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LOU FINNEY |
The Sox beat the Nats twice
behind
the hitting of Joe Cronin and Lou Finney
May
31, 1942 ... The Red Sox grabbed a pair from the
Washington Nationals, beating them 11 to 1 and 4 to 3. That gave them
four wins in their last five games. There was not much to the first
game in which Oscar Judd, who held Washington to two hits over six innings and
seven for the game, was provided with a six run lead in the very first inning.
The second game for a long time, seemed sure to be Washington's, but when
trailing on the short end of a 3 to 1 score in the seventh inning, the Red Sox
uncorked a three run rally and carried off the victory.
Lou Finney was the hero of the second game. He cut loose with a line drive
single when the Sox had the bases loaded for the fourth time in the game. The
runs that he hammered home were the ones needed, first to tie the game and then
to win it.
The first inning of the opening game was really the story until of the final
inning. Johnny Pesky walked and was safe at second when thirdbaseman Bobby
Estelalla made a late decision to play Pete Fox's hopper to him to second base.
Ted Williams followed with a single to right scoring one run. Joe Cronin then
homered over the left-field wall for three more. Bobby Doerr lined a double, a
pass was given to Jim Tabor, a left-field hit by Bill Conroy and finally Tex
Hughson's fly ball to George Case in left field. The result was the six runs
that was mentioned.
Two more runs came in the fourth inning on Pete Fox's double, a walk to Ted
Williams and hits by Cronin and Doerr. Then three more were scored in the sixth
with a Williams, Lupien and Doerr banging out successive singles, and Bill
Conroy delivering a triple to top it off. Tex Hughson let down at the end when
Washington brought in a run.
Cronin went with Bill Butland to start in the second game. He had some speed,
but his curveball was not good and slightly overworked. Washington got a run in
the second inning on two doubles and got two more in the sixth on a single, a
walk and a double. That accounted for three runs with Mace Brown and Hughson
finally finishing up the game.
The Red Sox broke into the game for one run in the seventh inning, on two
errors and two walks. Then in the eighth-inning with the score at 3 to 1, and
one out, Ted laced a hit into centerfield. Doerr flied out and it all seem just
about over, when Lupien drew a walk and Tabor singled to center for a run. With
the Sunday blue laws approaching fast, two more runs were needed. Bill Conroy
walked and then up came Lou Finney. His line drive ended it and all that
remained was for Hughson to make sure to finish the game.
But Bruce Campbell led off the eighth with a single for the Nats and Case
came into the game to run for him. He tried to steal second and was headed off
by Conroy's throw to Pesky. Mickey Vernon next grounded out to Doerr before Jake
Early laced a double to right. Hughson gave up a free pass to Bob Repass, but
then got the final batter to pop out to Pesky and end the game, 4 to 3. |
