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THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 2 ...
A POWERFUL RED SOX TEAM FAILS
IN THE WORLD SERIES ...
The Sox split with Washington
June 30, 1946 ... The Red Sox extended their lead over the Yankees to 8 1/2 games by mauling the Washington Nationals, 15-8 in the opener
of a twin bill at friendly Fenway Park. But in the second game the Sox ran afoul of Mickey Haefner, who knocked out a 9-2 triumph and became the fifth lefty to stop the Sox sluggers this season.
Bobby Doerr, Lee Culberson, and Hal Wagner led the Sox to their third straight double digit beating of Washington. The game was in the bag after the first inning, in which the Sox scored eight times for their single biggest inning of the season. Dave Ferriss coasted to his 12th victory
thereafter.
Doerr regained his RBI lead from Ted Williams, who had a tough day all around, by whacking across five runners in the opener with his 11th home run, a double and a single. Bobby now has 67 RBI to 65 for the Kid. Culberson, who is spelling Metkovich, was a terror in both contests. He opened
the first game by hitting his second home run of the season off Bobo Newsom, then later got a single and two walks, scored three times, and contributed with an acrobatic catch in the nightcap. In the second game he collected a pair of doubles and a single, for three of the seven Red Sox
hits.
Wagner smacked a pair of home runs, his fourth and fifth of the season, to drive across four runs, before he was forced to retire in the sixth inning when he bruised his index finger on his throwing him, after getting hit by a foul tip. Bobby Doerr was whacked on the elbow with a pitch and
ballplayers according to trainer Win Green, just suffered bruises.
Rudy York also blasted his 10th home run in the opener while boosting his RBI total to 58. The total of five homers surpassed anything the Red Sox have hit in a single afternoon.
Senators' classy looking rookie from Chattanooga, Gil Coan gave Earl Johnson a hint at how it is second starting assignment was going to go, when he opened up the second game with his first major league home run. Gerry Priddy, with two triples and a single, produced four runs while Buddy
Lewis had a triple among his four hits.
Mickey Vernon displaced Ted in the American League batting lead. In spite of drawing three walks, Ted only hit safely once seven at-bats, against Vernon's three for nine day. That left Mickey at .358 to Ted's .355
The Sox lead at five this evening for New York to face the Yankees. |
