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THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 2 ...
A POWERFUL RED SOX TEAM FAILS
IN THE WORLD SERIES ...
The Sox divide a doubleheader in Philly
July 4, 1946 ... Smarting from four straight defeats, the last three by a one run margin, including the Athletics' 3 to 2 victory in the
holiday opener at Shibe Park today, the Red Sox finally turned on the heat to win the night cap 9 to 8. The opening game was the fourth loss for Dave Ferriss. The victory preserved the Sox lead of 6 1/2 games, since the Yankees also split their holiday twin bill.
Midway through the second game, Philadelphia suddenly hopped into a 4 to 1 lead against Bill Zuber. But the Sox proceeded to stage one of their own. Russ Christopher, who had yielded only one run, a home run to Ted Williams, was blasted in the Boston fifth inning. First it was Johnny Pesky's
safe bunt, then singles by Don DiMaggio and Williams, a double by Glenn Russell, and finally base hits by Johnny Lazor and Leon Culberson, resulted in five runs and a Sox lead of 6 to 4.
The next four innings were thrillers. The Sox 6 to 4 lead looked good until the Athletics came back with three in the seventh. Back came the Sox to break the Athletics' 7 to 6 lead, with two 8th inning runs on Johnny Pesky's triple to the right-field wall, tucked in between Tom McBride's and
Dom DiMaggio's singles, making it 8 to 7.
In the ninth inning, Rudy York started with a double and was followed by an RBI single from the bat of Hal Wagner. The Sox now led 9 to 7, but as the contest ran into the bottom of the ninth inning, the Red Sox had to tighten up after Jack Wallaesa belted a Mike Ryba pitch over the right
field wall to make it 9 to 8.
A gift run for the Red Sox and two for the A's was the story of the first inning of the opening game. The Sox got Culberson around on Pete Suder's muff of Buddy Rosar's throw, which otherwise would have spoiled Culby's steal of second base. Pesky grounded out and Ted Williams deep fly ball
brought in the run to make it 2-1. Philly scored one more run in the seventh inning and Ted pounded another homer, to make the final score 3 to 2. |
