The Red Sox sent 9 men to the plate in the top of the first as Yankee starter Jim Beattie struggled to find the strike zone enabling Boston to cruise to a 10-2 win. This victory shaved the '78 Yankees' lead in the AL East to 3.5 games with Boston playing the Bronx Bombers 5 more time in the final month of the regular season.Boston will play 2 more games in New York before returning to Fenway for a 6 game homestand against the Jays and the Orioles.
Beattie issued walks to lead off man Denny Doyle and Cecil Cooper before Fred Lynn's single loaded the bases. He then gave a free pass to Carl Yastrzemski to force in the first run of the game. Jim Rice tacked on an RBI sac fly to push the score to 2-0. Subsequently, Beattie then walked Dwight Evans to reload the bases, and Carlton Fisk would represent the fifth free pass of the inning and give Boston a 3-0 lead. A failed double play on a Rico Petrocelli grounder then gave Boston a 4-0 advantage. The book would be closed on Beattie in the fourth after he allowed back to back singles. He was lifted in favor of Don Gullett who would surrender a three run homer to Cecil Cooper. Boston starter Luis Tiant easily picked up his 15th win of the season with Yankees DH Jim Spencer offering the only resistance with a two run homer in the sixth.
Boston is coming off a 16- 12 August which included a 7 game winning streak at home. Entering the final month of the season, Boston will also play their wildcard running mates, the 1979 Baltimore Orioles, 6 more times in September. Both teams seem to have the wildcard positions locked up, but the proposition of a one game playoff against the Orioles should be ample motivation to make a serious run at top spot in the AL East.
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