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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 third time this year
July 20, 1946 ... The St. Louis Browns stopped the Red Sox at Fenway Park with a 5 to 4 defeat, as Jack Kramer became the first American
League pitcher to whip the Sox three times this year. The loss reduced the Sox lead to 10 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees.
The Browns got off to a quick 1-0 lead and the Sox tied it up in the second inning. Ted walked, went to third on Doerr's line double that bounced out of Al Zarilla's glove in right-center, and scored while Bobby was being run down between third and second on Rudy York's ground ball to Vern
Stephens.
Zarilla's home run put the Browns back out ahead in the fourth. Tom McBride almost made a spectacular catch to rob Zarilla, but the ball bounced out of his glove into the Boston bullpen. The Sox tied it up again in their half of the inning. Doerr started with a walk and stopped at second on
York's single, coming home on Wagner's 3 and 2 single to right.
The Brownies went back in front in the fifth inning when Mark Christman singled to center, was sacrificed to second and brought in on Steven's double off the left centerfield wall. The Sox tied it up for the third time at 3-3, when Pesky doubled against the enemy bullpen and rolled across
following a wild pitch and a wild throw by catcher Frank Mancuso.
Before Kramer headed off for a welcome shower, following Ted Williams' double off the left centerfield wall to open the eighth-inning, he refused to allow the Sox sluggers anything more than a single run in any inning. It was with his own bat back Kramer really did a great job. He dropped
down a perfect sacrifice that enabled Chuck Stevens to double across the run that gave the Browns a momentary 3-2 lead.
After the Sox tied it at three all in their half of the inning, Kramer ignited, what proved to be the winning to run uprising, and led to removal of Sox starter Tex Hughson for a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning. Kramer started off the seventh inning with the first of two successive
singles. With the bases loaded, Jeff Heath dropped a base hit into short left center to drive across Kramer and Stevens with what proved to be the winning runs, making it 5 to 3.
McBride's triple and Pesky's single produced the Red Sox fourth run in the seventh inning. Ted Williams represented the tying run when he reached second in the eighth inning, but Tom Ferrick who had taken over for Kramer, mowed down Bobby Doerr, Rudy York and Glenn Russell without a ball
leaving the infield. In the ninth inning he then victimized Hal Wagner, pinch hitter Mike Higgins and Tom McBride to end the game.
The Browns have now won four straight from the Red Sox and their season record against Boston is 5-6. |
