Lyle, though your heart is breaking...MIL 5, BOS 3 (10)

GAME 3: Boston has won 6 straight, and 8 of their last 10. Mike Nagy starts for Boston. He's made 5 starts on the year and is 1 and 0 with an ERA of 3.08. He'll be opposed by Bill Parsons. He's made 5 starts on the year and is 2 and 2 with an ERA of 5.52. Boston right fielder Reggie Smith is riding a 10 game hitting streak. It's 63 degrees, wind speed 20 mph, out to rcf.

Boston threatened in the top of the 3rd, but Yaz returned to his down ways by popping up to end the inning. Credit must be given to Bill Parsons for throwing him an unhittable pitch with 1st base open. Johnny Briggs walked with 1 out in the bottom of the 4th. Danny Walton lined a clean single to left that Yaz muffed as he tried to come up throwing to get Briggs at 3rd. That allowed Walton to cruise into second to put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out and Bill Voss at the bat. Boston starter Mike Nagy walked Voss on 5 pitches to load the bases for Andy Kosco who was getting a rare start at 1st. Kosco flew out to Smith at the warning track in right to knock in the first run of the game. Catcher Phil Roof grounded weakly to short to end the inning.

Nagy looked tired and all it took was a lead off single by Roberto Pena and a call to the bullpen was looming. Long reliever Bill "the spaceman" Lee came in to face lefty Johnn Briggs who flew out to Smith in right for the first out. Danny Walton fanned for the second out and Pena ended the inning by getting pegged out at second by catcher Duane Josephson.

With 1 out in the 8th Aparicio doubled off the wall in left center on a ball Voss had a chance to catch. Reggie Smith worked out a walk as it looked entirely like Parsons was attempting to pitch around him and get to Yaz who is hitting just .186. Yaz immediately found himself in the hole at 0-2, but battled back to work out a walk and load the bases for Petrocelli. The same exact scenario occurred during Petrocelli's at bat as Parsons walking in the tying run. Billy C got caught looking for the second out as he thought he too would get a free pass. Phil Gagliano came on to pinch hit of Fiore and promptly lined a run RBI single to center. Duane Josephson struck out to end the inning, but not after the Bosox posted 3 runs on the board to take a 3-1 lead over Milwaukee.

Sparky Lyle came on in an obvious save situation to start the 9th. Pena lined an opposite field single to greet Lyle. Ted Kubiak came on to pinch hit for Briggs in a righty/lefty swap and put runners on the corners with a smash thru the hole just out of Aparicio's reach. Danny Walton followed with a clean single of his own and just like that the score was now 3-2 with nobody out. Bill Voss had an unproductive at bat as he popped to the boomer, George Scott for the first out of the inning. Andy Kosco lined to Aparicio at short for the second out. Phil Roof single to right to tie the game and was immediately replace by Lloyd Wicker who came on to pinch run. Lyle fooled Auerbach who popped out to right, but the game was now headed to extra innings and Lyle blew the save opportunity.

Ted Savage lined a single to right pinch hitting for Marcellino Lopes, the pitcher. That set the stage for Ron Theobold's walk off homer. Boston had a great chance to sweep this series and get back into the race. Instead their pen, specifically Lyle, blew the game and let the Brewers off the hook.