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THE CURSE OF
THE BAMBINO, PT 5
Ted Williams and Ted Lepcio
June 12, 1956 ... Ted Williams and Ted Lepcio supplied the ammunition and Tommy Hurd the pitching, in relief, as the Red Sox defeated the Cleveland Indians, 9 to 7. It was an old fashioned Fenway thriller with the wind blowing out, and wound up as a happy evening, after the Sox blew a 3-0 lead. Shortly after Williams had doubled to left, bringing in Billy Klaus with the tying run to make the score 5-5 in the seventh inning, Lepcio lined a three-run homer over the fence in left center to score the winning run. The Sox thus entered the eighth inning with a four run lead, 9-5, but Frank Sullivan who struggled through seven hot innings, failed to hold back the Indians. A single by Sam Mele started the inning for Cleveland. Sullivan then walked Dale Mitchell and Preston Ward to fill the bases. Dave Sisler was summoned from the bullpen and struck out Earl Averill on three pitches. But after that he walked Chico Carrasquel to force home a run. Pete Daley let another run in when he let a pitch get by him on a passed ball. Sisler then walked Al Smith. Al Rosen, who had hit a three-run homer, to put the Indians out front in the fifth, let the count go to 2-0. At that point, Mike Higgins brought in Hurd. Daley gave Rosen another shot when he dropped a foul pop up, that should have ended the inning. But Rosen didn't take advantage of the gift and grounded out to Klaus to end the inning. Hurd fanned Wertz and Mele and got Jim Busby on a ground out to preserve the win in the ninth inning. The Sox had knocked around Early Wynn in the first inning to grab a 3-0 lead. Jimmy Piersall and Klaus both doubled for the first run. Williams rapped out the first of his three singles to bring in Klaus and singles by Jackie Jensen and Daley, brought Ted home with the third run. Cleveland retaliated with two runs in the second inning. Wertz homered and Busby and George Strickland got base hits. A double by Jim Hegan cut the Sox lead to 3-2. A pass to Piersall and a double to right center by Williams increased the Sox lead to 4-2 in the second inning. That was wiped out in the fifth inning when Sullivan walked Carrasquel and Smith, before Rosen slammed a homer into the nets in left center. Now down by a run, the Sox cashed-in in the seventh inning. With one out, Klaus singled, and with the shift on, Williams slapped the ball into the left field corner for a double, bringing home Klaus with the tying run. An intentional walk was issued to Mickey Vernon. Jensen followed with an easy pop up, but Lepcio banged out the game winner and Daley slammed another for good measure. |
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