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The Sox come-from-behind
twice against the A's
September 4,
1940 ... The Red Sox came from behind in both
ends of a marathon doubleheader, to take a pair of extra inning
decisions from the Philadelphia Athletics, 6 to 5 in 10 innings and 5
to 4 in 11 innings before 5600 fans at Fenway Park. The opening
game was a loosely played. The two teams matched home runs in the early stages.
After Philadelphia had gotten their two home runs, Jimmie Foxx came back with
his 35th of the season and Joe Cronin knocked out his 21st to tie up the game.
The A's picked up one more run to knock Jack Wilson out of the game, but the Sox
got two more, one unearned, to take a 4 to 3 lead going into the ninth.
Bill Fleming, who had hurled scoreless ball after relieving Wilson for the
Sox, suddenly went wild and the A's were out front 5 to 4. But the Sox came back
to tie the game again in their half of the nint,h on singles by Bobby Doerr and
Stan Spence, sandwiched around Lou Finney's sacrifice bunt. That set the stage
for Cronin's winning blow up the middle in the 10th on walks to Doc Cramer and
Ted Williams with a single by Foxx.
The nightcap had been a thrilling pitching duel between Fritz Ostermueller
for the Red Sox and the right-handed Nelson Potter of Philadelphia. Each pitcher
allowed only one tainted run and two legitimate runs to send the contest into
the 11th knotted at 3 to 3.
Philadelphia had scored one in the second inning and the Sox got that one
back in the fifth on Williams bloop single to left, Cronin's force at second and
Doerr's double, followed by a wild pitch.
The locals went ahead 3 to 1 in the seventh on doubles by Foxx and Cronin,
followed by Finney's Texas Leaguer into right field. But the Athletics knotted
it up again in the eighth on a double to left, an infield hit, another double
and Benny McCoy's long fly ball to Cramer in center.
And so the game went into the 11th inning stalemated. It was getting dark and
Potter himself open the top of the 11th with a base hit and eventually scored a
run that looked like it might be enough for the win. Then Foxx opened the bottom
of the inning with a bloop single that Sam Chapman dropped after a long run.
Williams drew a free pass and Cronin sacrificed the two runners along. At this
point Doerr was intentionally walked to load the bases.
It looked like good strategy when Finney worked the count to three and two
and then bounced the ball back to the mound, with Foxx getting forced out at the
plate. That brought up Tommy Carey, who took Dean's first pitch cleanly between
short and third bringing home Williams with the tying run and Doerr, who had to
charge behind Tehind him to score the game-winner. |
