BOSOX BELT 6 HRS IN NIGHTCAP ROUT
Rice Goes Deep Twice in 20-Hit Attack
KANSAS CITY, July 15 (AP) - The Boston Red Sox hit a major league season-high
six home runs en route to a 15-4 pounding of Kansas City in the nightcap of a
doubleheader, earning a split at Royals Stadium. The 20 hits amassed by
the Red Sox set a new club high for the year. Every Boston starter had at
least one hit and seven players accrued multiple safeties. Half of the
team's hits went for extra bases.
The Red Sox blew the game open early, with three runs in the top of the first
off Royals starter Doug Bird. After the first two batters were retired,
Cecil Cooper opened the scoring with a home run into the seats down the right
field line. Carl Yastrzemski followed by lining a single to right and Jim
Rice then gave Boston a 3-0 lead with a long home run to left.
In the second, the Red Sox effectively put the game away and sent Bird to the
showers in the process. Denny Doyle opened the frame with a double into
the right field corner and advanced to third on Bob Montgomery's ground
out. Bob Heise then singled to left, scoring Doyle for a 4-0
advantage. Rick Miller rolled into a fielder's choice for the second out
but Rick Burleson kept the inning alive with a base hit to center, putting
runners on first and second. Cooper then looped an opposite field single
to left, plating Miller for a 5-0 Red Sox lead. Yastrzemski followed by
driving a Bird fastball into the seats down the right field line for a three-run
home run, giving Boston an 8-0 advantage and ending the right-hander's
day. Larry Gura replaced Bird on the mound but was greeted by Jim Rice's
second homer of the game, a towering shot into the fountain in center field,
making the score 9-0.
Frank White's two-out, two-run triple put the Royals on the board in the bottom
of the second but the Red Sox more than made up for it with a four-run
fourth. With two outs, back-to-back singles by Rice and Dwight Evans were
followed by a walk to Denny Doyle, loading the bases. On an 0-2 pitch,
Montgomery drove a hanging change-up off the left field foul pole for a grand
slam and a 13-2 lead.
The Red Sox added a single run in the sixth when Heise singled home Doyle, and
plated their 15th run when Evans homered off reliever Tom Hall leading off the
eighth.
A two-run consolation double off the bat of Buck Martinez in the bottom of the
ninth gave the Royals their last two runs, accounting for the final score.
Kansas City won the opening game of the twin bill when Frank White doubled home
Freddie Patek in the bottom of the ninth, breaking a 5-all tie.
7/15/1976, Bos76-KC 76, game 2, Royals Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1976 Red Sox 3 6 0 4 0 1 0 1 0 15 20 1 8 0 1976 Royals 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 8 0 6 1 Red Sox AB R H BI AVG Royals AB R H BI AVG Miller,R cf 5 1 1 0 .333 Nelson,D 2b 4 0 0 0 .282 Burleson ss 5 1 1 0 .316 Otis cf 4 0 1 0 .264 Cooper 1b 6 2 2 2 .245 Brett,G 3b 3 0 0 0 .327 Yastrzemski lf 4 2 3 3 .278 Quirk ph 1 0 0 0 .265 Darwin lf 1 0 1 0 .208 Mayberry 1b 4 0 0 0 .246 Rice dh 6 3 3 3 .329 Cowens rf 4 1 2 0 .287 Evans,Dw rf 5 2 3 1 .259 Rojas dh 4 0 0 0 .185 Doyle 2b 3 3 2 0 .251 Wohlford lf 4 2 2 0 .284 Griffin,D ph 1 0 0 0 .167 White,F ss 4 1 2 2 .245 Montgomery c 5 1 2 4 .146 Martinez,B c 4 0 1 2 .221 Heise 3b 5 0 2 2 .238 36 4 8 4 46 15 20 15 Red Sox INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Jones,Ri W 2-3 9.0 8 4 4 1 1 109 68 6.47 9.0 8 4 4 1 1 109 68 Royals INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Bird L 5-5 1.2 8 8 8 0 2 38 29 4.25 Gura 2.1 6 5 5 1 0 47 30 3.00 Littell 3.0 3 1 1 3 3 66 36 2.73 Hall 2.0 3 1 1 0 0 21 14 2.45 9.0 20 15 15 4 5 172 109 Bos: Griffin,D batted for Doyle in the 8th Darwin inserted at lf in the 8th Griffin,D moved to 2b in the 8th KC : Quirk batted for Brett,G in the 8th Quirk moved to 3b in the 9th E-Burleson. 2B-Evans,Dw(20), Doyle(5), Montgomery(1), Darwin(8), Otis(30), Cowens(10), White,F(9), Martinez,B(5). 3B-White,F(5). HR-Cooper(3), Yastrzemski(13), Rice 2(12), Evans,Dw(8), Montgomery(3). RBI-Cooper 2(18), Yastrzemski 3(53), Rice 3(53), Evans,Dw(47), Montgomery 4(9), Heise 2(3), White,F 2(32), Martinez,B 2(20). K-Burleson 2, Cooper 2, Evans,Dw, Martinez,B. BB-Miller,R, Burleson, Yastrzemski, Doyle, Nelson,D. GWRBI: Cooper Temperature: 93, Sky: partly cloudy, Wind: right to left at 6 MPH. Attendance: 24,558 Game Time: 2:32