NIGHT BASEBALL & JACKIE ROBINSON ...
A squeeze play in the 14th inning
wins it for the Red Sox

July 23, 1947 ... More than 31,000 faithful Red Sox rooters went home happy from Fenway Park this morning just after midnight. It happened right after Don Gutteridge squeezed home Bobby Doerr with the winning run to beat the White Sox 8 to 7 in the 14th inning.

Doerr had singled off thirdbaseman Floyd Baker's glove started off. It was the fourth hit off the veteran southpaw Thornton Lee, who came in to pitch in the eighth-inning. With Dom DiMaggio at the plate, Doerr stole second and went to third when Dom grounded down to Donny Kolloway. That forced both Jake Jones and Birdie Tebbetts to receive intentional passes, loading up the bases and putting the force at any base.

Manager Joe Cronin decided to pick Gutteridge to pinch-hit for Tex Hughson, who had pitched marvelous relief ball after taking over in the ninth inning. Manager Ted Lyons countered by bringing in Earl Caldwell. On Caldwell's very first pitch, Gutteridge laid down a perfect bunt down the first base line. The ball rolled nearly halfway to first, too far away for the in-rushing Rudy York. Neither York nor Caldwell had a chance trying to catch Doerr, who was flying down the third-base line. Both let the ball roll, but there was no chance of it rolling into foul territory, and the Red Sox won their 12th out of 14 games with the White Sox.

The game had developed into a duel between Hughson and Lee, who both came in relief. Before they took over, the game belonged to the batters. Rudy York had done his best to beat his old teammates. He had smashed a home run in the third inning and had singled home, what looked like the winning run in the ninth.

Dave Ferriss started for the Red Sox but was shelled out of the game in the sixth inning. He did last longer however than Chicago starter, Joe Haynes who was knocked out in the third inning. The White Sox got to Ferriss early and had a 4 to 1 lead when the Red Sox came up to bat in the fourth. At that time, Haynes was pitching fairly well, but suddenly lost control and walked both Sam Dente and Johnny Pesky on eight consecutive pitches.

Sam Mele doubled high off the left-field wall to score Dente and send Pesky to third. Williams was purposely walked but Pesky scored when Bobby Doerr went out on a high pop in grounder down to third, making the score 4 to 3. DiMaggio then drew a walk and Jake Jones lined one off the left-field wall score Mele and Williams, giving the Red Sox the lead.

They stayed one run up until the sixth inning when the White Sox scored twice, chasing Ferriss, and took a 6 to 5 lead. The Red Sox then knotted it up in the seventh inning on an unearned run. Pesky singled to left and took second on a sacrifice. It was here that Ted grounded one down to Don Kolloway. He failed to come up with the ball and Ted reached, with Pesky going to third. Johnny romped home on Bobby Doerr's tremendous 420 foot fly ball to Dave Philley who had his back to the centerfield bleacher wall.

The Red Sox had the opportunity to break it wide open in the eighth when they had men at first and third with none out, but Lee smashed their hopes. The White Sox picked up what appeared to be the clincher in the ninth against Hughson. Floyd Baker poked out a bloop hit behind second base. Hughson then walked Wright after having him down to strikes and no balls. York singled to left on a 2 and 0 pitch, scoring Baker and giving the White Sox a 7 to 6 lead.

The fans were lingering in the runways during the bottom of the ninth inning with two men out and nobody on, in hopes that the Red Sox would pull it out. They got their wish. It was at this point that Doerr drew a base on balls and raced all the way home with the tying run when DiMaggio thumped a double into the left-field corner. The ball stopped right against the fence and left fielder Taffy Wright had trouble picking it up.

And so the game went into extra innings. York did gave his old fans a chill in the 11th inning when he drove the ball out of the ballpark that was followed by inches, but Hughson proceeded to get him out on strikes. Hughson, who did not even figure to get into the game, racked up his eighth win to match his eight losses.