A massacre at Fenway

The Yankees made up a 10 games in a little over a month, then came to Fenway Park for a four-game showdown from September 7-10. What followed would become known as the “Boston Massacre.” New York made a quick statement in the first game by bombarding former teammate Mike Torrez, Andy Hassler, and Dick Drago for 14 singles and 11 runs within the first four innings.

Don Zimmer, Boston’s manager, felt his team was ready for the next game on September 8th, taking solace in the fact that the 15-3 beating “still only counts as one game.” Two rookies named Jim started against each other, Beattie for the Yanks and Wright for Boston. Only Beattie emerged with a good game, as he shut out the powerful Red Sox lineup for eight innings on three hits. Meanwhile, the Yankees continued to thrash the opposing pitching staff–Wright, Tom Burgmeier, and “Spaceman” Bill Lee surrendered 13 runs and 17 hits. The game was basically over once the Yankees took an 8-0 lead in the second, powered by a three-run homer from Jackson, who battled through a virus to stay in the lineup. Lou Piniella finished a mere single shy of the cycle. A couple of unearned runs against Beattie in the ninth made the final score 13-2.

The Yankees sought to secure the series victory in the third game of the series. The Red Sox appeared as hopeless as ever, and the fact that they had to deal with a pitcher in the middle of one of the greatest seasons in the history of baseball only made matters worse. Ron Guidry carried a sparkling 20-2 record and a 1.84 ERA into the game; he would somehow find a way to make his season look even better. Leadoff hitter Rick Burleson singled to center to begin the game, and after a sacrifice bunt moved him to second base, Jim Rice beat out a slow ground ball to shortstop Bucky Dent (Burleson was forced to stay at second though). That was it for the Red Sox on September 9th. Guidry no-hit them for the remaining 8.2 innings. On the Saturday afternoon broadcast, broadcaster Tony Kubek remarked “This is the first time I’ve seen a first-place team chasing a second-place team.”

In the series finale, the Yankees incredibly had an opportunity to tie for first place, an idea that seemed inconceivable only a few weeks ago. The pitching situation had become so dire for Boston that rookie southpaw Bobby Sprowl took the hill for only his second career start on September 10th. He did not make it out of the first inning, removed after a double play, four walks, and a single. Third baseman Graig Nettles singled home two more runs against reliever Bob Stanley. By the end of the top of the fourth, the Yankees held a 6-0 lead. Starter Ed Figueroa gave up a few runs, but won the game with six innings of three-hit ball. Hall of Fame reliever Goose Gossage saved it with three solid innings of his own. The final score was 7-3, and the Yankees were officially tied for first place.