JACK KRAMER

THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 2 ...
A POWERFUL RED SOX TEAM FAILS
IN THE WORLD SERIES ...
Jack Kramer beats the Sox for the second time

June 17, 1946 ... Jack Kramer set down the reeling Red Sox with five singles, all in different innings, as the sixth place Browns handed the Sox a 7-1 trouncing at Sportsman's Park. Kramer, who blanked the Sox with three hits on May 16th, joins Earl Caldwell of the White Sox, as the only pitchers who have beaten Boston twice this season.

It was Kramer's seventh win against one loss that sliced the Sox lead over the idle Yankees to 7 1/2 games. The only Boston run in the third inning was a gift, when Chet Laabs made a three base error on George Metkovich's fly ball. Johnny Pesky then slapped a grounder to Johnny Berardino whose throw to the plate was high. The run, which gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead, was destined to marked the fourth time in the last five games that the Sox got out in front and blew the lead.

Starter Mickey Harris was perfect against the first ten St. Louis batters, but with one out in the fourth inning, Berardino and Vern Stephens lined successive homers into the left-field seats. Before the fatal fourth inning was concluded, the Brownies and added three more cheap runs. Manager Joe Cronin let Harris go one more inning, before calling on Mike Ryba. The Browns scored two more runs in the fifth inning, giving them the 7-1 final score. Kramer really poured it on down the stretch. The only hits over the last five innings were by Harris and Ryba, along with Mike Higgins.

Don DiMaggio and Bill Butland visited Dr. Hyland today. The famed St. Louis physician ordered Dom to remain out of uniform and take diathermy treatments while he was here. He advised Butland to keep throwing and work the soreness out of his shoulder.