Carl Yastrzemski
Close enough: The Yankees scored 2 runs in the 1st inning, and 6 in the 2nd. Wright was chased in the 2nd, and Tom Burgmeier was brought in to pitch. He gave up a home run to Reggie Jackson -- incredibly, the only home run the Yankees hit in this series, in which they instead singled and doubled the Sox to death.
This was the 1970s. It wasn't yet considered permissible to say the word "sucks" in public. "Stinks" was the preferred term. Yet, whenever Mr. October came to the plate, the Fenway bleachers rang out with a chant of "Reggie sucks!" Eventually, the Bleachers at Yankee Stadium would resound, countering the Fenway chant of "Yankees suck!" by delivering "Boston sucks!" And considerably cringier chants than that.
As with the night before, a Yankee hitter, in this case Mickey Rivers, got 3 hits before Butch Hobson, the Sox' 9th-place hitter, could make his 1st plate appearance. This time, Mick the Quick also did so before the 8th hitter, George Scott, could do it.
Ordinarily quite the power hitter, Scott was in the middle of a slump that would eventually reach 0-for-36. When asked about it after the game, he said, "Some of these guys are choking, man." And the word "choke" became forever associated with the Red Sox. Even the events of October 2004 couldn't remove them, as the events of September 2011 would prove.
As with the night before, a Yankee hitter, in this case Mickey Rivers, got 3 hits before Butch Hobson, the Sox' 9th-place hitter, could make his 1st plate appearance. This time, Mick the Quick also did so before the 8th hitter, George Scott, could do it.
Ordinarily quite the power hitter, Scott was in the middle of a slump that would eventually reach 0-for-36. When asked about it after the game, he said, "Some of these guys are choking, man." And the word "choke" became forever associated with the Red Sox. Even the events of October 2004 couldn't remove them, as the events of September 2011 would prove.
(Scott batted .233 in 1978. Take out the 0-for-36, and it would have been .255.)
In contrast, Beattie cruised, pitching what turned out to be the best game of his life, allowing 2 runs, both unearned, and only needed Ron Davis to get the last out.
Yankees 13, Red Sox 2. The Yankees were now 2 games out, after being down 14 on July 20. Carl Yastrzemski went 0-for-4.
In contrast, Beattie cruised, pitching what turned out to be the best game of his life, allowing 2 runs, both unearned, and only needed Ron Davis to get the last out.
Yankees 13, Red Sox 2. The Yankees were now 2 games out, after being down 14 on July 20. Carl Yastrzemski went 0-for-4.
*
September 8, 1978 was a Friday. These other Major League Baseball games were played that night:
* The New York Mets beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 3-2 at Shea Stadium. In support of Tom Hausman, Willie Montañez went 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs, giving him 7 in the last 2 days.
* The Chicago Cubs beat the Montreal Expos, 4-2 at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Rodney Scott doubled home the winning run in the top of the 10th inning.
* The Philadelphia Phillies swept a doubleheader from the St. Louis Cardinals at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, 1-0 and 2-1. Dick Ruthven pitched a 3-hit shutout in the opener. Mike Schmidt went 0-for-3 in the opener, but 2-for-3 with a walk in the nightcap, in support of Jim Kaat.
* The San Francisco Giants beat the Atlanta Braves, 8-5 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
* The Baltimore Orioles beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-4 at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. Eddie Murray went 1-for-4.
* The San Diego Padres beat the Cincinnati Reds, 3-2 at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati. Dave Winfield went 1-for-4. Pete Rose went 1-for-4. Johnny Bench went 2-for-3 with a walk.
* The Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians, 6-3 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit.
* The Chicago White Sox beat the Seattle Mariners, 3-2 at Comiskey Park in Chicago.
* The Milwaukee Brewers beat the Minnesota Twins, 3-0 at Metropolitan Stadium in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. Robin Yount went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Paul Molitor went 0-for-4, but did draw a walk. Rod Carew, uncharacteristically, went 1-for-4.
* The Houston Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-0 at the Astrodome in Houston. Ken Forsch pitched a 2-hit shutout.
* The Kansas City Royals beat the California Angels, 9-7 at Anaheim Stadium (now Angel Stadium of Anaheim). George Brett didn't drive in any of those 9 runs, going 0-for-4. Lyman Bostock hit a home run for the Angels. Just 16 days later, he was dead.
* And the Oakland Athletics beat the Texas Rangers, 11-4 at the Oakland Coliseum.
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