MIKE MENOSKY

"CURSED" - BABE RUTH IS SOLD ...
Mike Menosky walks off with a Sox victory

April 20, 1920 ... The Red Sox today, in the third meeting against the Yankees, notched their fifth straight victory in the ninth-inning by a 3 to 2 score against the pitching of Bob Shawkey. As in the previous games, the Sox came through because they had a knack of knocking out base hits when the runs were needed. Early in the contest they passed up several fine chances, but came through in the finish, and in the ninth-inning, when trailing by one run, it was Harry Hooper and Mike Menosky who produced the runs necessary to make the day a success.

The Yankees' run in the second inning was luck. Ruth had tapped one to McNally and Duffy Lewis had singled before Walters dropped an easy pop up from Bob Meusel. Meusel then forced Lewis at second and at once headed for second base himself, going to third on Walters' low throw peg past McNally into centerfield. He then scored the unearned run on Pratt's left-field double.

Tim Hendryx was the only Boston batter who reached second base until they tied the score in the sixth inning. The run happen when Lewis failed to reach Menosky's Texas Leaguer, which counted for two bases. After a wild pitch that put Menosky on third, Hendryx hit one down to Roger Peckinpaugh, who nailed Menosky at home. Hendryx stole second and then was brought across the plate by Stuffy McInnis, who hit one to deep left field.

In the ninth-inning, the Yankees jumped out in front again. Peckinpaugh worked Pennock for a pass and Wally Pipp's sacrifice bunt bounced over Pennock's head, not being able to be reached by McNally, who made a desperate try for a shoestring catch. The Babe hit a fly ball to Hendryx, who made a play for Peckinpaugh, who was running to third. Lewis followed that with a long fly ball to left-center that brought in Peck with the go-ahead run and it looked mighty big when the Sox came to bat in their final chance. The lower half of the Boston batting order was coming up, and the chances looked slim.

Kid Foster waited Shawkey out and received a walk. Everett Scott sacrificed and then manager Ed Barrow sent up Hack Eibel to hit for Roxy Walters. Shawkey got in a hole and finally had to throw one down the middle. Eibel, in turn, pounded a hit to center and brought Foster home with the tying run. Then Benny Karr came up to bat for Herb Pennock, who registered the only two hits the Sox had made in the first six innings. Sam Jones was also trotted out to run for Eibel. Karr struck out and the fans had visions of another extra inning affair. But then the reliable Harry Hooper came up and laced a hot line drive through Del Pratt. Shawkey ticketed Mike McNally to first, filling up the bases and now it was up to Mike Menosky.

It was a tight place for Shawkey, and his first two pitches were balls. Menosky waited until the count was three and two, and with every runner in motion, the next pitch had to come over the plate. It did and Menosky met it squarely and knocked it out on a line over Pratt's head, walking off with the Sox' fifth straight win of the season.

Pennock did a good day's work on the mound for the Red Sox and the Yankees could only make three hits off him. He did not have so much speed, but his curve was sharp, and a change of pace, though slight, was very effective. Babe Ruth could not touch him and fanned once, not getting a hit beyond the infield until his last at bat.