The Sox and Lefty Grove sweep the A's

July 4, 1936 ... The Red Sox broke their seven game losing streak by winning both ends of a holiday doubleheader against the Philadelphia Athletics. The first game was won, 1-0 and the second game was won, 5 to 4 in the ninth inning.

Lefty Grove helped by Doc Cramer's excellent work in the outfield, blanked the A's in the first game on five hits. Meanwhile three straight singles by Eric McNair, John Kroner and Rick Ferrell off Herman Fink, loaded the bases to start the fifth inning. Grove was the next batter and hit a grounder grabbed by Skeeter Newsome, who stepped on second and got Lefty at first, to complete the doubleplay. But on the play McNair scored and that run turned out to be the only run of the game.

Cramer's glove helped Grove win the game when he ran down six fly balls, four of which were web gems with men on base, that would have gone for extra bases.

The second game was another scrappy fight. The Red Sox jumped out front quickly in the first two innings. Billy Werber started the game by drawing a free pass from Harry Kelley. Doubles by Dusty Cooke, Jimmie Foxx and Joe Cronin gave the Sox three runs in the first inning, and Johnny Marcum homered in the second inning to make the score 4-0.

Marcum kept the Athletics at bay until the eighth inning. Bill Nicholson reached on McNair's bobble, Chubby Dean pinch hit a double and Nicholson scored on a sac fly. Newsome's base hit scored Dean to make the score 4-2.

With Jack Russell now pitching in the ninth, a double by Mike Higgins and base hit and a ground out, scored the A's third run. Two singles then tied the game.

Red Bullock came in to pitch the ninth for Philly and he was a disaster. He walked the bases loaded and then walked Dusty Cooke. Oscar Melillo, who was the runner on third, trotted home with the literal walk-off game winner, 5 to 4.

 

F   E   N   W   A   Y     P   A   R   K
 

Game #1

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

 

R

H

E

  
 

PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

  

 

0

5

0

  
 

BOSTON RED SOX

0

0

0

0

1

0

0

0

x

  

 

1

9

1

  

 

W-Lefty Grove (11-3)
L-Herman Fink (3-5)
Attendance - 25,000

 2B-Kroner (Bost), Cooke (Bost)

 

 

F   E   N   W   A   Y     P   A   R   K
 

Game #2

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

 

R

H

E

  
 

PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

2

  

 

4

8

1

  
 

BOSTON RED SOX

3

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

  

 

5

11

2

  

 

W-Jack Wilson (4-2)
L-Red Bullock (0-1)

 2B-Cooke (Bost), Foxx (Bost), Cronin (Bost),
 Marcum (Bost), Higgins (Phil), Dean (Phil)

 3B-Cronin (Bost)

 HR-Marcum (Bost)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GAME #1

 

AB

R

H

AVG

 

 

 Billy Weber lf 3 0 0 .304  

 

 Doc Cramer cf 4 0 0 .269  

 

 Dusty Cooke rf 4 0 2 .315  

 

 Jimmie Foxx 1b 4 0 0 .326  

 

 Joe Cronin ss 3 0 2 .322  

 

 Ernie McNair 2b 3 1 1 .292  

 

 John Kroner 3b 3 0 2 .459  

 

 Rick Ferrell c 3 0 2 .286  

 

 Lefty Grove p 2 0 0 .163  
               
    IP H ER BB SO  

 

 Lefty Grove 9 5 0 1 6  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GAME #2

 

AB

R

H

AVG

 

 

 Billy Weber lf 3 1 0 .300  

 

 Doc Cramer cf 3 0 0 .266  

 

 Dusty Cooke rf 3 1 2 .319  

 

 Jimmie Foxx 1b 4 1 3 .332  

 

 Joe Cronin ss 4 0 2 .328  

 

 Ernie McNair 2b 4 0 1 .291  

 

 John Kroner 3b 4 0 0 .415  

 

 Moe Berg c 3 0 1 .300  

 

 Oscar Melillo pr 0 1 0 .222  

 

 Johnny Marcum p 3 1 2 .200  

 

 Jack Russell p 0 0 0 .000  

 

 Jack Wilson p 1 0 0 .222  
               
    IP H ER BB SO  

 

 Johnny Marcum 7.1 4 1 2 1  

 

 Jack Russell 1 3 2 0 0  

 

 Jack Wilson 0.2 1 0 0 1  

 

 

 

 

 

 

1936 AMERICAN LEAGUE STANDINGS

 

 

 New York Yankees 51 22 -

 

 

 Detroit Tigers 40 33 11

 

 

BOSTON RED SOX

 40 34 11 1/2

 

 

 Washington Senators 39 35 12 1/2

 

 

 Cleveland Indians 38 36 13 1/2

 

 

 Chicago White Sox 34 37 16

 

 

 Philadelphia Athletics 24 46 25 1/2

 

 

 St. Louis Browns 23 46 26