SPUD CHANDLER, TOMMY HENRICH & JOE GORDON

THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 2 ...
A POWERFUL RED SOX TEAM FAILS
IN THE WORLD SERIES ...
The Sox held to two hits by the Yankees

July 2, 1946 ... Within all time night gate gathering of 68,617 spectators sitting on pins and needles, Spud Chandler calmed the red-hot Red Sox to a 2 to 1 defeat as the Yankees shaved a full game off the Sox American League lead. Holding the Sox batters to just two hits, Chandler squeaked out his 12th win of the season by out pitching Mickey Harris.

Harris was no soft touch. He allowed but five hits, but unfortunately those hits were concentrated in the second and third innings when the Yankees picked up their runs. He hurled hitless and runless baseball over the last five frames but the Sox batters could not get him back into it.

Reeling from his own wildness, arguing with the umpire, and pounding the loose turf on the mound, Chandler was ready for a knockout in the early rounds. He walked nine men before retiring a batter in the fourth inning, but he was far from generous when he came to allowing base hits. The Sox had six men left on base in the opening three innings. Chandler matched strikeouts with walks as he passed seven in the first three innings and fanned seven during the same period.

Harris had his difficulties in the early innings. With one gone in the second, Joe DiMaggio lined a single to center and came all the way home from first on a double that Nick Etten hit to left-center. Dom DiMaggio and Williams both had converged on the ball and Domenic allowed Ted the right of way, but had slipped trying to scoop ball up allowing Joe D. to score.

The Yanks winning run was recorded in the third inning. Phil Rizzuto lashed a triple that Leon Culberson just missed catching, and Stuffy Stirnweiss slapped a single to center, to drive in what would be the winning run.

Boston's only run was registered in the fourth inning without the benefit of a hit. Chandler passed Mike Higgins and Hal Wagner to start the inning. Mickey Harris laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Manager Joe Cronin allowed George Metkovich to pinch-hit for Leon Culberson. Metko hit a hard bouncer that Joe Gordon stopped, fumbled, and recovered in time to get him out at first, as Higgins came home with the run.

In the ninth inning with the Sox down a run, Mike Higgins led off with a clean shot to left. The fleet Paul Campbell was sent in to run and reached second on Wagner's perfect bunt. Dave Ferriss came off the bench to bat for Harris, but became Chandler's ninth strikeout victim. The game ended when George Metkovich was retired on an easy grounder to Phil Rizzuto.

Before the game, Yankees and Red Sox had a home run hitting contest. Ted Williams hit four balls into the right field stands and won a $100 prize for being the best left-handed hitter. The winner for the right-handed hitters with Rudy York. Ted clouted one ball 450 feet into the centerfield bleachers, and the other two went more than 400 feet.

Each player was given six outs and if the ball was not a home run it was an out. Mike Higgins was the first contestant and had five grounders into left field. Johnny Lindell then also failed to get the ball into the stands. Dom DiMaggio hit a ball into the lower left field stands for the Red Sox first home run. The Yankees tied it up immediately on Tommy Heinrich's second swing which landed into the right field stands his. His next swing was another home run to give the Yankees a 2 to 1 lead. The Yankees lead was short-lived for Ted Williams pounded his for a long homers to give the Red Sox a two run lead. Bobby Doerr gave the Red Sox one more run to make it 7 to 1. Charlie Keller made it 7-2 will on his second swing that landed in the left-field stands. Rudy York was the final Red Sox batter and connected for two more home runs. Rudy and Ted pooled their 200 bucks and gave batting practice pitcher Paul Schreiber, one third of the cut.