Drawing first blood in their crucial four-game series, the Yankees unleashed a 21-hit barrage to stomp the Red Sox, 15-3, moving the New Yorkers within three games of first place in the A. L. East. The Yankees jumped on loser Mike Torrez for two runs in the first inning, one on a single by Reggie Jackson in his first at-bat in three days. In the second, the Yankees added three more run on five singles and a walk, then collected another pair in the third on a double by Lou Piniella, a bunt and two singles, one by Willie Randolph, who batted in five runs.

A double by Randolph capped a five-run fourth in which 10 men came to the plate. Roy White also singled home two runs in the inning. Thurman Munson went 3-for-3 before being hit in the head by a Dick Drago pitch in the sixth inning. Catfish Hunter left after three innings because of a groin strain and Ken Clay picked up an easy victory in relief. [The Sporting News]

New York Yankees 15, Boston Red Sox 3

Game Played on Thursday, September 7, 1978 (Night game) at Fenway Park

Yankees 2 3 2 5 0 1 0 2 0 - 15 21 2 Red Sox 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 - 3 8 2 Yankees AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Red Sox AB R H RBI BB SO AVG Rivers cf 4 1 1 1 1 1 .266 Burleson ss 5 0 2 0 0 0 .248 Blair cf 1 0 0 0 0 0 .175 Lynn cf 3 0 0 1 1 1 .295 Randolph 2b 5 1 3 5 1 1 .272 Rice dh 4 0 1 0 0 1 .325 Munson c 3 1 3 1 1 0 .293 Yastrzemski lf 3 1 1 0 0 0 .290 Heath pr,c 1 1 1 0 0 0 .250 Hancock lf 1 0 1 0 0 0 .214 Jackson dh 4 0 1 1 0 2 .280 Fisk c 2 1 2 2 0 0 .298 Johnson ph,dh 2 1 1 1 0 0 .190 Montgomery c 1 0 0 0 1 1 .241 Chambliss 1b 4 1 1 1 0 1 .287 Brohamer 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 .240 Spencer ph,1b 1 0 1 1 0 0 .234 Evans rf 4 0 0 0 0 0 .255 Nettles 3b 5 1 1 0 0 1 .275 Scott 1b 4 0 0 0 0 1 .241 Stanley 3b 1 0 1 0 0 0 .229 Hobson 3b 4 1 1 0 0 1 .246 Piniella rf,lf 5 3 2 0 0 1 .309 Torrez p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 White lf 4 3 3 2 0 0 .256 Hassler p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Thomasson rf 1 0 0 0 1 0 .227 Drago p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Dent ss 6 2 2 2 0 1 .257 Campbell p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Hunter p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Clay p 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 Totals 47 15 21 15 4 8 Totals 35 3 8 3 2 5 Time of Game: 3:09 Attendance: 34,119 Left on Base: Yankees 12, Red Sox 7 DP: Yankees 1, Red Sox 0 Errors: Piniella, Dent, Hobson 2 Doubles: Piniella (29), Randolph (17), Johnson (9), Stanley (7), Burleson (27), Fisk (37), Hancock (3) Triples: Dent (1), Yastrzemski (1) Home Runs: Fisk (20) Sacrifice Hits: Piniella (4) Sacrifice Flies: Chambliss (5) GIDP: Evans (14) Hit by Pitch: Munson (2,by Drago) Yankees IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Hunter 3 3 1 1 1 1 0 13 3.70 Clay W(3-4) 6 5 2 1 1 4 1 24 4.39 Totals 9 8 3 2 2 5 1 37 Red Sox IP H R ER BB SO HR BFP ERA Torrez L(15-9) 1 6 5 3 0 1 0 10 4.12 Hassler 2 7 4 4 1 2 0 14 4.28 Drago 4 4 4 3 3 4 0 21 3.55 Campbell 2 4 2 2 0 1 0 9 4.20 Totals 9 21 15 12 4 8 0 54 Hit by Pitch: Drago (4) Umpires: HP - Durwood Merrill, 1B - Marty Springstead, 2B - Rich Garcia, 3B - Jim Evans YANKEES 1ST: Rivers was called out on strikes; Randolph reached on an error by Hobson; Munson singled to left [Randolph to second]; Jackson singled to left [Randolph scored (unearned), Munson to third]; Chambliss hit a sacrifice fly to center [Munson scored (unearned)]; Nettles grounded out (pitcher to first); 2 R (0 ER), 2 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Yankees 2, Red Sox 0. RED SOX 1ST: Burleson doubled to left; Lynn flied out to center; Rice grounded out (third to first); Yastrzemski made an out to first; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Yankees 2, Red Sox 0. YANKEES 2ND: Piniella singled to center; White singled to center [Piniella to third]; Dent singled to center [Piniella scored, White to second]; Rivers singled to right [White scored, Dent to second]; HASSLER REPLACED TORREZ (PITCHING); Randolph walked [Dent to third, Rivers to second]; Munson singled to second [Dent scored, Rivers to third, Randolph to second]; Jackson struck out; Chambliss flied out to right; Nettles struck out; 3 R, 5 H, 0 E, 3 LOB. Yankees 5, Red Sox 0. RED SOX 2ND: Fisk doubled to left; Brohamer grounded out (second to first) [Fisk to third]; Evans made an out to first; Scott flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Yankees 5, Red Sox 0. YANKEES 3RD: Piniella doubled to center; On a bunt White singled to first [Piniella to third]; Dent grounded out (pitcher to first) [Piniella scored, White to second]; Rivers grounded out (shortstop to first) [White to third]; Randolph singled to left [White scored]; Munson singled to left [Randolph to third]; Jackson popped to catcher in foul territory; 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Yankees 7, Red Sox 0. RED SOX 3RD: Hobson grounded out (third to first); Burleson made an out to shortstop; Lynn walked; Rice struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Yankees 7, Red Sox 0. YANKEES 4TH: Chambliss singled to center; Nettles singled to left [Chambliss to second]; DRAGO REPLACED HASSLER (PITCHING); Piniella reached on an error by Hobson on a sacrifice bunt [Chambliss to third, Nettles to second]; White singled to center [Chambliss scored, Nettles scored, Piniella to third]; Dent was called out on strikes; Rivers walked [White to second]; Randolph doubled to center [Piniella scored (unearned), White scored, Rivers scored]; Munson walked; Jackson struck out; Chambliss grounded out (first unassisted); 5 R (4 ER), 4 H, 1 E, 2 LOB. Yankees 12, Red Sox 0. RED SOX 4TH: Yastrzemski tripled to right; Jim Hunter strained his groin muscle; CLAY REPLACED HUNTER (PITCHING); Fisk homered [Yastrzemski scored]; Brohamer flied out to center; Evans grounded out (shortstop to first); Scott grounded out (second to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Yankees 12, Red Sox 2. YANKEES 5TH: MONTGOMERY REPLACED FISK (PLAYING C ); Nettles grounded out (first unassisted); Piniella made an out to shortstop; White lined to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Yankees 12, Red Sox 2. RED SOX 5TH: Hobson was called out on strikes; Burleson singled to center; Lynn struck out; Rice singled to left [Burleson to second]; Yastrzemski forced Rice (second to shortstop); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Yankees 12, Red Sox 2. YANKEES 6TH: Dent tripled to right; Rivers grounded out (second to first); Randolph singled to left [Dent scored]; Munson was hit by a pitch [Randolph to second]; HEATH RAN FOR MUNSON; JOHNSON BATTED FOR JACKSON; Johnson made an out to shortstop; Chambliss struck out; 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Yankees 13, Red Sox 2. RED SOX 6TH: JOHNSON STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING DH); HEATH STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING C ); THOMASSON REPLACED WHITE (PLAYING RF); PINIELLA CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING LF); Montgomery struck out; Brohamer popped to left; Evans reached on an error by Dent; Scott struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Yankees 13, Red Sox 2. YANKEES 7TH: HANCOCK REPLACED YASTRZEMSKI (PLAYING LF); Nettles made an out to shortstop; Piniella struck out; Thomasson walked; Dent flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Yankees 13, Red Sox 2. RED SOX 7TH: BLAIR REPLACED RIVERS (PLAYING CF); Hobson singled to left [Hobson to second (error by Piniella)]; Burleson grounded out (second to first) [Hobson to third]; Lynn grounded out (second to first) [Hobson scored (unearned)]; Rice grounded out (pitcher to first); 1 R (0 ER), 1 H, 1 E, 0 LOB. Yankees 13, Red Sox 3. YANKEES 8TH: CAMPBELL REPLACED DRAGO (PITCHING); Blair flied out to center; Randolph struck out; Heath singled to shortstop; Johnson doubled to right [Heath scored]; SPENCER BATTED FOR CHAMBLISS; Spencer singled to center [Johnson scored, Spencer out at second (center to first to shortstop to second)]; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Yankees 15, Red Sox 3. RED SOX 8TH: SPENCER STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING 1B); STANLEY REPLACED NETTLES (PLAYING 3B); Hancock doubled to left; Montgomery walked; Brohamer forced Montgomery (first to shortstop) [Hancock to third]; Evans grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Brohamer out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Yankees 15, Red Sox 3. YANKEES 9TH: Stanley doubled to left; Piniella flied out to center; Thomasson grounded out (shortstop to first); Dent flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Yankees 15, Red Sox 3. RED SOX 9TH: Scott grounded out (shortstop to first); Hobson grounded out (shortstop to first); Burleson grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Yankees 15, Red Sox 3.

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