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JACK KRAMER |
BOSTON RED SOX ...
THE
CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 3
A
SUBWAY SERIES DISAPPEARS ...
Jack Kramer breezes to his 12th win
July 29, 1948
... The Red Sox failed to make an extra base hit in
the first two games of the series, but it was a different story
tonight as the Sox power broke loose with home runs by Bobby Doerr,
Billy Goodman and pitcher Jack Kramer, to give the Red Sox an 8 to 1
victory over Detroit before 40,872 at Briggs Stadium, in the series
finale. They widened their first place margin to a half game over the
idle Philadelphia A's. Goodman's home run was the first of his
major league career, and it came with the bases loaded in the seventh. Ted
Williams, with his chest and legs still bothering him, did return to the Boston
lineup, but he could've just rested another night because Doerr, Goodman and
Kramer had his back.
Kramer won his 11th straight and 12th victory of the year by limiting the
Tigers to one run and seven base hits, and smashed out a home run in the third
inning, with the bases empty, to give himself a 2 to 0 lead. Doerr came to bat
in the sixth with Vern Stephens on first base and clouted a high smash into the
left-field lower deck for his 100th hit of the season. That gave the Red Sox a
comfortable 4 to 1 lead, but they weren't through.
After two were out in the seventh, Stephens beat out a hit to short, and
Virgil Trucks, the Detroit pitcher walked Doerr and Spence to load the bases for
Billy Goodman. Trucks had retired Goodman his first three times up rather easily
and whipped across a called strike. But then he made one too good and Goodman
smashed it into the lower deck of the right-field stands for a grand slam.
While Goodman and his teammates were pounding Trucks, Kramer was making
certain the Tigers were unable to muster any offense on their own. In running
his winning streak to 10 straight, the longest in the majors this season, he
yielded only seven hits and was in trouble only twice. Once was in the second
inning when Eddie Lake who had reached first on a fielder's choice, scored on
George Vico's double between Williams and DiMaggio. The other time was in the
sixth inning, when the Tigers loaded the bases with two hits and the only base
on balls and Kramer allowed. But Kramer gt out of the jam by making Johnny Lipon
ground out to Pesky who touched third for the force.
It was the Sox 17th win in their last 19 games. Doerr's home run was not only
in his 100th hit, but his 19th homer and 11th of the month.. He also stretched
his errorless streak to 38 games. Dominic DiMaggio also reached the 100 hit
circle with his base hit in the fourth. |
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