BOSTON RED SOX ...
THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 3
A SUBWAY SERIES DISAPPEARS ...
The Sox watch their pennant chances
slip away some more

September 28, 1948 ... The pennant chances of the Red Sox became practically negligible, as they dropped a 4 to 2 decision to the Washington Senators at Fenway Park, and now trail the Cleveland Indians by two full games. Tom Yawkey's ace, Joe Dobson who earlier in the season pitched three-hit ball to beat Washington, today found nothing but trouble. He lasted less than two innings, giving up four hits and four runs. His replacement, Mickey Harris, pitched shutout ball against Ray Scarborough for the rest of the game, but that was not enough.

One Red Sox run in the fourth, aided by an error, and Bobby Doerr's sixth inning home run into left field screen, did not help much. It was Scarborough's third win over the Sox. He held them to six hits, including a run in the fourth and one in the sixth.

There is still a mathematical chance, but to come through for a pennant and a World Series city show against the Braves, the Sox must have a lot of luck and more luck. The Sox failed to play like pennant winners in this game and it not played like it for two weeks. The Sox have had six wins and nine defeats in their last 15 games.

The second Washington inning was enough to smash Red Sox hopes. Of the half dozen hits allowed by Scarborough, only one produce a run, and that was a home run by Doerr. Bobby singled as well as homered and Birdie Tebbetts produced an early single and a double to left. Vern Stephens and Dom DiMaggio also got base hits and that was all for the Red Sox efforts in regaining their prestige.

Ted Williams didn't do anything at all. He grounded out, hit into a force play, walked and was struck out. After he struck out, he threw his bat in disgust, and it's a good thing that Earl Combs, the first-base coach, had his eyes open.

A walk combined with a bad throw and four singles gave Washington their runs in the second inning. Mickey Vernon drove the ball over first base for a double and Dobson walked Eddie Yost. The bases were filled on Mark Christman's single to right. With nobody out Jake Early came to the plate and drove the ball sharply to first base as Billy Goodman made a great stop. Unfortunately he made a high throw that was well off the plate and Tebbetts had to dive and block the ball instead of getting an easy out. So Vernon scored and the bases were still full. Scarborough came up and laced a single to left that scored two runners. After Gil Coan flew out to Wally Moses, Al Kozar poked a hit into centerfield that scored the final run, putting Washington up 4 to 0.

Eleven batters faced Dobson in 1 1/3 innings. One had walked, five had hit safely and four had scored. So that was it for him and Mickey Harris came in. He pitched seven more innings and was nicked for four well scattered singles.

For five innings the Red Sox picked away of Scarborough without any results. DiMaggio reached base in the first inning and moved to third on two infield plays before Stephens hit one back to the pitcher for the final out. In the second inning, with two outs, Scarborough hit Goodman, who took third on Tebbetts hit to right. After Birdie stole second base, Harris struck out to end that threat.

The Sox finally got a run in the fourth on a Stephens hit to center, Doerr's into left and a groundout by Moses that scored Stephens. Wally race to third on Tebbetts double, but Harris came up and stranded the baserunners again.

For the remainder of the heartbreaker, the Red Sox failed to pass first except when Doerr slammed his 26th home run in the sixth inning. They had men on base a couple of times then left them sitting right there.

There was no consolation for the Red Sox when Yankees lost to the Athletics, because the Indians romped over the White Sox, 11 to 0. Gene Bearden held White Sox batters to just four hits and was helped by his teammates, who smashed out 13 hits, including home runs by Dale Mitchell and Allie Clarke.