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The Sox sweep a doubleheader
from the O's
behind Ted Williams' bat
May 30, 1959 ... The Red Sox were short of outfielders. It
meant that Ted Williams had to play both ends of a doubleheader. He
rose to the occasion by belting his first home run of the year in the
second game and sparking the Sox to their first doubleheader sweep of
the season. The Baltimore Orioles were the victims, losing 5 to 4 and
then 8 to 3.
The first game found the Sox overcoming a 4-1 deficit in the sixth
inning and tying the game 4-4. Four singles by Buddin, Williams,
Wertz and Jensen produced two runs. Frank Malzone's sacrifice fly
brought in the run that tied things up.
Don Buddin doubled and scored the clincher when Pete Runnels grounded
to firstbaseman Bob Boyd, who couldn't get his foot on the bag in
time to make the out, in the seventh inning.
The second game was the first start for rookie pitcher, Ted Wills.
The left-hander weathered several shaky moments but coasted to his
first victory with some help from Ted Williams. Williams homered,
with Pete Runnels aboard, just around the right field foul pole in
the seventh inning, with the Sox trailing by a run. It put the Sox
ahead, 4 to 3.
Williams has hit longer homers, but few have been more welcome. It
was Ted's first of the season, the 483rd of his career and 2499th
lifetime hit.
Dick Gernert had homered with the bases empty in the fifth inning, to
give the Sox their first run. In the sixth inning, the Sox added
another run. Williams walked and Malzone banged one off the left
field wall for a double. With Sammy White up, Baltimore pitcher,
Jerry Walker was called for a balk to score Williams.
White's double inside the third base bag, later drove in three more
runs in the eighth inning. Jensen started it with a double off the
wall. Malzone then singled and Gernert walked to loaded the bases for
Sammy. Runnels brought him home with the eighth Sox run. |
