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CLINT CONASTER |
BOSTON BRAVES
...
SPAHN & SAIN and PRAY FOR RAIN ...
The
Braves rally on a hit by Conaster,
and sweep Cincinnati
May 8, 1948 ... The
climbing Boston Braves swept the two-game series from the Cincinnati
Reds this afternoon at Crosley Field before 8252 Reds fans. The score
of the finale was 3 to 2, as Clint Conaster, brought up from Seattle,
hit an eighth-inning single to climax a three-run rally, chasing Jim
Russell home with the winning run. Facing the club which cast him
adrift, Braves reliever Jim Prendergast, who was drafted off the Reds farm team
in Syracuse, preserved the one run margin with two almost perfect innings of
relief. That helped starter Red Barrett get credit for his second win of the
year.
For seven innings, Johnny Van der Meer handcuffed the Braves on only four
hits. He broke Bob Elliott's nine-game hitting streak and struck him out with
the bases loaded in the third inning. But Van der Meer wilted in the
eighth-inning and well-hit balls by Alvin Dark, Russell and Conaster resulted in
his downfall.
The first Cincinnati run came in the very first inning and was a gift. Bobby
Adams walked and Grady Hatton popped one into short left, that Dark lost in the
sun for a base hit. Hank Sauer lofted one into short right which Connie Ryan
couldn't see. That also dropped in for a single to fill the bases, and Babe
Young's long fly ball to left was able to score Adams, giving the Reds a 1 to 0
lead. In the fourth inning, Van der Meer singled and was sacrificed to second by
Frank Baumholtz, scoring when Grady Hatton rifled a single to right. That gave
Cincinnati a 2 to 0 lead.
But Danny Litwhiler opened the eighth-inning with a walk as a pinch-hitter
for Barrett. Sibbi Sisti was inserted to run for him and he raced to third when
Dark singled to right. Frank McCormick came in to bat for Earl Torgeson and hit
a slow roller down the third-base, getting thrown out at first. In the process
Sisti scored and Dark went to second, cutting the lead to just one run. Then Jim
Russell laced a hot drive to the left of Virgil Stallcup, the Reds shortstop,
that was ruled as an error. Dark was able to come home to tie the game. Russell
moved to second as Bob Elliott was being tossed out by Van der Meer and then
Conaster singled to center to score Russell with the game clincher.
Only six men faced Prendergast, as he retired the first four on easy infield
grounders. The next hitter, Ray Lomanno, also hit a slow ground ball that was so
slow he was able to beat it out at first. Stallcup came up next and hit a tricky
shot down toward Alvin Dark, who scooped it up beautifully and started a
doubleplay to end the threat.
The Braves got the train out of Cincinnati for St. Louis and tomorrow they
open a three-game series against the Cardinals. President Lou Perini was on hand
to see today's game. |
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