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ED STROUD |
THE CURSE OF THE BAMBINO, PART 6 ...
"THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM"
The Senators halt the streaking Sox
August
23, 1967 ... Outfielder Ed Stroud hit his
first major league home run, a two run smash, and right-handed
pitcher, Bob Priddy, pitched his first complete game, as the
Washington Senators defeated the Red Sox, 3 to 2.
Priddy gave up only five hits, one of them Carl Yastrzemski's 32nd home run
in the fourth, giving the Sox a 1 to 0 lead. But Washington grabbed the lead
back in the fifth, when starter José Santiago walked Tim Cullen, who was
followed by Stroud's homer, giving the Senators a 2 to 1 lead. Stroud just snuck
the ball into the corner of the Washington bullpen for the two runs.
Mike Epstein tried to help the Red Sox in the seventh inning, with his glove.
Ken McMullen bobbled a ground ball by Elston Howard and threw to first base, but
Epstein let the ball bang off his glove and it trickled to the Red Sox dugout.
That put Howard on second and he was advanced to third by Dalton Jones on a
ground ball out. Norm Siebern came to the plate, pinch-hitting for Santiago, and
singled to right, tying up the game.
But in the ninth, Hank Allen, pinch-hitting for Epstein, slammed a double to
the left-field corner with Sparky Lyle on the mound. He went to third on a
ground ball by Cap Peterson and saw Fred Valentine get hit by a pitch on the
leg. The next batter was Paul Casanova and Lyle got him to hit a fly ball to
right-field. However it was deep enough that Allen could tag up and score the
winning run.
Priddy retired the Sox in the ninth, striking out Rico Petrocelli and
newcomer Jim Landis, to end the game. He has two wins against the Red Sox, and
this one knocked them out of first place. The loss, coupled with the White Sox
win over the Yankees, dropped them to one game behind Chicago. |