During the real 1975 World Series, heavy rains delayed Game 6 for three days. The time off allowed the Red Sox to give Luis Tiant his third start of the series. Cincinnati gave the ball to Gary Nolan. I will follow suit for my Game 6.
Tiant took the mound looking sharper than ever, retiring the first 14 batters he faced. Morgan drew a walk in the fourth and Foster singled in the fifth, but neither advanced past second. Cecil Cooper led off the third for Boston with a double. Following a sacrifice bunt from Doyle, Carl Yastrzemski singled to drive in the first run of the game. The Red Sox added two more in the sixth from a Petrocelli double that drove in Fisk and a Burleson single that drove in Petrocelli.
This game would not end with a 12th-inning home run off the foul pole, but it did have some late-inning drama. Trailing 3-0 in the eighth, Cincinnati manager Sparky Anderson sent Terry Crowley to bat in the pitcher's spot. The pinch hitter lifted a drive to left field that just cleared the Green Monster for an opposite field solo shot. Darrell Johnson then replaced Tiant with southpaw Roger Moret. A walk to Rose and a Burleson error put Reds at first and second. With the tying run on and only one out, Moret retired Joe Morgan on a fly out. Johnson then brought in right-hander Dick Drago to face Johnny Bench. The Red Sox closer retired the slugging catcher on a grounder to short to end the threat. Drago then sent down the side in order in the ninth to close out the victory and even the series at three games apiece.
The two teams will take the field one more time in a deciding game for the 1975 World Series championship ...
Game 6: Red Sox 3, Reds 1
Maybe a miracle coming after all.
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