 |
HOWIE SHANKS |
The Sox rally for four runs
in the ninth inning
and walk-off with a 5 to 4 victory
September 3, 1923 ...
With 15,000 fans cheering wildly, the Red Sox made another
thrilling ninth-inning rally and wiped out a lead of three runs, to
win the first game of the doubleheader with Washington, by a score of
5 to 4. The great Walter Johnson had been rushed in to relieve Tom
Zachary and it was a hit by an old teammate of his, Howie Shanks, who
lined a single into centerfield that put over both the tying and
winning runs. Washington won the second game 7 to 3 and therefore
it was a 50-50 break on for the holiday doubleheader. Les Howe, who was
purchased from the Waterbury club of the Eastern League, while he worked only
one inning, got credit for the win. The only faced three men in the top of the
ninth and struck out Patsy Gharrity.
Three doubleplays in the first four innings prevented the Sox from getting
away to a good lead, although they did score a run in the fourth inning on a
single by Ira Flagstead, an error and an out at first, followed by a single from
Shanks.
Jack Quinn started for the Sox and faced only three men in each of the first
four innings, one of whom got a hit but was out trying to stretch his single
into a double. In the fifth inning Sam Rice doubled and made it all the way home
on a sacrifice by Joe Judge and a sacrifice fly by Gharrity.
The Nationals got two more runs in the sixth on a single by Nemo Leibold, a
double by Roger Peckinpaugh and a base hit by Goose Goslin. That put them up by
two runs, 3 to 1. They got one more in the seventh inning on a single by Bucky
Harris, who stole second base and was sacrificed to third. He scored on a passed
ball by Sox catcher Al DeVormer. Quinn retired in this inning, with two runners
on base, and was relieved by George Murray. Norm McMillan made an unassisted
doubleplay that got him out of the inning.
Howe came into pitch in the eighth-inning when Val Picinich came in to bat
for Quinn. He pitched to three men in the first half of the ninth and the Red
Sox came up in the bottom half down 4 to 1.
John Collins led off with a single and took second on a poor throw, when the
ball was being returned to the pitcher. At that point the fun began as Flagstead
singled to right. So too did George Burns and Collins scored the first run. Joe
Harris doubled off the wall in left and scored Flagstead with the second run.
Mike Menosky was put in to run for Harris and followed Burns across the plate
with the winning run when Shanks singled past second base to end the game. |