Metroplex bracket: 1973 Red Sox beat 1973 Yankees in five games

Game One: Yankees 3, Red Sox 2
WP: Stottlemyre (1-0)
LP: Bolin (0-1)
Save: McDaniel (1)
HR: F Alou (1), Michael (1), Cepeda (1)

Game Two: Red Sox 10, Yankees 8
WP: Lee (1-0)
LP: Medich (0-1)
Save: Veale (1)
HR: Munson (1), Clarke (1), Miller (1), Petrocelli (1), Harper (1)

Game Three: Red Sox 6, Yankees 5
WP: Moret (1-0)
LP: Kline (0-1)
Save: Veale (2)
HR: White (1)

Game Four: Red Sox 3, Yankees 2
WP: Pattin (1-0)
LP: P Dobson (0-1)
Save: Bolin (1)
HR: White (2)

Game Five: Red Sox 5, Yankees 3
WP: Tiant (1-0)
LP: Stottlemyre (1-1)
HR: Miller (2)

The Red Sox made a short series with the Yankees, but every game was close.

Felipe Alou was the Yankees hero in Game One, lifting a two-run pinch-hit homer over Fenway Park's Green Monster in the top of the ninth to put the Yanks in front for the first time. Mel Stottlemyre allowed two runs in eight innings, scattering seven hits, for the win. Lindy McDaniel worked around a leadoff single for the save.

The Sox responded in Game Two by racking up Doc Medich for five runs in the fourth inning, with Tommy Harper hitting a three-run homer in the inning. Rick Miller hit another three-run homer off reliever Steve Klin in the fifth. The Yankees scored three runs in the final two innings off the Boston bullpen to make the final score close.

The series moved to the 1973 version of Yankee Stadium -- the last year of the classic configuration -- for a marathon Game Three. Orlando Cepeda scored three runs for Boston, which got 3.3 scoreless innings of relief from Dick Pole. Roy White hit a three-run homer in the seventh off John Curtis to put the Yankees ahead, but the Sox tied it in the eighth with two runs off McDaniel. Carl Yastrzemski doubled to open the top of the 12th and eventually scored on a Rico Petrocelli fly ball for the go-ahead run, and Bob Veale set down the Yanks in order in the bottom of the inning.

Marty Pattin outdueled Pat Dobson in Game Four, although neither starter reached the seventh inning. The Red Sox had just one RBI in the game -- the other runs scored on a wild pitch and an error -- but Veale and Bobby Bolin combined for three scoreless innings to protect the lead.

Luis Tiant needed no such help in Game Five, wrapping up the series with a five-hitter. Miller hit his second homer of the series in the sixth, and Yastrzemski drove in Reggie Smith for the go-head run in the eighth. Craig Nettles scored twice for New York.

Player availability: Plenty of rest makes all Red Sox players available for the opener of the second round.

Projected rotation: Tiant-Lee-Curtis-Pattin-(Tiant)-(Lee)-(Curtis)