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BOSTON RED SOX ...
THE
CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 3
A
SUBWAY SERIES DISAPPEARS ...
Dom DiMaggio's homer is the difference
June 17, 1948 ... The
Red Sox edged the Cleveland Indians, 8-6, at Municipal Stadium to
sweep the three-game series. The teams were tied in home runs with
two each, but the relief pitching of the Red Sox, Earl Johnson was
the difference. The Sox now have won 12 their last 15 games and are
only 6 1/2 games behind the Indians. Denny Galehouse for the Red
Sox and the Indians' Don Black were the starters and each was sent home very
early. Earl Johnson came in to relieve Galehouse and allowed but one run and
three hits after giving Ken Keltner his 16th homer, to tie the score at 6 to 6
in the fourth inning. After Dale Mitchell reached first on a line drive that hit
Johnson's glove, Earl did not allow a hit, until Lou Boudreau's double in the
ninth-inning.
Vern Stephens knocked out his 10th homer of the year and Dom DiMaggio hit his
second, which was the difference in the game. Ted Williams had a double and a
single, in five trips, to keep his batting average over .400 at .407.
Johnny Pesky came within one assist of the American League record of nine at
shortstop, made by Fred Hartman of the White Sox in 1901. The major league mark
is 11.
The Red Sox scored three times in the opening inning when Johnny Pesky walked
and scampered to third on Ted Williams' fifth straight hit into games. He scored
on a long fly ball and then Bobby Doerr and Billy Goodman were passed to force
in Williams. After throwing two balls to Birdie Tebbetts, Black was taken out in
favor of Steve Gromek, who walked him anyway and gave the Red Sox a quick 3 to 0
lead.
The Indians tied it up in their half of the inning, but the Red Sox picked up
three unearned runs in the second. DiMaggio beat out a single and went to third
when Hank Edwards caught Pesky's pop up near the grandstand and made a bad throw
over to Boudreau at first. Earl Robinson then let a base hit by Ted get through
his legs to score DiMaggio. It was then that Stephens cracked his home run 30
rows up into left field seats, making it 6 to 3.
But the Indians tied the score in the fourth to knock out Galehouse. Then
DiMaggio homered into the Sox bullpen, with two away in the sixth, to send the
Sox ahead for the final time. In the seventh inning, Williams opened it up by
knocking an outside fast ball to left field for a double and then scored on a
ground ball and a sacrifice fly. |
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