Boston's Impossible Dream Thrown Away.

 

Boston, Sept. 30 - The Impossible Dream of a pennant-winning season in Boston proved to be impossible after all. Fielding gaffes in stretch run choked any championship dreams for Manager Dick Williams' troops. A muffed pop fly by reliever John Wyatt cost the Red Sox a crucial win in Detroit two weeks ago. Yesterday, two consecutive errors by third baseman Jerry Adair proved fatal to the Boston Red Sox' Impossible Dream season. Boston carried a 1-0 lead into the ninth inning. Carroll Hardy, pinch-hitting for pitcher Jim Perry, reached first base on Adair's first miscue, a bobble of Hardy's ground ball. Pat Kelly, the brother of Cleveland Browns RB Leroy Kelly, pinch-ran for Hardy. Zoilo Versalles tested Adair again with what appeared to be a routine double play ball. However, Adair's throw to second sailed high and into the outfield. Suddenly, the Twins had runners on the corners with no outs. Boston manager Dick Williams brought into Gary Bell to put out the self-induced fire. Bell appeared up to the task as he struck out the first man he faced, Cesar Tovar. But, his 0-1 curve ball to Harmon Killebrew bounced in front of the plate and eluded Elton Howard. Kelly raced home with the tying run and Fenway Park was immersed in a sickly silence. After walking Killebrew, Bell escaped with a double play turned by Rico Petrocelli and Mike Andrews. Yastrzemski drew an opening walk to start the Red Sox ninth, but his stunned teammates were unable to advance him. The top of the tenth inning delivered the dread of every patron seated in Fenway Park. Ted Uhlaender wrapped a solo home run around Pesky Pole in right field for a one-run Minnesota lead. In the bottom of the tenth, Dalton Jones singled with two outs to provide some light to the Fenway faithful who remained as if attending a wake for their ball club. But the pulse of the Red Sox season officially stopped as Alan Worthington struck out Mike Andrews to end the game. In Detroit, the Tigers won the opening game of their doubleheader with California, 5-1. The news from Boston reached Detroit by the second game which the Tigers dropped 9-1. Bedlam reigned for a second time this year in Detroit, however in contrast to the deadly July riots, the city was awash in joy. In the National League, the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Atlanta Braves, 8-6, to capture their second pennant in four years. See Twins - Red Sox box score