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BOSTON RED SOX ...
THE
CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 3
A
SUBWAY SERIES DISAPPEARS ...
The Sox blow a
lead in the ninth
July 9, 1948 ... The
play of the Red Sox took a dismal turn, as they blew another baseball
game. This time the Athletics came from behind to land a ninth inning
decision, by a score of 8 to 7, before 28,323 happy fans in Shibe
Park. Manager Joe McCarthy twice ordered intentional passes to men
who represented the winning run. Both runners scored, with the final
one being the winning run. In the ninth-inning, with a two run
lead, Stan Spence allowed pinch-hitter Carl Sheib's smash to zoom out of his
outstretched glove for a double that scored Elmer Valo, who had been
intentionally passed, to score the winning run. The Philly victory moved them
into a tie with Cleveland for the American League race.
So important was this game that Joe McCarthy inserted his pitching ace, Joe
Dobson, into the game in the eighth-inning and Joe wound up being the loser. It
was sweet revenge for Charlie Harris, who was subject to the Red Sox bats last
Sunday, when he was belted around for 12 runs in one inning. Tonight he pitched
one perfect inning to win the game.
The Red Sox shelled Joe Coleman for five hits and three runs in the opening
inning. They gave Ellis Kinder a four-run lead in the third with another run.
Spence had shattered his batting slump during the Sox early surge with a double
and a triple.
Kinder had pitched two hit, shutout ball for five innings. In the sixth
inning he fell apart and faced nine A's batters. It cost the Sox six runs and
the lead. With two runs in and men on second and third, Kinder was ordered to
pass Valo on purpose to load the bases. It never came about. Instead he passed
Buddy Rosar to force in one run. He struck out Pete Suder but then walked Herman
Franks to force the tying run across. With Valo on third and Rosar on second,
both men scored when Eddie Joost lined a single into right for a 6 to 4 Philly
lead.
But the Red Sox bounced back to regain the lead off Bob Savage in the
eighth-inning. Billy Goodman singled and Savage then walked Birdie Tebbetts.
Wally Moses came in to pinch-hit and singled to center, scoring Goodman. Dom
DiMaggio brought in another run with a base hit to tie up the game. After Ted
Williams walked, the bases were loaded and Savage walked Stephens, allowing
Moses to score the go-ahead run.
Dobson survived the eighth-inning, one which Ray Coleman opened up with a
double. But he wasn't so fortunate in the ninth. Ferris Fain started it off with
a double and took third as Hank Majeski grounded out to Bobby Doerr. Then to
everyone's amazement, Valo was again walked intentionally. Buddy Rosar's long
fly ball brought Fain home with the tying run. Dobson hurt his own cause by
hitting Pete Suder with a pitch and Scheib, the A's 21-year-old pitcher, who had
been hitting close to .300 this year, came out to pinch-hit for Harris. He drove
one into right field and Spence came in to fast, finally sticking up his glove
in a desperate attempt to catch the ball, but it hit the end of his glove and
bounced behind him as Valo scored the eventual winning run.
The Athletics are winning the close games and this one was their 25th game by
a one run margin. Dobson his now worked in three games over the last four days.
Spence had gone hitless in 12 times at bat before he doubled in the first
inning. Vern Stephens and Eddie Joost were perfect, each with four hits and a
pass. |
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