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BOSTON RED SOX ...
THE
CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 3
A
SUBWAY SERIES DISAPPEARS ...
The Sox battle back in the first game,
but get knocked out in the second contest
July 11, 1948 ... Winning
a dramatic 9 to 8, 10 inning opener, the Red Sox failed to close in
on the American League pennant scramble, when they were slapped
around for a 7 to 5 loss in the second game of their doubleheader
against the Athletics in Philadelphia. A six run explosion by the A's
in the second game off Mickey Harris and Mike Palm, clinched the
eight inning get away nightcap, cut short because of Pennsylvania's
blue laws. Five times during the opener, the lead changed hands.
Joe Dobson failed to hold a 2 to 0 lead and a 5 to 3 advantage. He was sent to
the showers in favor of Dave Ferriss in the third inning. For 5 1/3 innings, big
Dave hurled brilliant one-hit shutout baseball. He was operating on an 8 to 6
lead entering the ninth inning, which came close to being another nightmare.
Starting in the ninth, Barney McCoskey singled and took second as Ferriss
threw out Ray Coleman. Then Dom DiMaggio made a late wrong way turn on Ferris
Fain's drive to center. The ball popped out of his glove for a double and
McCoskey collided with Birdie Tebbetts at the plate to beat Vern Stephens relay
throw. Fain then came across on a delayed dash, as Hank Majeski was thrown out
by Ferriss. That tied up the game and send it into extra innings.
Billy Goodman started the Sox winning come back in the 10th. He lashed a
triple to center and held third as Tebbetts popped out. Following a pass to Dave
Ferriss, DiMaggio slammed a long double right-center to score Goodman with the
eventual winning run.
A single by Johnny Pesky, a double by Stan Spence and a single by Sam Mele,
had given the Sox a two run start in the first inning. Four hits and a pass gave
the A's three runs in the second. Three hits and a walk by the Red Sox, got
those runs back in the third, but Dobson couldn't hold it. Majeski singled, a
walk and Pete Suder's home run gave the Athletics a 6 to 5 lead.
But the Sox tied it up on a pass to DiMaggio a double to Pesky and an infield
out. With the score 6 to 6, singles by Tebbetts and Ferriss, an error by Eddie
Joost, and a single by Stephens, gave the Sox a two run advantage in the sixth.
Dom DiMaggio blasted his fifth home run of the year in the upper deck to
start the second game. It was duplicated in the A's second inning, on a walk to
Fain, Majeski's double and a fly ball out to Dominic.
Dick Fowler, who was credited with his fifth straight win, battled Mickey
Harris for the first six innings in a 1 to 1 tie during the second game. He was
then given a 7 to 1 lead in the home half of the sixth, as Harris started his
own downfall by walking Joe Coleman. When the dust cleared the A's now enjoyed a
7 to 1 lead.
But the A's needed all those runs for the Sox knocked out Fowler in the
seventh. Passes to Bobby Doerr and Billy Goodman were followed by a Matt Batts'
double. Sam Mele came up to hit for the pitcher and rolled one down to Majeski,
who threw out Goodman at the plate. DiMaggio flied out but Pesky knocked out a
three-run homer over the right-field wall and put the Sox back in the game, 7 to
4. Wally Moses kept the rally alive when he doubled to knock Fowler out of the
game. Bob Savage came in and rubbed out the next four batters to save the game
and preserve a 7 to 5 win.
The members of the Red Sox not participating in the All-Star game will only
get one day off. They will work out under the direction of coaches Del Baker and
Larry would at Fenway Park on Tuesday and Wednesday. |
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