THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 4
FALLING SHORT AT THE END AGAIN ...
Pellagrini's error gives the Sox the game

May 26, 1949 ... Ex-Red Sox players, Eddie Pellagrini and Stan Spence came back to haunt their former team, but Pellagrini's disastrous error in the eighth inning, set up a four-run rally that gave the Sox a 7 to 5 come-from-behind victory.

Two times Pellagrini had singled, and his double in the eighth inning tied the game at 3 to 3. Spence gave his former team more misery in the inning with a base hit, to put the Browns ahead. Mel Parnell had to be taken out of the game for the first time this year and Tex Hughson replaced him when the Browns had taken a 5 to 3 lead.

Ned Garver, the Browns pitcher, had given up three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Dom DiMaggio started with a single and was forced at second by Johnny Pesky. He gave Ted Williams a free pass and Ted was forced by Vern Stephens, as Pesky moved over to third. Bobby Doerr was walked to fill the bases and then Garver threw one in the dirt that allowed the runners to move up, as Pesky scored the first run. Billy Goodman lined a single to center that scored both Stephens and Doerr to put the Sox up 3 to 0. Garver threw another wild pitch with Al Zarilla at the plate, but then struck him out to end the inning.

He shutout the Red Sox while his team came back in the seventh inning. Garver and Bob Dillinger both lined singles off Parnell. When Garver and Dillinger tried to work a double steal, Birdie Tebbetts threw the ball into centerfield and both players moved up. Parnell was tiring noticeably and then walked Spence the load the bases. He faced Gerry Priddy next, who lifted a fly ball right that scored Garver. Roy Sievers lined a single by Pesky at third that scored Dillinger, making it 3 to 2.

The Browns took the lead in the eighth. Les Moss singled off Parnell to start the inning. He was moved up on a sacrifice bunt and then Pellagrini lined a double over DiMaggio's head in center to score Moss and the game was tied. After Parnell struck out the pitcher, Garver, he intentionally walked Dillinger to set up a force with two outs. Spence lined a single to right that scored Pellagrini and moved Dillinger over to third. Manager Joe McCarthy had seen enough and brought in Hughson to stop the bleeding. But Hughson was wild and couldn't find the plate. He walked Priddy and Sievers to bring in another run.

Now the Red Sox were down 5 to 3 in the bottom of the eighth-inning. Garver got the first two men out and Zarilla lined a single to center. Birdie Tebbetts followed him with his fourth base hit of the game. Tom O'Brien came up to pinch-hit for Hughson and drew a walk that loaded the bases. Dom DiMaggio next hit one of the simplest sort of ground balls to Pellagrini and with a certain force play at second, Eddie fumbled the ball, allowing Zarilla to score and everyone else was safe.

A great play by Priddy on Pesky almost got the Browns out of the inning. Johnny hit a high hopper over second base that Priddy grabbed barehanded and flipped to Pellagrini. Dom's quick slide barely beat the play and Lew Stringer, who had pinch run for Tebbetts, scored the tying run.

That brought Ted Williams to the plate and he slashed a vicious line drive down the right-field line that went foul, just missing being a home run. But Garver's next pitch was drilled on a line to right and two runs scored. Garver was taken out at that point and Pellagrini was thrown out, still complaining to the umpire over whether DiMaggio had been safe on the previous play.

Even though the Red Sox had staked Parnell to three runs in the first inning, he didn't pitch to impressively. He gave up ten hits and five earned runs, walking five and striking out only three.

The Browns might have sent Parnell to the shower earlier in the second inning, except for some reckless base running. Moss opened up with a walk and Jack Graham singled to center. Moss took off for third on the hit, but was thrown out by the at least 20 feet by DiMaggio. Pellagrini followed with the first of his singles, which could have resulted in a run. Parnell finally got out of the potential disaster on two ground ball outs.

Johnny Pesky made the best fielding play of the game when he backhanded Dillinger's high bounder over third in the second inning and threw out the speedy runner by a couple of feet.

Boston University star, Harry Agganis, worked out with the team at first base before the game. At the plate, Harry drove one ball into the visitors bullpen and sent a couple of long flies close to the wall. Bobby Doerr was very impressed with him, especially in the field.