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The Sox come from behind
twice
and sweep with a ninth inning
walk-off grand slam homer
July 19, 1954 ... The Sox looked like a powerhouse as
they pounded out seven home runs, including a Mickey Owen grandslam
ninth inning job, to belt the Baltimore Orioles, 9 to 7 and 8 to 5.
Owen finished off a six-run ninth inning comeback, to win the opening
game of the twin bill. Jimmy Piersall powdered a three-run homer in
the fourth inning of the second game to wipe out another Sox deficit.
While the homers by Owen and Piersall were more significant to the
wins, Ted Williams and Jackie Jensen contributed a couple of homers
apiece to battle for the club leadership in home runs.
The first game was not exciting until the end. The Orioles had chased
Sid Hudson in the second inning with a four-run assault. They next
picked up solo runs in the fifth, seventh and eight innings. All the
Sox had shown for their work in the first eight innings was a
three-run homer by Williams in the sixth, that cut the O's lead down
to 5-3. Howie Fox came in to bail out Baltimore and worked neatly
until the ninth.
Up 7 to 3, Fox walked Harry Agganis to start the ninth. Ted Lepcio
lined out, but Fox then walked Grady Hatton and pinch-hitter, Charley
Maxwell to load the bases. Mike Blyzka took over for the Orioles and
struck out Del Wilber for the second out. But Piersall put the Sox
back in business when he drilled a double to left center that scored
two runs.
With first base open, and Maxwell on third and Piersall on second,
Williams was walked intentionally to pitch to Owen, who had gotten
into the game as a pinch hitter for Sammy White in the eighth. Owen
came through when he lined a 2-2 pitch into the left field net for a
walk-off grandslam celebration, giving the Sox a sweet
come-from-behind victory.
In the second game, Milt Bolling started the Sox homer parade with
his fifth long ball of the season to open the game off Don Larsen.
The Orioles put together three singles to tie up the game in the next
inning. Owen's single and Piersall's double put the Sox back out
front in their next at bat. Jackie Jensen's homer in the third put
the Sox up 3-1.
The Orioles then scored four runs, aided by three Sox errors, giving
Baltimore a 5-3 lead. Leo Kiely started another Sox comeback with his
fourth inning single. Bolling followed with another base hit and
Piersall hammered one over the wall to put the Sox out front 6 to 5.
Ted then slammed a king-sized homer into the right field grandstand.
For the clincher, Jensen jolted another one into the center field
bleachers for the Sox eighth and final run.
The relief pitching by Ellis Kinder could not be overlooked. He
pitched 3 2/3 inning of perfection to save Leo Kiely's third win. |
