit for Doyle, and Griffin delivered, singling home Heise to give the Sox their first lead. Two batters later, Jim Rice added insurance with a two-run single, capping a five-run inning and turning the game on its head.
Willoughby returned to the mound for the ninth and sealed the win with his fifth straight scoreless inning.
Pitching Notes
Jim Burton did yeoman’s work, going 3.2 innings, allowing 2 earned runs on 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 2.
Jim Willoughby (3–1) was outstanding, working 5.1 innings of two-hit, scoreless relief. He didn’t issue a walk and struck out 6 in his longest outing of the season.
Player Notes and Season Stats
Boston’s bats came alive just in time to steal the win:
Jim Rice: 2-for-3, 2 walks, 2 RBI
Denny Doyle: 2-for-4, RBI
Rick Burleson: 2-for-4, double, 2 runs
Doug Griffin: 1-for-1, game-winning RBI
Rico Petrocelli: 1-for-4, RBI
Cecil Cooper: 1-for-3, double, run scored
The win helped stop the bleeding for Boston, but Baltimore remained red hot, sweeping a doubleheader from Detroit to trim the AL East lead to 7 games.
Out west, the A’s dropped their second straight, this time to Gaylord Perry and the Rangers, so the Red Sox moved within 1 game of Oakland for the best record in the American League.
With a dramatic comeback under their belt, Boston hoped the momentum would carry them into the series finale with Milwaukee before they boarded yet another flight, this one bound for the Bay Area and a showdown with the AL-leading A’s.
Stay tuned as we continue our day-by-day journey through the unforgettable 1975 Red Sox season.
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