The Perfect Schedule - Games 71-80

Onto games 71 through 80 of the perfect schedule.  The Sox go to 80-0 but it was close as game 77 was the game where Pokey Reese made a spectacular catch while crashing into the wall at Yankee stadium and former Red Sox John Flaherty had a walk off double but I decided the Mariner victory was better.

Game 71 - 1994 - Sox 10 at Brewers 8 - What started as a pitchers’ duel exploded into life.  The Brewers scored 4 in the 6th to go up 5-2 but the Sox got a run in the 7th and 5 in the 8th with an Andre Dawson 3 run homer the big blow.  The Brewers got a 3 run homer in the bottom of the inning to tie it but Mo Vaughn’s 12th inning homer made a winner of Ken Ryan.
Game 72 - 2011 - Padres 5 at Sox 14 - Starter Andrew Miller gave the Sox 5 2/3 solid innings and left a 3-3 tie.  In the 7th the Sox got a run when Adrian Gonzalez doubled home Jacoby Ellsbury.  With two outs Gonzalez was at second and this happened; IBB-BB-HBP-HBP-1B-1B-BB-1B-2B-K.  When the dust settled the Sox had plated 10 runs and had a 13-3 lead to make a winner of Matt Albers.
Game 73 - 2006 - Phillies 7 at Sox 8 - The Sox blew a 6-0 lead but David Ortiz’ RBI single scored Kevin Youkilis in the 12th after Youk had tied the game by knocking in Mark Loretta.  This was the second straight game the Sox won on an Ortiz walk off and this one gave Craig Hansen his first career victory.
Game 74 - 2010 - Sox 13 at Rockies 11 - Laser Show! Dustin Pedroia channeled his inner Ralph Kiner slugging three homers including the game winner in the 10th.
Game 75 - 1986 - Blue Jays 7 at Sox 9 - I remember Bob Montgomery being amazed to see the starting pitcher get an ovation walking OUT to the bullpen before the game.  But why not when that starting pitcher is trade acquisition and future Hall of Famer Tom Seaver?  He battled through 7 innings and left with a 9-4 lead allowing Steve Crawford and Joe Sambito to finish up in fairly untidy fashion.
Game 76 - 1990 - Rangers 2 at Sox 3 - This game featured just three pitchers; Nolan Ryan and Kenny Rogers for Texas and Mike Boddicker going all the way for Boston.  The star was Kevin Romine who slugged a walk off homer leading off the bottom of the 9th.  Romine hit 5 homers in his career and two of them were walk offs.  I wonder if that’s the highest percentage among players with more than one career walk off?
Game 77 - 2018 - Mariners 10 at Sox 14 - Steven Wright got pounded and the Sox were down 10-5 after 3.  The bats were alive and a pitching matchup that had produced a 2-1 Mariner victory six days previously turned into a wild one.  JD Martinez had 5 RBI and Brian Johnson, Matt Barnes, Joe Kelly and Craig Kimbrel combined on 5.2 innings of shutout relief.
Game 78 - 2003 - Marlins 8 at Sox 25 - As I watched at my local gym (Gold’s in Arlington) the Marlins scored a run off starter Byung-Hyun Kim in the top of the first.  As the bottom of the first began I hopped on the treadmill for a final ten minutes as the Sox stepped in against Carl Pavano.  About 45 minutes later I got off the treadmill.  Johnny Damon had three hits…in the first inning, the Marlins used three pitchers and the Sox plated 14 runs.  Ryan Rupe, Rudy Seanez, Hector Almonte and Jason Shiell pitched the final four innings for the Sox and Marlin righty Kevin Olsen suffered a frightening injury when Todd Walker’s line drive hit him in the head.
Game 79 - 1980 - Sox 7 at Brewers 0 - Fred Lynn had his final two homer game for the Sox backing up Steve Renko’s 8 innings of 4 hit shutout ball.  Dwight Evans batted 9th for the carmine hose for the 122nd time in his career.  He would not do so again until 1983 and only six more times total for the Red Sox.
Game 80 - 1984 (thanks Karl!) - A’s 9 at Sox 13 - The Sox got the fireworks going on this Independence Day tilt as Hall of Famer Jim Rice hit his only career walk off grand slam as part of a career best six RBI game.  Joe Morgan entered the game for Oakland in the 7th and went 0 for 2.  It was the final time this superstar ever played against Boston.