‘Oil Can’ Is All the Rage at Fenway

They’re getting excited about Oil in Boston.

It’s not yet Oil Can Mania, but the city seems to be taking a liking to Red Sox pitcher Dennis (Oil Can) Boyd. A crowd of 24,718 showed up at Fenway Park for Saturday’s game against Chicago and began cheering Boyd immediately.

He didn’t disappoint. Boyd, a 6-1, 145-pounder from Meridian, Miss., pitched a five-hitter, and the Red Sox won, 7-2.

At the end of the game, the fans were on their feet, chanting, “Oil Can, Oil Can.”

Boyd was 12-12 last season after being called up from Pawtucket, and his ERA was 4.37. He said his problem was he let his mind wander during games. “You have to concentrate on every pitch and every hitter,” he said. “The key is to get the leadoff man out every inning.”

Boyd, who pitched seven innings in a 9-2 opening-day victory over the New York Yankees last Monday, struck out five and walked only one while throwing 123 pitches in his route-going performance against Chicago.

Tony Armas, the major leagues’ 1984 home run and RBI champion, hit a two-run homer in the second inning as the unbeaten Red Sox stretched their record to 4-0 for the first time since 1973. It was Armas’ second homer of the season and came off starter Floyd Bannister (0-1).

Seattle 8, Minnesota 7--Phil Bradley hit a grand-slam homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning at Seattle as the Mariners won their fifth straight. Bradley hit the home run off Ron Davis (0-1).

After the Twins’ Rick Lysander had walked Al Cowens to open the ninth, Davis came on to strike out two and walk two more.

Gary Gaetti and Mike Stenhouse hit home runs to help the Twins built a 7-4 lead going into the ninth.

Baltimore 8, Toronto 7--Eddie Murray’s three-run homer off reliever Bill Caudill keyed a six-run rally in the eighth inning for the Orioles at Baltimore.

Run-scoring singles by Rick Dempsey and Cal Ripken Jr. preceded Murray’s 133rd career game-winning hit, and relief pitcher Tippy Martinez (1-0) notched the Orioles’ fourth straight win.

“I had to go with my best pitch, a fastball away, and he (Murray) hit it on the button,” said Caudill (2-1). In 53 previous appearances against the Orioles, Caudill had never given up a home run.

Toronto had built a 7-2 lead with a six-run fourth inning, highlighted by Jesse Barfield’s three-run homer and George Bell’s solo homer in the sixth.

Toronto starter Dave Stieb was removed after six innings and 108 pitches and replaced by Gary Lavelle, who ran into eighth-inning trouble. Lavelle was replaced by Caudill after pinch-hitter Fritz Connally opened the inning with an infield single, Rich Dauer walked and Dempsey got an RBI single.

Caudill gave up a walk, pinch-hitter Jim Dwyer followed with a groundout that scored Dauer, and Ripken singled across Dempsey. Then came Murray’s homer.

Detroit 3, Kansas City 1--The Tigers, who got off to a 35-5 start last season, are 4-0 after winning at Kansas City.

Tom Brookens hit a game-tying double and scored the go-ahead run on a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning, and Jack Morris (2-0) pitched a five-hitter.

Kansas City’s Bud Black (1-1) took a five-hitter and a 1-0 lead into the eighth. Rookie Chris Pittaro began Detroit’s rally with a one-out single and went to second on a wild pitch before Brookens tied it with his double and then gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead when Black walked Larry Herndon with the bases loaded.

Bullpen ace Dan Quisenberry came in and hit Chet Lemon with a pitch to force Trammell home with the third run of the inning before Darrell Evans struck out. It was the first time since May 26, 1981, that Quisenberry had hit a batter.

New York 6, Cleveland 3--Ron Guidry won his first start of the season as the Yankees spoiled the Indians’ home opener. It was the Yankees’ first win of the season after three losses.

Guidry allowed six hits in seven innings, striking out three and walking none. One of the two runs he permitted was unearned.

The Indians dropped to 0-4 before 61,978 fans, the largest opening-day crowd in the majors this season.

Milwaukee 6, Texas 5--Cecil Cooper’s second run-scoring single of the game, the only hit off reliever Dickie Noles in 4 innings, drove in Paul Molitor in the ninth inning to give the Brewers the win at Arlington, Tex.

With one out and the score tied, 5-5, Molitor grounded to Texas third baseman Buddy Bell, who threw wide to first, allowing Molitor to reach third. After Robin Yount struck out, Cooper drilled a single to left.

Rollie Fingers pitched the ninth to earn a save for Bob Gibson (2-0). It was Fingers’ 217th American League save, breaking a tie with Sparky Lyle for the league record. Fingers’ 325th major-league save extended his own mark.