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MEL PARNELL |
BOSTON RED SOX
...
THE
CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 3
A
SUBWAY SERIES DISAPPEARS ...
Mel Parnell &
Ted Williams win one in DC
April 26, 1948 ... Left-handed
pitching brilliance and left-handed batting power, broke the Red Sox
losing streak as the Sox outpointed the Senators, 6 to 0 in the
season's first night game at Griffith Stadium. Mel Parnell supplied
the magic on the mound with a five hitter, and Ted Williams supplied
the thump at the plate with four straight hits for a perfect night at
bat. The Sox beat Mickey Haefner to the chagrin of 29,043 residents
of the nations capital. Parnell was very lucky to get by in the
first inning however, when the Senators collected a triple, a single and a walk,
but he pitched a superlative ballgame thereafter. Mickey Vernon's single to
right hit baserunner Al Kozar in the first. That's what saved Parnell and from
then on, the Nats were his. The stylish southpaw walked only two, facing only 32
batters.
Williams was terrific as he knocked out a double and three singles, scoring
four times. Matt Batts, playing in place of the injured Birdie Tebbetts, came
through with an early game two run single that helped Parnell greatly.
Parnell set Washington down in order in all but three innings and made a pair
of slick plays in the field. Johnny Pesky had his best night at third-base,
making a pair of remarkable stops on scorching grounders and then blasted a
double at the plate.
Williams ignited the initial rally in the fourth inning with a sharp single
directly through the box into centerfield. Stan Spence followed with a hard
drive through Mickey Vernon, that was called an error and Williams, by hustling,
reached third base as Spence was held at first. Sam Mele walked to fill the
bases and Batts knocked a single off Mark Christman's glove at deep short, that
scored both Williams and Spence.
The Sox added a third run in the fifth inning after two were away. Williams
again singled to start things off and Vern Stephens then shot a drive to
right-center that was played badly by rightfielder Sherry Robertson, who let the
ball bound in front of him and get away. Ted scored and Stephens wound up on
third-base. The official scorer gave Robertson an error.
The Sox picked up a pair in the seventh when Johnny Pesky doubled to right
with one down. Williams slapped his third straight hit, a single to center, to
score Pesky and Stephen singled to right center as Williams legged it to third.
He scored on a passed ball by catcher Al Evans.
The Sox final run crossed in the ninth-inning against the relief pitching of
the southpaw Forrest Thompson. Williams knocked out his fourth hit, a double,
and then after Stephens filed out as Spence and Bobby Doerr walked to fill the
bases. Mele's infield grounder took a bad bounce and struck shortstop Christman
in the face for a hit that scored Williams.
Williams four for four raised his average to .385 on the season so far. The
Sox announced that pitchers Windy McCall and Jim Shea were sent down to
Louisville of the American Association. |
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