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Clyde Vollmer slugs his 12th game-winning homer in a month

ON THIS DATE (July 28, 1951) ... Clyde Vollmer did it once again, by slamming a four-run homer in the 16th inning to give the Red Sox a walk-off, 8 to 4 victory. Vollmer has now won 13 games with his booming bat for the Sox, 12 in the month of July.

The decision was well deserved by Mickey McDermott who went all the way for the Sox to get his sixth win. McDermott struck out 15 Indian hitters, walked only one and hit another. He now leads the majors with 102 strikeouts. He struck out the complete Indians lineup with the exception of Bobby Avila. He got Larry Doby and Jim Hegan three times and Luke Easter and Sam Chapman twice.

Vollmer had singled home Billy Goodman in the 15th inning to pull the Sox into a 3-3 tie. The Indians then went ahead in their half of the 16th inning on Ray Boone's double and a single by Doby, to go up 4 to 3.

With one out in the 16th inning, Bob Feller erased Dom DiMaggio on a fly bal.  Johnny Pesky walked and scampered all the way home when Williams lofted a double into the left field corner to tie up the game once again, 4 to 4. Vern Stephens drew three called balls and then Feller was ordered to give Stephens an intentional walk. After Doerr popped out, Goodman ran the count to three and two, and then walked. After the first pitch was called a ball, Vollmer sent Feller's next serve into the net in left. The homer was Vollmer's 18th of the season and his second grandslam of the year. It was the third of his career.

The Sox had scored twice in the opening inning on singles by Pesky, Williams and Doerr, and a walk to Stephens by Early Wynn.

The Indians were virtually helpless against McDermott until the seventh inning. Then Luke Easter crashed a ball over DiMaggio's head into the center field triangle for a triple. He scored on Al Rosen's fly ball. Birdie Tebbetts delivered the tying Cleveland run with a pinch hit single that brought home Bob Kennedy, who had doubled off the center field wall.

The two teams remained deadlocked until the 15th inning when Kennedy put the Indians ahead for the first time, 3-2, with his third double of the game, followed by a line single over the outstretched glove of Bobby Doerr, by Stuffy Stirnweiss.

The Sox got the run back quickly in their half of the 15th. Feller was called in to protect the lead, but gave up a double to right center by Goodman. He sped home on Vollmer's slash up the middle.

With the score tied again, Boone opened up the Indians' 16th inning with a line drive right inside third base. The ball bounded off the third base stands away from Williams, Stephens and Pesky. Boone pulled up easily at second base. Doby dumped a single to right that gave the Indians the lead.

Then came the Sox winning half of the 16th inning. Feller was charged with the loss. He was the fourth Cleveland pitcher, having followed Wynn, Steve Gromek and Lou Brissie.

 

F   E   N   W   A   Y     P   A   R   K

 

 

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3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

 

R

H

E

 
 

CHICAGO

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

 

4

11

0

 
 

RED SOX

2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

5

 

8

16

2

 

 

W-Mickey McDermott (6-5)
L-Bob Feller (15-4)
Attendance: 23,199

 2B-Pesky (Bost), Stephens (Bost), Vollmer (Bost),
 Goodman (Bost), Williams (Bost), Kennedy (3)(Clev),
 Boone (Clev)

 3B-Easter (Clev)

 HR-Vollmer (Bost)