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PETE JOHNS |
THE LAST ONE FOR 86 YEARS
The Browns score a walk-off win in the ninth
June 14, 1918 ...
Pinch-hitter Pete Johns won today's game from the Red Sox by slamming a walk-off triple in the ninth inning, off Joe Bush, that brought in two runs after two were down at Sportsman's Park. The final score was 5 to 4.
The batting efforts of Babe Ruth gave the Red Sox and initial lead of three runs before the Browns could score. At the start of the game it seemed all Boston. Dave Shean walked in the first inning, and Amos Strunk grounded out to George Sisler, moving Shean up to second base. Ruth came across with a
single to right, that brought the runner in, giving the Red Sox a 1-0 lead.
The Red Sox grouped two runs in the third inning. Harry Hooper walked and Shean singled over short, sending Harry Hooper to second. Ruth got his third RBI when he doubled to center and both men scored.
The Browns gathered three runs in the fourth inning. Fritz Maisel, led of by making first when Shean fumbled his ground ball. Sisler tripled to left center between Ruth and Strunk to score Maisel. Ray Demmitt then singled over short to score Sisler.
Joe Gedeon pushed a single past Shean on the hit and run, and when Hooper led the ball get through him, the tying run crossed the plate.
After that it was nip and tuck until the seventh inning when the Red Sox again took the lead. Fred Thomas opened with a single to center and was sacrificed to second by Everett Scott. St. Louis pitcher Alan Sothoron then put one where Joe Bush wanted it, and he
pushed it past Gedeon and scored Thomas.
The Browns could do nothing until the ninth inning. Earl Smith led off with a single to right and as he took a long lead off first, catcher Sam Agnew threw down to Stuffy McInnis to pick him off. Smith took off for second base, which he made as McInnis had
trouble fumbling the ball. Gedeon beat out an infield hit, moving Smith over to third. Jimmy Austin batted for George Hale and hit one up the middle that Shean threw to the plate and got Smith by a mile. Pete John's then came up to pinch-hit for the pitcher Sothoron and
smashed one between Ruth and Strunk that brought in both Gedeon and Austin for the walkoff win. |