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TY LaFOREST |
Ty LaForest helps Dave Ferriss win his 20th
August
26, 1945 ... The Red Sox twice dumped the
Philadelphia Athletics by scores of 4 to 3 before 24,000 fans at
Fenway Park. Ty LaForest hit Athletics pitching for five hits
including two home runs and fielded his third-base position
beautifully. His first home run reached the wall of the right-field
grandstand and bounced off it and into the stands to give Dave Ferriss a tie
ballgame in the last of the ninth-inning. Ferriss promptly won his own game in
the 10th with a long double to left driving in George Metkovich from second base
with a walkoff 4 to 3 victory.
With Philadelphia ahead 2 to 0 in the third inning, Ferris worked Russ
Christopher for a base on balls and went to second on Eddie Lake's hit to
centerfield. LaForest beat out a bunt down the third-base line and then Ferriss
and Lake scored on Leon Culberson's bloop hit to left-field to tie the game.
The Athletics when a run ahead in the fifth on a single through the box, a
sacrific,e and a long double off the Sox bullpen by Hal Peck. Christopher held
the lead until LaForest's high drive managed to drop into the stands in the
ninth.
Eddie Lake doubled to open the second game and scored on a single off George
Kell's glove at third-base. The Sox shortstop scored again in the third after he
had singled to left and slipped home on Culberson's triple to centerfield.
LaForest gave Otey Clark what seemed to be a big enough lead when he drove a
ball into the left-field screen against a stiff crosswind, 2-0.
Johnny Lazor gave the Sox a breather in the seventh when he chased another
pitch into the right-field stands amid a mass of scrambling arms to rob the A's
of a certain home run when he came back with it. It certainly was one of the
most remarkable catches of the season.
Clark let the A's tied together three consecutive hits after two were out in
the eighth-inning, to tie the game at 3 to 3, forcing Joe Cronin to remove him.
LaForest ended in his dramatic days work in the ninth-inning with another
smash over Hal Peck's head scoring Lake who had walked. A fine throw home by Bob
Johnson ended the game, giving the Red Sox their first double win since
mid-June, 4 to 3. |
