Three-hit pitching by Don Aase and a five-hit performance by Reggie Cleveland propelled the Red Sox to an 8-0, 6-0 sweep of the Blue Jays in a twi-night doubleheader. Jim Rice hit his 35th homer, a three-run blast in the fifth inning, to spice the opener.

A two-run double by Rick Miller and run-scoring double by Rick Burleson were the key blows in the fourth inning of the nightcap as the Red Sox chopped the Yankees' lead to 2½ games in the American League East. [The Sporting News]



Boston Red Sox 8, Toronto Blue Jays 0 (Game 1)
Game Played on Monday, September 5, 1977 (Night game) at Exhibition Stadium
Red Sox      0  2  0    0  3  0    2  1  0  -   8  9  1
Blue Jays    0  0  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   0  3  0


Red Sox              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Blue Jays            AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Burleson ss           5   1   2   0     0   0   .293      Staggs 2b             4   0   1   0     0   0   .252
Doyle 2b              5   0   0   0     0   1   .246      A. Woods lf           4   0   1   0     0   0   .281
Lynn cf               5   0   0   0     0   1   .252      Howell 3b             3   0   0   0     1   0   .289
Yastrzemski lf        2   3   1   0     2   0   .303      Fairly rf             4   0   1   0     0   1   .285
  Bowen lf            1   0   0   0     0   1   .000      Ewing dh              4   0   0   0     0   1   .294
Rice dh               4   2   1   3     1   1   .319      Ault 1b               4   0   0   0     0   1   .251
Fisk c                3   1   3   3     1   0   .302      Bowling cf            2   0   0   0     1   1   .188
Scott 1b              4   0   0   0     0   3   .263      Cerone c              3   0   0   0     0   0   .185
Hobson 3b             4   1   2   2     0   0   .265      Nordbrook ss          3   0   0   0     0   0   .185
Miller rf             3   0   0   0     1   2   .263      Byrd p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000
Aase p                0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Johnson p           0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               36   8   9   8     5   9             Totals               31   0   3   0     2   4

Time of Game: 2:26
Left on Base: Red Sox 6, Blue Jays 6
DP: Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0
Errors: Hobson
Doubles: Fisk (21)
Triples: Fisk (2), Fairly (1)
Home Runs: Rice (35), Hobson (28)
Stolen Bases: Yastrzemski (10)


Red Sox                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Aase W(4-1)             9     3   0   0   2   4   0  33   2.78
Totals                  9     3   0   0   2   4   0  33

Blue Jays              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Byrd L(2-9)             4.2   7   5   5   3   6   1  24   5.53
Johnson                 4.1   2   3   3   2   3   1  17   4.54
Totals                  9     9   8   8   5   9   2  41

Umpires: HP - Ted Hendry, 1B - Jerry Neudecker, 2B - Al Clark, 3B - Nick Bremigan


RED SOX 1ST: Burleson grounded out (third to first); Doyle
struck out; Lynn grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0.

BLUE JAYS 1ST: Staggs grounded out (shortstop to first); A.
Woods flied out to center; Howell flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 0, Blue Jays 0.

RED SOX 2ND: Yastrzemski singled to pitcher; Rice struck out;
Yastrzemski stole second; Fisk tripled to left [Yastrzemski
scored]; Scott struck out; Hobson singled [Fisk scored]; Miller
walked [Hobson to second]; Burleson singled to third [Hobson to
third, Miller to second]; Doyle made an out to shortstop; 2 R, 4
H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Red Sox 2, Blue Jays 0.

BLUE JAYS 2ND: Fairly tripled to right; Ewing struck out; Ault
was called out on strikes; Bowling walked; Cerone grounded out
(third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Red Sox 2, Blue Jays 0.

RED SOX 3RD: Lynn struck out; Yastrzemski lined to second; Rice
flied to left in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox
2, Blue Jays 0.

BLUE JAYS 3RD: Nordbrook flied out to right; Staggs flied out to
center; A. Woods flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red
Sox 2, Blue Jays 0.

RED SOX 4TH: Fisk walked; Scott struck out; Hobson forced Fisk
(shortstop to second); Miller struck out; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.
Red Sox 2, Blue Jays 0.

BLUE JAYS 4TH: Howell grounded out (first to pitcher); Fairly
grounded out (first unassisted); Ewing grounded out (pitcher to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 2, Blue Jays 0.

RED SOX 5TH: Burleson singled; Doyle grounded out (first to
shortstop to first) [Burleson to second]; Lynn grounded out
(pitcher to first) [Burleson to third]; Yastrzemski walked; Rice
homered [Burleson scored, Yastrzemski scored]; Fisk singled to
right; JOHNSON REPLACED BYRD (PITCHING); Scott struck out; 3 R,
3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 0.

BLUE JAYS 5TH: Ault lined to center; Bowling flied out to
center; Cerone grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0
LOB.  Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 0.

RED SOX 6TH: Hobson grounded out (shortstop to first); Miller
struck out; Burleson grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 5, Blue Jays 0.

BLUE JAYS 6TH: Nordbrook flied out to center; Staggs singled to
center; A. Woods made an out to shortstop; Howell grounded out
(shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 5, Blue
Jays 0.

RED SOX 7TH: Doyle grounded out (shortstop to first); Lynn
grounded out (third to first); Yastrzemski walked; Rice walked
[Yastrzemski to second]; Fisk doubled to center [Yastrzemski
scored, Rice scored]; Scott grounded out (third to first); 2 R,
1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 7, Blue Jays 0.

BLUE JAYS 7TH: Fairly struck out; Ewing grounded out (shortstop
to first); Ault reached on an error by Hobson; Bowling struck
out; 0 R, 0 H, 1 E, 1 LOB.  Red Sox 7, Blue Jays 0.

RED SOX 8TH: Hobson homered; Miller grounded out (shortstop to
first); Burleson flied out to left; Doyle grounded out (first
unassisted); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 8, Blue Jays 0.

BLUE JAYS 8TH: BOWEN REPLACED YASTRZEMSKI (PLAYING LF); Cerone
lined to left; Nordbrook flied out to right; Staggs popped to
first in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox 8, Blue
Jays 0.

RED SOX 9TH: Lynn flied out to left; Bowen was called out on
strikes; Rice flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Red Sox
8, Blue Jays 0.

BLUE JAYS 9TH: A. Woods singled to left; Howell walked [A. Woods
to second]; Fairly flied out to center; Ewing lined to first;
Ault flied out to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Red Sox 8, Blue
Jays 0.