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JOHNNY PESKY |
BOSTON RED SOX ...
THE
CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 3
A
SUBWAY SERIES DISAPPEARS ...
Johnny Pesky
helps sweep a doubleheader
July 18, 1948 ... The
troublesome St. Louis Browns outhit the Red Sox 23 to 19, pulled off
a triple play, used six pitchers, but dropped a doubleheader to the
Red Sox by scores of 12 to 5 and 7 to 6 before 28,563 fans at Fenway
Park. The Red Sox came from behind in both games to notch their sixth
and seventh wins in the last nine games, gaining a full game on both
the Athletics and the Yankees. The Indians also won a pair of games,
so the Sox remain 5 1/2 games out of first. The Red Sox racked up
to six run innings in the first game, against a quartet of Browns pitchers, to
demolish a four-run deficit and give reliever Earl Johnson the victory. The
second game proved to be a rugged competition of the staying power of Mickey
Harris, who outlasted a pair of St. Louis pitchers, the excessive humidity, and
even dozen base hits to sneak by with a 7 to 6 victory.
Dave Ferriss was on the mound to win his second straight over the visitors in
the opening game. However, he lasted but 2 2/3 innings, giving up four runs
before being relieved by Mike Palm, who pitched well until he was taken out for
the experienced Johnson during a troublesome fifth inning.
St. Louis got a run in the first inning and then scored three more in the
second. Dom DiMaggio grabbed a long belt by Al Zarilla near the Red Sox bullpen
to save for the disaster for Ferriss in that second inning.
Down 4 to 0, the Red Sox rallied back in the fourth inning with six runs of
their own. Johnny Pesky tripled, Stan Spence singled, Vern Stephens reached on
an error, Bobby Doerr was walked, a single by Billy Goodman and Birdie Tebbetts'
third home run of the year, were responsible for the six runs. Tebbetts' smash
into left field screen was made off Al Widmar, who came in to face the Sox
catcher with one away into aboard.
That was the ballgame, but when danger arose in the fifth after a single and
a walk, young Mike Palm was yanked in favor of Earl Johnson, who retired the
side. Johnson gave up only three singles and one run the rest of the way,
setting down the last nine St. Louis batters in order.
Browns pitcher Bryan Stephens was the victim of the Sox second six run inning
in the fifth. Doubles by Sam Mele, Goodman and Stephens, along with a triple by
Stan Spence were the important blows. Walks to Tebbetts and DiMaggio, Johnson's
bunt base hit and Johnny Pesky's run-scoring fly, completed the inning.
In the after game, the Browns plucked four runs out in the first inning, as
five of the first six men hit Harris safely. But manager McCarthy decided to
stay with Mickey. A double by DiMaggio and a Pesky single gave the Sox one back
in their half of the inning, against starter Ray Shore. The Sox pulled out
another run in the second on a walk to Harris and a double to right by Pesky.
In the third inning, the Browns once again had Harris on the ropes, picking
up their fifth run as Ned Garver, down two strikes, belted a fastball into left
field screen. Meanwhile, the Sox picked up their third run in the third on walks
to Stephens and Doerr and a Texas League single from Matt Batts.
The Sox won the game in the fifth as they knocked in four runs with Stephens
and Doerr singling, to ignite the flame, and Goodman's infield hit to fill the
bases. Wally Moses was walked to bring in a run and then Garver made the mistake
of walking Harris with two outs. DiMaggio slammed a triple off the left-field
wall to clear the bases and give the Sox a 7 to 5 lead. The Browns got one more
in the sixth.
St. Louis pulled off a triple play with ease in the fifth frame of the
opening game that half the fans in the ballpark failed to realize happened until
the teams switched positions. With Pesky on second and Spence on first as the
result of walks, Vern Stephens hit a low line drive to Eddie Pellegrini's left.
He grabbed the pellet close to the ground and flipped to Gerry Priddy to double
off Pesky, a full eight yards off the base. Priddy's throw nipped the
backtracking Spence in plenty of time, at first for the three man killing with
neatness and dispatch.
The win was Harris' second complete game in 11 starts. He threw 113 pitches.
Johnny Pesky had a great day coming up with five hits in seven times at bat.
Bobby Doerr was given an error on a bad hop in the ninth for his first boot
after handling 141 straight successful chances. |
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