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DOM DiMAGGIO |
THE CURSE OF
THE BAMBINO, PART 4
FALLING SHORT AT THE END AGAIN
...
The Sox sweep a doubleheader
for Kinder's fifth straight win
July 10, 1949 ... The
Red Sox had a long day playing two games until 7:45 in the evening,
when the second game was called because of darkness. The Sox belted
Philadelphia pitching in both games, beating the Athletics, 8 to 5
and 11 to 10. Features of the long afternoon included Ted Williams'
20th home run in the second game, Ellis Kinder withholding late game attacks
from the Athletics in the first game and the batting of Don DiMaggio, Billy
Doerr, Tom O'Brien and Billy Goodman.
Jack Kramer, the Red Sox fourth pitcher in the second game, retired Hank
Majeski with the bases loaded for the final out in the eighth-inning. The Sox
winning streak therefore went up to seven straight games. The Athletics were
outraged when umpire Cal Hubbard called the game after they had rallied for
three runs in the eighth-inning. They claimed there was sufficient a light to
allow one more inning to be played and Earl Mack said he is protesting the game
to President Harridge.
After having things go their way in the opening game, the Red Sox reverted to
their earlier habit of giving up big leads. Twice they had a seven run margin,
before Kramer forced Majeski to ground out to Stephens, to end the second game.
The Sox scored seven runs in the first inning of the second game against
Bobby Shantz and reliever Carl Scheib. After giving up two walks to Pesky and
Williams, Vern Stephens slammed a double to right to score Pesky and Bobby Doerr
singled to score Stephens and Williams. Goodman lined a single right and then
Shantz ended his afternoon when he uncorked a wild pitch that moved up the
runners. Scheib took over and allowed a double to Matt Batts that scored Goodman
and Doerr. Then he walked the starting pitcher, Walt Masterson before allowing
DiMaggio to slam a double to right-center that scored two more runners.
With a 7 to 0 lead, Masterson allowed three straight hits, a walk and then a
double, giving the Athletics back three of their runs. Tex Hughson came in to
retire the side and get out of the jam.
Dick Fowler came in to start the second and the Sox got one of those runs
back in the bottom of the second when Williams reached on a bobbled ball by
firstbaseman Ferris Fain, and scored on Doerr's double to left.
Then Fowler gave a fastball to Ted Williams that he uncorked for a home run
in the fourth. Stephens reached first on Majeski's booted ball and Doerr singled
off the left-field wall. Stephens however got trapped at the plate on Goodman's
ground ball to Fain at first. Tom O'Brien doubled to left to score Doerr and
moved Goodman over to third. Billy scored on Batts ground out and the score was
11 to 4 in favor of the Red Sox.
Tex gave two runs back on Hank Majeski's home run in the fifth, and then in
the eighth allowed three more runs. Wally Moses and Nellie Fox started it off
with singles and Hughson walked pinch-hitter Taffy Wright to load the bases.
Joost lined a single to left that scored Fox and Moses, endingf the game for
Hughson. Young Chuck Stobbs came in and walked Valo to once again load the
bases. Wright was brought in on a fly ball by Fain and Jack Kramer took over the
pitching duties. He walked Sam Chapman before Majeski grounded out and the game
was halted.
In the opening game, Ellis Kinder and Joe Coleman both went the distance. The
Sox picked up one in the first on DiMaggio's double, Pesky's single and a
fielder's choice by Stephens. Philly got the run back on Majeski's homer in the
second inning.
In the fourth the Sox scored five times highlighted by DiMaggio's three run
blast. The Athletics got three runs in the sixth on a single and a walk, a
ground ball out and Chapman's home run, making the score 6 to 4 in favor of the
Red Sox.
The Sox scored their final pair in the sixth inning on a double by Kinder,
and single by DiMaggio and an error by Pete Suder on a single by Johnny Pesky
that allowed Kinder to score. Coleman walked Williams to load the bases and Dom
scored on a sacrifice fly by Stephens, making it 8 to 4.
Chapman hit his second home run to start off the ninth-inning, but Kinder
retired the next three batters to sew up his fifth consecutive win |
