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BOBBY DOERR
HOMERS AGAIN |
BOSTON RED SOX ...
THE
CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 3
A
SUBWAY SERIES DISAPPEARS ...
Bobby Doerr's three HRs lead the Sox
to a doubleheader sweep of the Yankees
July 5, 1948 ... Presenting
a thrilling finish in the second game of the day, the Red Sox twice
knocked off the New York Yankees by scores of 6 to 5 and 8 to 7, in a
rain-interrupted doubleheader at Fenway Park. Bobby Doerr enjoyed a
big day at the plate with three home runs and a single, to provide a
fitting twin killing. His third homer of the day tied a ballgame that
seemed apparently lost. Down 7 to 5 with two away in the eighth and
Ted Williams on first base, the quiet Red Sox leader drove his 13th
home run of the year off the left-field light tower to tie up the
game at 7 to 7 in the nightcap. Jack Kramer, who defeated the
Yankees in New York last week, won the opener, but weakened in the ninth inning
and required the aid of Denny Galehouse. Kramer had only given up three hits
over eight innings, before the ever dangerous Yankees caught up to his pitching
and turned a 6 to 2 Boston lead into a 6 to 5, one run game. Galehouse rushed in
to relieve and was a bit unfortunate in that Bobby Brown was on first and Cliff
Mapes on third, when Stan Spence took a vicious line drive off the bat of Tommy
Henrich for the game ending out.
Bobby Doerr's first home run of the day opened up the second inning and was
followed by successive singles by Billy Goodman, Birdie Tebbetts and Kramer,
getting the Sox a 2 to 0 lead. Another pair of runs was added in the fourth, as
walks to Doerr in Goodman preceded Tebbetts double to left-center. The Sox would
win the game in the sixth inning, as later events proved, when Vern Stephens
opened with a single and moved to second as Bobby Brown threw out Bobby Doerr on
a ground ball. Stephens moved to third on Goodman's infield out and Tebbetts
walked. A wild pitch moved Stephens and Tebbetts up a base and both runners
scored when Kramer solidly smacked one off the left-field wall, giving the Red
Sox a 6 to 0 lead.
But the Yankees started coming back and scored two runs in the eighth. Kramer
put down the first two Yankees in the ninth and the Sox seem safely home,
leading 6 to 2. But Bill Johnson had other ideas and clipped a single over
second, riding home when Johnny Lindell hit a home run by over the left field
screen. Stuffy Stirnweiss then doubled to left and a hit through the hole by
Sherm Lollar brought in Galehouse. Brown came up and singled one to right that
brought in Stirnweiss and Mapes, who was pinch running for Lollar, cutting the
Sox lead to just one run. At that point Stan Spence took Henrich's line drive
and the Sox were in by the narrowest of margins.
Mickey Harris and Frank Shea were the starters in the nightcap, but neither
was around the finish. The Red Sox took a 1 to 0 lead in the second inning, but
the Yankees knocked around Harris and picked up four in the third. The Red Sox
answered with one in the bottom of the inning and tied the game up in the
fourth, sending Shea to the showers. Bobby Doerr singled and Billy Goodman
walked. Matt Batts slammed a hard double off the wall and that brought in Red
Embree to take over for New York and end the threat.
Harris plugged along, leading 5 to 4, until the eighth inning, when a three
run flurry knocked him out of the game. Joe DiMaggio opened with a single and
took second on a wild pitch. He scored when Bill Johnson hit his second triple
of the game, one that got by Stan Spence. Galehouse came in again and got the
first out, but Yogi Berra slapped a pitch to right for a single that scored
Johnson with the Yankees sixth run to the lead. Stirnweiss reached with a single
on a ground ball to Doerr, because nobody was covering first, as Goodman had
also broken for the ball. Berra, who had stolen second, reached third. He scored
the Yankees seventh run when Bob Brown hit a sacrifice fly ball out to Williams
in left.
Going into the bottom of the eighth and now down 7 to 5, the Red Sox rallied
back. Joe Page came in to pitch for New York and proceeded to walk Williams.
Page blew his save, when after striking out Sam Mele and Vern Stephens, he went
three and one on Bobby Doerr. Bobby then slammed his third home run of the day
and fifth in the last five games, to tie the ballgame at 7-7.
Galehouse, after almost blowing the game in the first one, was extremely
effective in the Yankees ninth, getting Henrich, Lindell and Joe D. in order.
The Sox sent the fans home in the ninth-inning when Matt Batts singled, was
sacrificed to second by Galehouse, and scored on Dom DiMaggio's base hit for the
walk-off. |
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