Fenway Flashback: 1975 - Wise Tames Tigers as Sox Win Fourth Straight
August 2, 1975
August 2, 1975: Wise Tames Tigers as Sox Win Fourth Straight
Having already taken the first three games of their five-game set with the slumping Detroit Tigers, the Red Sox entered Saturday afternoon’s contest at Fenway with their sights set on expanding their division lead and gaining ground in the race for home field advantage. With Baltimore set to visit Boston after the weekend, every game down the stretch was beginning to carry October weight.
Boston held a comfortable eight-game lead over the Orioles in the AL East entering the day, while trailing the Oakland A’s by just 1.5 games for the best record in the American League.
Pitching Matchup and Lineups
On a warm summer afternoon, the Red Sox turned to veteran right-hander Rick Wise, while Tigers manager Ralph Houk countered with Vern Ruhle, a 24-year-old righty still trying to find consistency.
Saturday’s Boston lineup featured a few changes but kept the core intact:
Bernie Carbo (RF)
Denny Doyle (2B)
Carl Yastrzemski (1B)
Fred Lynn (CF)
Jim Rice (LF)
Carlton Fisk (DH)
Rico Petrocelli (3B)
Rick Burleson (SS)
Tim Blackwell (C)
Game Recap
Detroit's Ben Oglivie, continuing to torment his former team, singled in the first inning, but Rick Wise stranded him and kept the Tigers off the board. In the bottom half, the Red Sox did what they do best, strike first. Denny Doyle singled with one out, Yaz followed with a single, and Fred Lynn doubled home Doyle for an early 1–0 lead.
The Tigers evened things in the second on first baseman, Jack Pierce’s eighth homer of the season. In the third, they briefly pulled ahead when second baseman, Gary Sutherland launched a solo homer of his own to make it 2–1 Detroit. That would be the last time the Tigers scored all afternoon.
Boston responded with authority in the fourth. Rick Burleson led off with a single and moved to second when Tim Blackwell was hit by a pitch. Carbo tied the game with an RBI single, and Doyle followed with one of his own to put the Sox ahead 3–2. Yaz then delivered the big blow, a two-run double that ended Ruhle’s outing. Fred Lynn greeted reliever Fernando Arroyo with another RBI single to extend the lead to 6–2.
The Sox tacked on an insurance run in the seventh when Rico Petrocelli doubled home Jim Rice, who had reached on an error.
Wise ran into some control trouble in the eighth, walking two batters, but Dick Drago came on to retire Oglivie and Willie Horton to end the threat. The Tigers loaded the bases in the ninth, but Drago induced a game-ending double play to secure the win.
Pitching Notes
Rick Wise (14–5) earned the victory with 7.1 strong innings, allowing 2 earned runs on 6 hits, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts.
Dick Drago worked the final 1.2 innings, allowing 2 hits, 1 walk, and recording 1 strikeout in a scoreless outing.
Player Notes and Season Stats
Boston’s balanced offensive attack racked up 13 hits, with key contributions throughout the lineup:
Denny Doyle: 3-for-5, double, RBI, 2 runs
Carl Yastrzemski: 2-for-4, double, 2 RBI, run
Fred Lynn: 2-for-5, double, 2 RBI (79)
Rico Petrocelli: 1-for-4, double, RBI
Bernie Carbo: 1-for-4, RBI, run
Rick Burleson: 1-for-4, run scored
Tim Blackwell: reached base twice and scored
With their fourth consecutive win over Detroit, the Red Sox continued to control the AL East race. However, both Baltimore and Oakland won their games as well, maintaining the status quo. Boston's AL East lead remained at 8 games over the Orioles while Oakland’s lead for ALCS home field stayed at 1.5 games.
As the series finale approaches Sunday, the Sox will look to finish the sweep and send a message to the Orioles, who arrive at Fenway next for a crucial head-to-head showdown.
Stay tuned as we continue our day-by-day journey through the unforgettable 1975 Red Sox season.
Image courtesy of https://www.foxnews.com/sports/ex-mlb-pitcher-dick-drago-dead