|
ON THIS DATE (August 8, 1959)
... Frank Lary had been on his way too become
the first American League pitcher to win 15 games this year. He had
an impressive 2.90 ERA
and was one out away from winning the game for the Detroit
Tigers. He was one strike from shutting out the Red Sox, 3 to 0, with
two outs in the last of the ninth, the bases empty and he had two
strikes on Vic Wertz.
Only one Sox base runner had made it past second base. That was Pete
Runnels with a first inning double, who moved over to third on Gary
Geiger's infield single.
But Wertz singled to left and up came Sammy White. Lary had him down
two strikes and hit him with a pitch. So, in came Dick Gernert to
pinch-hit, with runners on first and second. He thumped Lary's first
pitch off the left field wall for a double, scoring Wertz.
Now it was up to Pumpsie Green. He hit the first pitch he saw into
center field, scoring the two base runners and the game was tied,
3-3, sending it into extra innings.
In the 10th inning, Pete Burnside took the mound for the Tigers to
face Gary Geiger, leading off for the Sox. The count went to 3-2 and
Geiger hit Burnside's next pitch into the Red Sox bullpen, for a
walk-off 4 to 3 victory.
Sox starter, Al Scroll had been in hot water. In the third inning, he
issued two walks and two hits. With four men on base, he got out of
trouble. A double play erased the first man and with the bases
loaded, Scroll struck out Gus Zernial. But in the fourth inning he
was less fortunate. He gave up a hit and then had Eddie Yost bang a
one-hopper that glanced off his glove, that scored a run. Charlie
Maxwell followed with a double to right and the Tigers were up 2-0.
Harvey Kuenn's single in the seventh inning, followed by Zernial's
single and Frank Bolling's double, gave the Tigers their 3-0
advantage. |
