The Red Sox returned home to Fenway Park down three games to two and with the understanding that they needed to sweep the final two-game series in Boston in order to realize a championship for the first time in 57 years. Fortunately or not, what greeted them was rain, rain, and more rain as the first ever night game in post-season history for the Red Sox was pushed back from Saturday, the 18th, to Tuesday, the 21st of October. With the extra days of rest, manager Darrell Johnson decided that there wouldn’t be a Game Seven unless Boston could win Game Six, and he felt the best way to guarantee that chance was to send Luis Tiant to the mound to try and win his fourth game of the post-season, having already won twice in this series. As Johnson had told reporters following the fourth game of the series: “If a man put a gun to my head and said, ‘I’m going to pull the trigger if you lose this game,’ I’d want Luis Tiant to pitch that game.”

35,205 raucous Boston fans filled Fenway Park to capacity as Cincinnati sent Gary Nolan to the mound in the bottom of the first inning after Tiant worked through a relatively easy first inning, allowing just a one-out walk. After making the first two outs, Nolan allowed back-to-back singles to Carl Yastrzemski and Carlton Fisk. Up stepped Fred Lynn, who had sizzled all season for Boston in center field and at the plate. Looking to get his team up earlier, Lynn launched a pitch deep into the night and the Red Sox had an early 3-0 lead, what would seem like more than enough so long as Tiant worked his magic.

Unfortunately, the elder statesman of the rotation was far from perfect this night. After escaping a first-and-third jam in the top of the fourth, Cincinnati clawed its way back into the game in the fifth. With runners on first and third with one out, Ken Griffey hit a ball deep to left center. Lynn, as he had many times that season, took off to try and make a spectacular catch against the Monster; running full force, he jumped, missed the ball, and slammed hard into the concrete base. As Lynn crumpled to the warning track, both runners easily scored and Griffey ended up on third; two batters later on, Johnny Bench drove a ball off the Monster and, just like that, it was a brand-new ball game.

The Reds then led off the seventh with back-to-back singles, but Tiant appeared like he would wiggle out of the jam after inducing Bench and Perez to fly out. However, that final out came only after George Foster stepped to the plate and ripped a double to center over the head of Lynn, well deep enough to score both runners, and Boston was now down 5-3.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox offense, after a quick start in the first, had squandered a couple of opportunities to put more runs on the board. Loading the bases with two outs in the third, Rico Petrocelli had struck out swinging to end that threat. One inning later, the first two runners reached base and Tiant moved them to second and third on a sacrifice bunt, giving Boston a golden opportunity to score. Unfortunately, a hot shot to first by leadoff hitter Cecil Cooper did not allow the runners to advance, and Denny Doyle followed with a ground out to second to end the inning.

After Cesar Geronimo led off the top of the eighth to put Cincinnati on top, 6-3, chasing Tiant from the game, it looked like the season was nearly over for Boston. After Lynn singled and Petrocelli walked to lead off the bottom of the frame, Sparky Anderson again called on his closer, Rawly Eastwick, to record the final six outs. Dwight Evans had greeted Eastwick the last time in Game Three with a two-run home run, but Eastwick returned the favor by striking out Evans for the first out. The next batter, Rick Burleson, lined out to George Foster in left.

With the ninth batter in the order due up, Darrell Johnson called on Bernie Carbo to pinch-hit for Roget Moret. On the first pitch, Carbo swung wildly and nearly tumbled to the ground; recovering quickly, he took the next pitch and swung perfectly, driving it deep and planting it in the center-field bleachers. It was his second pinch-hit home run of the series and, more importantly, his three-run shot had knotted the score, breathing new life into the Red Sox.

After Dick Drago retired the side in order in the top of the ninth, Boston had a golden opportunity to end the game in regulation. After Denny Doyle led off with a walk, Yastrzemski singled to right to send Doyle to third. After a pitching change, Fisk was walked intentionally to load the bases; the next batter, Lynn, lofted a pitch to left field. As Foster moved to catch the ball halfway down the line between third and the foul pole, Doyle retreated to the bag to tag up, thinking that base coach Don Zimmer was saying: “Go, go, go!” However, the truth was that Zimmer was yelling: “No, no, no!” With a head full of steam, Doyle tried to race home ahead of the throw but, although the through was a little errant, Bench easily tagged out the lumbering runner, and Petrocelli followed with a ground ball out to third to send the game to extra innings.

After an uneventful tenth, Drago started off the top of the 11th by hitting Pete Rose with a pitch. Ken Griffey tried to follow with a bunt, but Fisk scooped up the ball and forced Rose at second. Joe Morgan stepped to the plate and looked to make up for the failed bunt attempt. Eyeing a fat pitch, he launched a ball deep into the night towards the corner in right field, seemingly destined for the grandstands. However, Evans tracked the ball perfectly and, with a leaping catch in front of the low outfield wall, robbed Morgan of a sure two-run shot, then threw the ball into the infield to double up Griffey, who had ran past second thinking that he was coming home for certain.

The game was still tied at six and about four hours old when Fisk stepped to the plate for the sixth time that evening in the bottom of the twelfth. Pat Darcy, who had already pitched two innings, was laboring but knew that he had to careful not to leave the ball too close to the catcher’s wheelhouse. His first pitch came high and inside for a ball but, unfortunately for Darcy, he didn’t heed his own advice on the next pitch. Fisk swung and all heads turned to watch as the ball sailed high into the night down the left field foul line. There was no question that it was far enough; the only question in that brief moment was whether it would be fair or foul. With Fisk hopping down the first base line waving his arms to motion the ball to remain in play, the ball struck the foul pole, touching off a wild celebration as the Sox players and several fans stormed the field while Fisk chugged around the basepaths.

The game had taken four hours and one minute to play and ended shortly after 12:30, perhaps one of the most memorable games ever to be played in World Series history. With the series now down to one final showdown, the Sox appeared to have the momentum of a thrilling victory on their side.

With the series shifted to Riverfront Stadium for Game Three, the Red Sox gave the ball to starter Rick Wise, who had led the staff with 19 wins during the regular season. The Reds countered with eight-year veteran Gary Nolan, who would be honored after the season with the Hutch Award, given to the Major League ballplayer that best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire. Boston drew first blood when Carlton Fisk led off the second inning with a home run, his first of the post-season, but the Reds countered in the fourth and fifth innings with home runs from Johnny Bench, Dave Concepcion, and Cesar Geronimo, as well as a sacrifice fly from Joe Morgan, take a commanding 5-1 lead, chasing Wise from the ball game.

Boston struck back in the top of the sixth with a sacrifice fly by Fred Lynn, and then got another run one inning later on a pinch-hit home run by Bernie Carbo to shrink the lead to just two runs. Red Sox reliever Jim Willoughby, the fourth pitcher of the evening for Boston, was then called to the mound in the bottom of the seventh to keep the Reds off the scoreboard and allowed just one hit while facing the minimum number of batters through three innings of work. That effort paid off when, in the top of the ninth with one out, Rico Petrocelli singled to center field, bringing Dwight Evans to the plate. Cincinnati manager Sparky Anderson called in Rawly Eastwick from the bullpen to squash the threat, but the young right fielder greeted the Reds closer with a game-tying, two-run home run to knot the contest at five.

With neither team able to score in the next two frames, the two sides went into the bottom of the tenth with the score still tied. After Geronimo led off with a single, Ed Armbrister came off the bench to pinch-hit for Eastwick. Boston looked for Cincinnati to bunt the runner to second and put him in scoring position, so there was little surprise when Geronimo took off for second with the pitch and Armbrister squared his bat. With Petrocelli coming in from his position at third, the reserve outfielder hit the ball almost straight down; Fisk immediately grabbed it and, as he delivered the throw, the reserve outfielder appeared to step into the catcher, causing Fisk to sling the ball wildly into center field. Not only did this allow Geronimo to hustle all the way to third, but Armbrister was able to scramble to second on the throw from the outfield.

Despite a lengthy argument by the Red Sox the batter had interfered with Fisk’s throw, meaning that both the runner and the batter should have been called out, home plate umpire Larry Barnett ruled that there had been no intention on Armbrister’s part to interfere and that the placement of the bunt made it a daunting task for Fisk to nail Geronimo at second. With runners now on second and third with no outs, Roger Moret came in to replace Willoughby and immediately walked Rose to load the bases. After another Reds pinch-hitter, Merv Rettenmund, struck out looking, Joe Morgan laced a single to center as Geronimo scored easily and the Reds took Game Three, 6-5.

Now down two games to one, Boston handed the ball again to Luis Tiant, who had easily won the first game of the series for the Sox, while Cincinnati sent southpaw Fred Norman, who had not pitched since the second game of the NLCS, to the hill. Though Tiant struggled early, yielding four runs in the first four innings, it was enough as Boston scored five times in the fourth inning, chasing Norman from the mound, and held on for a 5-4 win, with Tiant going the distance.

With one more game to play in Cincinnati, Boston manager Darrell Johnson handed the ball to Reggie Cleveland, asking the 13-game winner to get the Red Sox back to Fenway Park with a lead in the series. Again, the visitors jumped on the board early as Carl Yastrzemski hit a sacrifice fly in the first to plate Denny Doyle and give Boston the early 1-0 lead. Meanwhile, Cleveland managed to make it through the first few innings unscathed, with Juan Beniquez nailing Pete Rose at the plate for the third out of the first inning. However, in the fourth and the fifth innings, Cleveland would yield single runs in each of those innings, each time with two outs. Cincinnati then opened up in the sixth, scoring three more time on a home run by Tony Perez, who had also hit a solo shot in the fourth. That blast with no outs not only chased the Sox starter, but appeared to put the game out of reach for Boston as Cincinnati cruised to a 6-2 victory. With a 3-2 series lead, the Big Red Machine was just a win away from its first national championship since 1940.

David Wells - 16 - LHP
Week 26 - 26 September - 02 October 2005

Hoping to get at least 30 starts this season from the 19-year veteran, who had made at least that many starts over the previous three season, Boston signed southpaw David Wells in the off-season. The Red Sox believed that not only could Wells help in the depleted rotation, with Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe lost to free agency, but that he would provide an edge in the playoffs, having gone 10-3 with a 3.18 ERA in nine different post-seasons with four other teams. As Boston heads to the post-season for the third straight season with a second straight World Series trophy in sight, they hope to see him pitch lights out for the club as they begin their title defense against Chicago.

Wells finished his season in fine fashion on Friday night. Trying to extend Boston’s chance to win the division for the first time since 1995, he took the mound to face his old team, the New York Yankees. In seven strong innings, Wells allowed just three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out five as the Red Sox won, 5-3. It was his 15th win of the season, putting him at 15-7 with a 4.45 ERA after winning six of his last eight starts from late August.

Boston again enters the post-season as the wild card after New York wrapped up the division title Saturday afternoon and the Sox will begin on the road facing a White Sox club that finished with 99 wins this season. Wells is scheduled to start Game Two and looks to help Boston begin its journey to another championship.

With the race now down to just two teams, the 1975 World Series began simply enough on the afternoon of 11 October with Cincinnati paying a visit to Fenway Park to begin the series. On the hill for Boston was Luis Tiant, who had easily won the first game of the American League Championship Series the week before against the defending champion Oakland Athletics. Opposing him was southpaw Don Gullett, who had made 22 starts in the regular season, winning 15, and easily won his Game 1 start in the National League Championship Series over Pittsburgh. The Red Sox were also faced with the fact that the designated hitter would not be used in the series in either team’s park, downgrading Juan Beniquez and Bernie Carbo to pinch-hitting roles. Tiant joked before the first game, when asked about having to face live pitching for the first time in nearly three years: “I’m going for the long ball. When I hit the ball, I hit it deep.”

Boston tried to jump on the board right away. After Evans started the bottom of the first by hitting a single to left, Denny Doyle moved him over to second on a sacrifice bunt. After Carl Yastrzemski walked and Carlton Fisk popped up in the infield, Fred Lynn hit a single to deep short. Rather than holding at third, Evans made a break from home but was easily thrown out, ending the threat. Boston threatened again in the next frame by putting men of first and third with no outs, but Gullett struck out Cecil Cooper and Tiant in succession and ended the threat by getting Evans to fly out to foul territory in right.

Meanwhile, Tiant was in cruise control; he didn’t yield his first hit until Reds second baseman Joe Morgan singled to center with one out in the fourth. Three times, Cincinnati put a runner at second but could not drive in a run, stranding five runners through the first seven frames as Boston also struggled to bring home runners from scoring position.

Boston finally broke the deadlock in the seventh and put away the game at the same time. After the Sox loaded the bases on a single by Tiant, a fielder’s choice by Evans, and a single by Doyle, Yastrzemski pushed the first run of the afternoon across on a single to right. Gullett was lifted and replaced by Clay Carroll, who promptly walked Fisk and was replaced by Will McEnaney. After finally getting the first out of the inning by striking out Lynn, Rico Petrocelli hit a two-run single, Rick Burleson followed with an RBI single, and Cooper hit a fly ball out to right field, deep enough to plate Petrocelli with the final run of the inning. Now on top 6-0, Boston was in more than enough control of the game and, after Tiant set down the final six batters in order, the Red Sox had a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven.

Game Two featured Bill Lee facing Jack Billingham with the chance for the Red Sox to head to Cincinnati up two games to none. Boston broke onto the scoreboard in the first inning as Fisk hit a two-out single to give the Red Sox an early 1-0 lead. Meanwhile, Lee set down the first ten batters he faced to mirror Tiant’s effort but the Reds finally scored for the first time in the series in the forth on a fielder’s choice by first baseman Tony Perez that plated Morgan to knot the score at one. Boston responded two innings later as Petrocelli drove home Yastrzemski from second with two outs and the Sox were back on top, 2-1.

Rain interrupted play for 27 minutes in the bottom of the seventh, but Boston still held the lead entering the ninth Johnny Bench led off with a double. At that point, Red Sox manager Darrell Johnson decided that Lee had done his part and called on reliever Dick Drago to close the game. After Perez moved Bench to third on a groundout, George Foster flew out to Yastrzemski in left and Boston was one out away from a 2-0 series lead.

However, Dave Concepcion chopped a ground ball over Drago’s head and beat out the throw from second baseman Denny Doyle, allowing Bench to score with the tying run. With Ken Griffey at the plate, the speedy Cincinnati shortstop stole second, just beating the throw from Fisk, and Griffey rewarded his effort with a double off the wall in left field; just like that, the Reds led 3-2. Rawley Eastwick then came on in the bottom of the frame and put down the side in order to end the game and send the series to Cincinnati with the teams tied at one game apiece.