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BOB KLINGER |
THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 2 ...
A POWERFUL RED SOX TEAM FAILS
IN THE WORLD SERIES ...
Klinger and McBride save it for the Red Sox
July 18, 1946 ... The Red Sox continued their dominance over visitors to Fenway Park with a 3-2 win over the White Sox. Bob Klinger, now
the number one relief pitcher, and Tom McBride, the number three right fielder, provided the heroics.
Old standbys like Williams, Pesky, DiMaggio and Harris had a hand in this third straight win of the current Chicago series, but it was Klinger, whose latest stint of excellent relief pitching accorded Harris's 13th win of the season. Likewise it was McBride's ringing double in the clutch,
that provided the winning run in the sixth inning and otherwise wrecked a great pitching performance by Johnny Rigney.
It was Rigney's first appearance since he beat the Sox 3-2 in Chicago. He got out of a terrific jam in the first inning. The scoring details are simple. Lefty Frank Papish started for the Chisox and lasted just long enough to be ripped for successive singles by McBride, Pesky, Dom and Ted
the Kid, that added up to two runs and an early shower. With DiMaggio on third and Ted on first, with nobody out, he got Bobby Doerr to hit one back to the mound so he could throw Dom out at the plate. He then got Rudy York on a line drive out and struck out Hal Wagner. He only gave up five
hits after that, but McBride's was the killer.
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TOM McBRIDE |
Frankie Hayes got one back in the fourth inning by depositing his first homer as a member of the White Sox into the left field screen. Hayes was playing his first game for his new team after being traded from the Cleveland Indians. Young Bob Kennedy duplicated that home run to open the sixth
inning and tie the game.
In the bottom half of the sixth inning, Hal Wagner singled into right. Mickey Harris bunted but forced Hal at second on a neat play by Cass Michaels, who picked up the ball before it could roll foul down the third base line. McBride, who had already singled twice, poked one by Guy
Curtright's running reach and up against the visitors bullpen. Mickey ran full steam from first base to score, and instant before McBride was cut down trying to make third-base, giving the Red Sox a 3-2 lead.
In the White Sox seventh, Joe Kuhel started by dropping a single into right field. Rigney sacrificed and Don Kolloway rifled a hot single into left. Ted Williams had to run over and cut off the ball as Kuhel was given the green light to head home. Ted unleashed a beautiful one hop tag to
Wagner, who made a great tag to rub out the sliding Kuhel. Kolloway took second on the throw and when Harris walked Appling, manager Cronin brought in Klinger.
Klinger took the ball and allowed Whitey Platt to greet him with his second straight single of the game. Frankie Hayes however banged one down to Johnny Pesky who turned the afternoons only doubleplay. The inning ended when Ralph Hodgin rolled a harmless little ground ball down to Rudy York.
Klinger set down Michaels, Kuhel and pinch-hitter Taffy Wright in the ninth inning to save it four Mickey Harris. |
