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TED LEPCIO AND
FRANK SULLIVAN |
THE CURSE OF
THE BAMBINO, PT 5
"THE
BEGINNING OF
GOING NOWHERE" ...
Ted Lepcio's walk-off double
wins the game for the Red Sox
June 7, 1956
... Ted Lepcio received a cut on the chin that
required two stitches and then came back to hit a home run and a
game-winning double for the Red Sox, as they dumped the Tigers 6 to 5
in 10 innings. He was the big cog, driving across three runs and
giving Frank Sullivan a hard earned victory. Lepcio's winning hit
was the 18th for the Sox, who spent most of the day throwing away golden scoring
opportunities. They stranded 13 men on base in the first five innings and 17
overall. Meanwhile the Tigers scored five runs on their first three hits.
Detroit got to Sullivan for two home runs, one by Harvey Kuenn to lead off
the game and another by Frank Bolling. Kuenn had two of the Tigers six hits but
twisted his foot rounding first base on a double in the seventh. Following his
leadoff home run, Detroit added three in the second for a 4 to 0 lead for
pitcher Frank Lary.
Lepcio open the second inning with his first home run. Frank Bolling
countered with a home run in the fourth to give the Tigers a 5 to 1 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Red Sox scored on singles by Billy
Klaus, Ted Williams and a double by Mickey Vernon. They got two more runs in the
sixth inning when Vernon tripled, Lepcio reached on an error that scored him,
and Sammy White tripled Lepcio home, to put the Sox down a run, 5 to 4.
They Sox tied the game in the eighth inning when Vernon walked, Jensen
singled and White singled home Vernon.
In the 10th inning, Ted Williams grounded out but Vernon plunked his fourth
hit of the day into right field and Jensen singled to left field. Lepcio banged
double off the left centerfield wall that scored Vernon with the walkoff run.
Vernon's four hits included a triple and a double. Sammy White had a triple
and two singles that brought in two runs. |
