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ON THIS DATE (July 4, 1948) ...
Erupting like a giant firecracker, the Red Sox buried the flag
hunting Philadelphia A's, 19 to 5, with a 14 run seventh inning, the
likes of which has seldom been seen on a major-league diamond. Ted
Williams tied a record of long-standing. But it wasn't the type you'd expect
from the best hitter in baseball. He went to bat three times during the riotous
seventh inning and drew a pair of walks and ended the marathon by grounding out.
He was the second player in modern baseball, to go to bat three times in one
inning and the first one in the 48 year history of the American League.
With the Red Sox scoring 19 runs and banging out 20 hits, one would expect
Williams to be the hitting leader. But he was the only player the Red Sox lineup
when hitless. He walked three times in his three official failures to get a hit,
lowered his terrific batting average below the .400 mark. Billy Goodman was the
pacemaker at the plate. He crashed out four consecutive hits, knocked in four
runs and scored a pair himself. Johnny Pesky knocked in five runs on a couple of
singles during the lucky seventh inning. Ellis Kinder, who was clipped for nine
hits including two home runs, survived the slugfest and in the bargain knocked
out three hits himself, including a pair in that seventh inning.
It was a game that started out like a pitching battle between Kinder and Carl
Scheib. Bobby Doerr had a home run in the second inning and singles by Dom
DiMaggio and Kinder, along with a sacrifice fly by Johnny Pesky gave the Sox a
two run lead going into the sixth inning.
In the sixth inning the A's wiped out the Red Sox lead and took a one run
advantage. A pass to Eddie Joost and a base hit by Barney McCoskey was followed
by Hank Majeski's home run that struck the light tower above the scoreboard. The
Sox got those three runs back in the bottom of the sixth to retake the lead by a
score 5 to 3. Singles by Goodman, Matt Batts and DiMaggio gave the Red Sox the
new advantage. It didn't last long however. In the top of the seventh, an error
by Kinder and a home run by Joost tied up the game.
Then came the seventh inning and the fiasco quickly turn into a 14 run
detonation. Ted Williams walked, Stan Spence beat out a bunt and Vern Stephens
walked to fill the bases. Doerr was then passed to score Williams. Goodman
singled to score Spence and Stephens. The bases were loaded once again when
Harris threw too late to third base on a bunt by Matt Batts. Kinder then singled
to score Doerr and Goodman. DiMaggio came up and doubled to score Batts and
moved Kinder over to third. Pesky singled to score Kinder and DiMaggio. Williams
walked and Stan Spence flew out for the first out of the inning. Stephen singled
to score Pesky and Doerr walked to fill the bases. Bill McCahan and now came in
to pitch for Harris and Goodman was thrown out at first, as Williams scored.
Batts then doubled, scoring both Stephens and Doerr. Kinder got a base hit and
Batts held third. DiMaggio walked to reload the bases for the fourth time in the
inning. Pesky singled and Kinder and DiMaggio scored. Williams grounded out to
Skeeter Webb to finally end the inning after 14 runs, nine hits and seven walks
were issued.
The Red Sox and A's by a number of major league records. The Red Sox had 14
RBIs in one inning, eclipsing the 13 RBIs by the 1922 Cubs. They had 19 players
come to bat in one inning, equaling the mark set by the 1922 Cubs. The 14 runs
scored equals the record set by the 1920 Yankees and the 1922 Cubs. There were
12 runs off pitcher Charlie Harris of the A's, equaling the record by Merle
Adkins of the 1902 Red Sox and Harold Kelleher of the 1938 Phillies. |
