Fenway Flashback: 1975 - Sox Sweep up Twins at Metropolitan Stadium
July 24, 1975
July 24, 1975: Sox Sweep up Twins at Metropolitan Stadium
With back-to-back wins to open the series, the Red Sox took the field on Thursday afternoon looking to complete the sweep of the Twins before heading back East for a big four-game showdown with the rival Yankees. Boston maintained a 6.5-game lead over New York, with both Baltimore and Milwaukee sitting eight games back. While the AL East standings remained favorable, the Sox also had their eyes on the Oakland A’s, who held a 4.5-game edge for home field in the ALCS entering the day.
Pitching Matchup and Lineups
Boston handed the ball to veteran right-hander Rick Wise, seeking his lucky 13th win of the season. The Twins countered with Joe Decker, making just his seventh appearance of the year.
The Red Sox lineup for July 24 looked a bit different in the getaway game:
Juan Beníquez (DH)
Denny Doyle (2B)
Cecil Cooper (1B)
Jim Rice (LF)
Dwight Evans (RF)
Rick Miller (CF)
Rick Burleson (SS)
Bob Heise (3B)
Tim Blackwell (C)
Game Recap
As reliably as the sun rises in the east, the Red Sox once again struck first. In the top of the first inning, Denny Doyle worked a walk and Jim Rice followed by blasting his 16th home run of the season, giving Boston a quick 2–0 lead. Minnesota answered in the bottom half with an RBI single from Rod Carew, scoring Steve Braun to cut the deficit in half, but that would be all the offense the Twins would muster until the ninth.
Boston added to their lead in the third when Dwight Evans singled home Cecil Cooper, who had led off the inning with a walk. The Sox broke things open in the fifth. Rice led off with a single and advanced to third on an Evans double. After an intentional walk to Rick Burleson loaded the bases, Bob Heise made Minnesota pay with a two-run single to push the lead to 5–1.
The Sox tacked on another run in the seventh thanks to a combination of a walk, an error, and a wild pitch. The Twins managed a cosmetic run in the ninth, but Wise shut the door for a complete-game 6–2 win.
Pitching Notes
Rick Wise (W, 13–6) was dominant, going the distance while allowing just two earned runs on nine hits, with one walk and seven strikeouts. It was his second complete-game win of the road trip.
Player Notes and Season Stats
Though Boston collected just six hits, their patience at the plate paid off as they drew ten walks to keep pressure on Minnesota all day.
Jim Rice went 2-for-4 with a home run (16), two RBIs (66), and two runs scored.
Dwight Evans finished 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI (31), and a run scored.
Bob Heise was 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
Standings Update
The Sox capped off the sweep as their division rivals stumbled. The Yankees were swept in a doubleheader by the White Sox, 1–0 and 4–3, falling to eight games back. The Orioles beat the Brewers in Milwaukee, keeping Baltimore eight games off the pace and dropping the Brewers to nine back. Most importantly, Oakland fell to Detroit 5–2, allowing Boston to close within 3.5 games of the A’s for the best record in the American League.
With a successful stop in Minnesota complete, the Red Sox now head to the Bronx for a crucial four-game set that could shape the rest of their summer.
Stay tuned as we continue our day-by-day journey through the unforgettable 1975 Red Sox season.
Image courtesy of https://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/ballparks/metropolitan-stadium/