|
George Scott ties the game in the 10th and
Dalton Jones slams a walk-off homer in the 11th
ON THIS DATE (June 6,
1969)
...
It was raining heavily, and in the 10th inning the fans started to
head for the exits because it looked like the Red Sox had lost to the
Kansas City Royals. And then, all of a sudden the fans stopped in
their tracks as a wicked explosion occurred at home plate with two
men out. George Scott, with all his 220 pounds behind his swing, sent
a wicked liner toward the bleachers in center field. The ball struck
halfway up the wall behind the seats and the fans turned around and
went back to their seats, cheering. An inning later, Dalton Jones,
the smooth swinging firstbaseman, slammed his second home run of the year, with
Dick Schofield on base, and the Red Sox were winners, 4 to 2. In the rain as the
fans were singing, the game belonged with some of the best seen at Fenway Park
in years.
The expansion team from Kansas City had trotted out a 22-year-old southpaw
named Billy Butler, who threw some of the hardest stuff a pitcher could throw.
He had given up a run in the first inning on a double by Carl Yastrzemski and a
single by Reggie Smith. From that point to the moment George Scott's hit took
off, the youngster had pitched some great ball. He retired eighth-inning row at
one stage and 14 at another. He was firing just as hard in the 10th inning as he
was in the 1st.
And then there was Ray Culp, with his 9-2 record, battling the youngster all
the way, having just missed a shutout in regulation.
In the fourth inning, Mike Fiore hit a long fly ball towards his Kansas City
bullpen. Reggie Smith one back and back, and the ball was tumbling over the
fence, he leapt and reached back. He made contact with the ball and had it in
his glove. But when he crashed into the barrier, the ball came loose and bounced
over for a home run to tie the game at 1-1.
Culp was the victim of his own tough luck in the top of the 10th, when he
tripped slightly trying to get to a bunt with the bases were loaded with nobody
out, allowing the Royals to score the go-ahead run. Fiore had hit a soft single
to center, to open the inning and Joe Foy grounded one into left field. A bunt
was anticipated and Ed Kirkpatrick dropped it down nicely. It was closer to Culp
than it was to Scott at third-base, so the pitcher made a move after it. But he
tripped slightly and the ball got past him for a single, to load the bases.
This brought out pitching coach Darrell Johnson and he waved for Vicente Romo
to pitch to Lou Pinella. Lou ended up hitting a soft fly to right-field and
there was no attempt the score. Johnson came out again and this time brought in
Sparky Lyle. The Royals brought up Bob Taylor, a right-handed hitter, and he
sent a soft little grounder down to Jones, who threw to the plate and forced
Fiore. The next batter was r
In the bottom of the 10th, Butler got Rico Petrocelli to pop up and Tony
Conigliaro on a soft ground ball. By this time it was really messy with the
rain, but nothing could stop the drive hit by Scott. The bleachers in center
field were empty the and kids came flying over, jockeying for the ball as it
bounced off the seats. And so the crowd was back, sitting in the rain and no one
cared.
Lyle retired the Royals in order in the 11th. Dick Schofield, the tough
battler, in the bottom of the inning, doubled with one out. His long fly just
got past Bob Oliver's grasp in the right-field corner. It was touched by a fan
and ruled a ground rule double. When Jones came to the plate, he knew that Carl
Yastrzemski was behind him and he would get a good pitch, because Moe Drabowsky
did not want to walk him and face Yaz. He got two sliders for strikes and the
count was 3-2. Jones got the next pitch nicely and the ball sailed out of the
park for the walk-off.
|
.jpg)
