The Sensational 70s - No Sanctuary for Birds at Camden Yards

Boston's push for top spot in the AL East began with a groundswell in Pittsburgh as the Sawx took the last two games of the three game series against the '79 Pirates. It has increased in fervor in Baltimore as the '79 Orioles were unable to derail the Sawx in the first two games stretching Boston's winning streak to four games.

The '75 Red Sox sent Rick Wise to the mound in the opener and it took a while for him to find his footing. Baltimore planted fence posts in the first two innings on an RBI single from Ken Singleton in the first, and a run scoring double by Dave Skaggs. After the final out of the fourth, Wise went on to set down the next 11 Oriole hitters as Boston found the range against Baltimore starter Scott MacGregor. In the fourth inning, a two out rally was sparked by a single by Jim Rice. Rice has been red hot and has feasted on lefties, ripping them at a .358 clip this season. This would be foreshadowing for bigger things to come from the slugging left fielder. Dwight Evans took a hanging curveball deep over the left field wall for his second homer in as many games to tie the game at 2.

After a Cecil Cooper sac fly in the fifth made the score 3-2, Rice resurfaced with a titanic solo blast in the sixth. This was Rice's third homer in two games, and in those 2 games he went 5-8 with a double, 6 RBI and 5 runs scored. The 1975 season was Rice's rookie season and from 1975 -1986 he dominated the baseball landscape as one of the game's premier power hitters. No one in the American League hit more homers than Rice's total of 350. Jim "Ed" also drove in 1276 runs and had 2145 hits during that same period leading all of baseball in both categories. He also only trailed Mike Schmidt in extra base hits by 51 logging 752.

MacGregor (12-6) was lifted after Rice's homer as he logged 5.1 innings, giving up 4 runs on 6 hits. In the eighth, Rice faced another lefty in Tippy Martinez, and he smoked a line drive double off the center field fence. Fisk delivered an RBI single to complete the Red Sox barrage. 

The one bright spot for Baltimore was Ken Singleton, whose 2 RBI increased his total to 127 which leads the Majors. The switch hitting MVP candidate also has 43 homers and is hitting .315. The 1979 season was also his best as a pro as Singleton clubbed 35 homers and 111 RBI - both career highs. That season he garnered his second of three career all-star selections, and in the 1979 post season, he batted .364 with three doubles and 4 RBI.

Rick Wise (14-13) turned in another blue collar effort, giving Boston yet another quality start. Wise allowed only 6 hits and 2 earned runs. Boston did have a bit of a scare in the ninth. Closer  Dick Drago was greeted by back to back singles by Eddie Murray and Doug DeCinces to bring the tying run to the plate in pinch hitter John Lowenstein. Drago was rescued by some flashy glove work by 1979 Gold Glove winner Rick Burleson for a 6-4-3 twin killing (see below). Burleson was third overall in defensive WAR during his years in Boston. From 1974-1980 the "Rooster" had a rating of 12.0 among shortstops. Drago finished off the game for his 37th save by striking out Kiko Garcia.

Bill Lee toed the rubber in the second game, and although he didn't hang around long, he managed to pick up his 17th win of the season.  Lee tossed 5.2 innings of one run baseball and was touched up for 7 hits in a 3-2 victory. His current win total matches his actual 1975 total and it would be the third consecutive year he won 17 games for Boston. He holds the record for most games pitched by a left-hander (321) and sits fourth in wins by a southpaw (94).  In the '75 World Series, Lee left games 2 and 7 with the lead, but Boston's bullpen couldn't hold on and they lost both contests.

The middle infielders went to work to give Boston a 2-0 lead in the third. Rick Burleson smacked a triple to right center to score Dwight Evans. Evans led off the inning with a single. Then leadoff man Denny Doyle hit a sacrifice fly to left bringing Burleson home.

In the bottom of the fourth, Eddie Murray jumped all over a high changeup from Lee ushering it quickly into the center field bleachers to cut the lead in half. Only Mickey Mantle has more switch hit homers than Murray who went bridge 504 times in his hall of fame career. Murray holds the all time record for RBI by a switch hitter with 1917 and took Rookie of the Year honors in 1977.

Boston inched forward in the sixth. Cecil Cooper hit a one out double to left, and after Fred Lynn grounded out to short, Carl Yastrzemski drove him in to register a 2 out RBI. Jim Rice followed up with a single which would end the day for Baltimore's Jim Palmer. Palmer (13-11) lasted 5.2 innings giving up 6 hits and striking out 3. After picking up two more hits in this game, Rice is now hitting .636 in his last three games 

Cooper's 40th double added to Boston's league leading total of 347. Lynn leads the team with 46, and Rice has smacked 44 two baggers. Lynn also led the team in 1975 in doubles with 47 in his Rookie of the Year campaign. Including his rookie year, Lynn made 8 consecutive all star teams (5 times as a Red Sox) before he was traded to California where he was selected three more times. 

The Red Sox have been led offensively by the trio of Cooper, Rice and Lynn throughout the season. All three have hit over 20 homers with Rice leading the team with 28 round trippers. Both Lynn (.308) and Cooper (.309)  are the only qualified hitter above .300 with Rice a hair below the mark at .292. Both Rice (104) and Cooper (102) are the team leaders in RBI with Lynn 8 below the century mark at 92.

Baltimore managed on more run in the bottom of the eighth, but Dick Drago came on and got Doug DeCinces to line out before he blanked the Orioles in the ninth for his 38th save.

Boston now sits 1.5 games out of first place with 7 games left to go. Reggie Cleveland will attempt to lead Boston to a sweep as he'll be dueling Steve Stone in the finale.