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THE SOX HAVE TWO
20 GAME WINNERS ...
Wes Ferrell pinch hits a ninth inning
walk-off, three run homer to win for the Sox
July 21, 1935 ... Wes
Ferrell came up to pinch hit for Lefty Grove in the bottom of the
ninth inning. Lefty was on the losing side of a 6-4 game. Joe Cronin
and Billy Werber were on base. Wes proceeded to crash a line drive
over the left field wall, giving Lefty and the Sox an emotional 7 to
6 come-from-behind walk-off win.
Emotional, because the Tigers had taken the lead away from the Sox
when they scored three runs of their own in the top of the ninth
inning.
Cronin had led off the ninth with a single between short and third
against Tommy Bridges. It was his third hit of the game and it gave
the fans a thread of hope. Then Billy Werber came to the plate and
whistled another hit past third base. Babe Dahlgren bounced a bunt
off home plate, sacrificing himself to put the runners on second and
third. That brought up Ferrell to hit for Grove. He took the first
pitch for a ball. Then Bridges tried to breeze a fast ball by. Wes
met it square and it took off into the wind blowing against him from
left field. Goose Goslin, the Tiger left fielder knew the game was
over and just started to head in to the dugout.
Kids streamed onto the field and the Red Sox flocked out of the
dugout to greet Ferrell at the plate. Mickey Cochrane just kicked his
catchers mask and stomped toward the Tigers' dugout. The fans just
cheered, hugged each other and wouldn't leave.
Roy Johnson had knocked out three hits, driving in the first Boston
run in the opening inning but the Tigers made two runs in the second
inning to go up 2-1.
Rick Ferrell started a two run rally that put his team up 3 to 2, in
the fifth inning, when he crashed a triple to right. Cronin drove him
home with a single to left and reached second when Goslin booted the
ball. He scored when Gerry Walker misjudged Dahlgren's bloop single,
that went for a double in short center.
Ray Hayworth doubled for the Tigers in the eighth and came in on Marv
Owen's single to right, to tie the game at 3-3. Roy Johnson knocked
in a run that put the Sox back up 4 to 3 in the eighth inning, with a
double to left.
Then came the top of the ninth. Pete Fox doubled to left center and
after two men were put out, Cronin decided to walk Hank Greenberg to
set up a force play. But the plan backfired when Goslin blasted a
single to right and Billy Rogell followed that with a single between
first and second. Next came the apparent dagger that the Sox felt.
Cochrane, with two strikes and two balls on him, sliced a double to
left. Goslin scored easily but Rogell was thrown out at the plate,
trying to score another run. But the Tigers had taken the lead and
were now up by two runs. |
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