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BIRDIE TEBBETTS |
BOSTON RED SOX ...
THE
CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 3
A
SUBWAY SERIES DISAPPEARS ...
The Sox unload
on Philadelphia
and move into second place
August 18, 1948
... Denny Galehouse had another effective
pitching performance that boosted the Red Sox into second place, but
he was somewhat overshadowed by the hitting and running of Ted
Williams, as the Red Sox whipped the Philadelphia A's by a 10 to 2
score. Galehouse had yielded the first of his two runs in the first
inning, so the Red Sox were losing 1 to 0 as they came up in the bottom half of
the inning. They were facing Carl Scheib, the Husky right-handed youngster, who
had won his first three games in a row. With one out, Johnny Pesky singled just
out of the reach of Pete Suder near second base. That brought up Ted and the
Athletics went into their shift on him, and so the shortstop slot was vacated
with the wind blowing in from right-field. There was only one thing to do and
Ted did it. He poked a roller through the hole into left-center as Pesky raced
for third.
Vern Stephens next lifted a fly ball toward left-field. Pesky broke for home
as Barney McCosky caught the ball, but Johnny was just faking. He took two steps
and stopped and McCosky fell for it. He fired the ball toward home and Ted took
off for second. The throw was cut off by Ferris Fain, who fired it to second,
but Williams slid in safely. Then Bobby Doerr slammed a single between short and
third and both Pesky and Williams were off with a swing. Ted rounded third as
McCosky raced in to pick up the ball and his throw was not even close to getting
Williams at the plate.
Galehouse was helped greatly as the Sox got three more runs in the third and
four more runs in the fifth. Ted started the third inning rally with a line
single to left. A single by Stephens and a pass to Doerr loaded the bases. That
brought in Charlie Harris for Philadelphia. Harris forced a run across the plate
when he passed Stan Spence. Stephens scored on a doubleplay ball and Doerr
counted on a double by Birdie Tebbetts.
A perfect bunt by Billy Goodman started the four-run drive in the fifth
inning. During that time the Sox got five consecutive hits as Tebbetts followed
Goodman with a double, Galehouse beat out a bunt and then Dom DiMaggio and Pesky
singled. The final Sox run came in the eighth-inning as Spence walk with two
outs and sprinted home on Goodman's double off the left-field wall.
By winning their sixth game in their last seven starts, the Sox are now three
percentage points ahead of the Athletics. |
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