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TED WILLIAMS |
Ted Williams sparks the Sox
to two wins
September
2, 1942 ... The terrific hitting of Ted Williams
featured all the offensive support that was required by the pitching
of Charlie Wagner and Joe Dobson. The Red Sox made a 22 victories out
of their last 26 starts, including 21 out of the last 24, by twice
edging the Detroit Tigers by scores of 3 to 2 and 4 to 2 in front of
more than 19,000 onlookers. The latest twin killing only had a
drawback by the fact that the impenetrable New York Yankees also took
two from the Browns. With five hits in eight trips, including his
28th homer of the year, that deadlocked the opener at 2 to 2 in the eighth
inning, and a two bagger that cleared the bases and routed pitcher Hal White in
the seventh of the closing game, Ted figured in every Red Sox scoring
opportunity but one. That one saw Johnny Pesky single home the winning run with
the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning of the first game, and
supplied the high point in suspense for the entire morning.
Charlie Wagner tossed a five hitter in racking up his fourth straight win and
fifth in a row over the Tigers. It gave him a new personal record of 13 wins for
the season. Charlie yielded the Tigers a run in the second inning on Rudy York's
high fly double to right and a pair of outs. He gave up another in the fourth on
Barney McCoskey's triple that hopped over Dominic DiMaggio's head, and York's
long fly.
Virtually held helpless for five innings, the Sox got back one with one out
in the sixth, on singles by Pesky and Williams, followed by Tony Lupien's
double, which ripped through York's outstretched glove. Ted's eighth inning
round tripper was a majestic first pitch drive that landed in the bleachers
behind the Red Sox bullpen, sending the rivals into the final inning all tied at
two apiece.
Bobby Doerr opened the high tension ninth-inning by dropping a two bagger
into left-center on which Doc Cramer just missed one of his patented shoe string
catches. Jim Tabor bunted Doerr to third and Johnny Peacock was intentionally
passed. So was pinch-hitter Joe Cronin much to the disgust of the fans, when the
skipper ambled up to hit for Wagner. This jammed the bases and Paul Campbell
came in to run for Cronin and Pete Fox replaced Doerr.
When Dom DiMaggio popped up to Jimmy Bloodworth behind first base, it looked
as if Al Benton might pitch himself out of the same kind the jam, he had escaped
when he loaded the bases, following a Red Sox run in the sixth inning. However,
after taking one called strike, Pesky lined the winning if down the right-field
line. It could've been good for two bases and a couple of runs if needed, but
they weren't, as the Red Sox pulled it out 3 to 2.
Joe Dobson had his string of scoreless innings interrupted at 25 and actually
did not finish the second game. He deserved his third straight verdict and 10th
win of the year however, as he worked until he couldn't find a dry spot on his
uniform on which to wipe the moisture off his throwing hand. That occurred with
two outs in the ninth-inning. Oscar Judd entered and made just one pitch to
Cramer, who rolled out to Doerr and ended the game.
It was another rousing duel, in which Hal White matched Dobson, goose egg a
for goose egg for five innings. The Sox got one in the sixth with Pesky and
Williams both getting base hits and Lupien scoring Pesky with a force play
grounder.
White had not helped himself with his fielding, including an error by him in
the seventh inning. Johnny Lipon started it by bobbling one of Dobson's ground
balls. Dom singled cleanly into left, then White fumbled Pesky's bunt to fill up
the bases. That set the stage for Ted, who took the first pitch off the lower
left centerfield wall just beyond the scoreboard for a double.
Dobson's scoreless streak was ended in the eighth-inning on two walks and a
single, followed by a double. |
