Impossible Dreamers Drop Boston Opener to Detroit

They raised the 1967 American League Pennant over Fenway Park yesterday. Fortunately it has neither eyes nor feelings.

Playing in the shadow of success, Boston Luckies dropped their home opener, 9-2, to Detroit's powerful Tigers. In the fourth inning the Tigers combined shoddy Boston fielding and pitching with some effective hitting for eight runs and the victory.

Tiger catcher Bill Freehan set the scene for the whole tragi-comic affair by bouncing a freak single off the third base bag. Red Sox starter Ray Culp. who had pitched out of jams in the first and second innings, dug himself in again by walking Jim Northrup.

Ray Oyler popped up, but Detroit's right-handed pitching ace Earl Wilson slashed a line drive into the right-center field alley to produce a run. Culp then walked Dick McAuliffe (one of four the shortstop drew in the game) to load the bases.

After a visit from manager Dick Williams, Culp delivered a meatball to Don Wert who knocked it sharply to right field. Rookie right fielder Joe LaHoud bobbled the ball, two runs scored and the flag sagged.

Al Kaline lined to Carl Yastrzemski who, naturally, caught the ball and threw crisply to third base in a vain attempt to double off McAuliffe. It was a good throw, but Dalton Jones couldn't find the handle, and the ball skittered away, letting McAuliffe score. Before the horrible inning was over, Willie Horton got a wind-blown double to center, Freehan another scratch single both off the hapless Culp--and Oyler a run-scoring single off reliever Lee Stange.

Wilson complemented his batting efforts (two for five with an RBI and a run scored) with an adequate four hitter, spiced by eight strikeouts. Although he walked five, the "King" slipped seriously only twice.

In the second, rookie LaHoud, in his first Fenway appearance, stroked a double into the right field corner. Ellie Howard followed with a bloop single behind first base, and the Red Sox had a short-lived 1-0 lead.

Then with the game out of reach, in the seventh inning, second baseman Mike Andrews lined a home run into the screen atop the Green Monster.