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JIM NASH |
THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 6 ...
"THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM"
Jim Nash
out-pitches Darrell Brandon, 1-0
April
30, 1967 ... Jim Nash of the Kansas City
Athletics gave nothing to the Red Sox, but Darrell Brandon wasn't too
generous either, except for a high fastball that Danny Cater knocked
out of the park to give the Athletics a 1 to 0 victory. There were
31,450 fans in the ballpark and all of the kids were brandishing
brand new baseball bats, courtesy of the Red Sox. It's hard played
at Fenway Park when the East wind blows, and harder still trying to hit a guy,
like Nash, who threw harder and harder as the game wore on.
Cater hit his home run off Brandon in the second inning, but the Boston
pitcher walked nobody in the eighth innings he pitched. Had the Red Sox been
able to bunt with men on, and had not Reggie Smith streaking drive been knocked
on straight at Ramon Webster, the Athletics' firstbaseman to double up Brandon
in the fifth inning, the Red Sox might still had been in first place today.
Reggie Smith started off the Red Sox first inning by bunting and beating it
out, with first baseman Danny Cater throwing the ball past the bag. Reggie went
to second on the throw, but he never moved anywhere from there. Joe Foy popped
out, Carl Yastrzemski struck out and then Conigliaro fouled out.
In the third inning, Reggie lined a single to right with two outs and moved
up when Foy walked. But Yaz struck out again, Rico walked and Gibson's grounder
in the hole was gobbled up by Bert Campaneris. He threw to Dick Green at second,
but his foot was off the bag so Rico was safe. Unfortunately Mike Andrews popped
out to end the threat.
Brandon singled to start the fifth and Webster was hovering around first base
as Reggie lined a smash over the bag. Webster reached out his gloved hand and
the ball was there and so was a doubleplay.
To open up the eighth-inning, José Tartabull beat out an infield hit,
pinchhitting for Brandon. This time Smith bunted poorly, right at the pitcher,
and José was a dead duck at second base. Foy grounder to short on a hit-and-run
play and Smith made it to second while Foy was being tossed out at first. Yaz
had been doing nothing with Nash, but this time he managed to loft a high fly
ball towards center. The wind edged it over to the wall and came down with
Monday and Gosger almost knocking each other out, but Monday held onto the ball.
In the ninth-inning, thirdbaseman Ozzie Chavarria booted a ground ball by
Tony Conigliaro. Rico Petrocelli tried to bunt and popped it up back to the
pitcher. Then George Scott and Russ Gibson, each took third strikes to end the
game. |
