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JOHNNY SAIN |
BOSTON BRAVES
...
SPAHN & SAIN and PRAY FOR RAIN ...
Johnny Sain
shuts out St. Louis
May 10, 1948 ... The
Braves provided the fireworks as they belted a trio of Cardinals'
pitching for all 11 hits, 5 of which were for extra bases, and
chalked up a 6 to 0 victory. Johnny Sain, hurling his best game of
the season, snapped the five-game winning streak by St. Louis and
sent them toppling out of first place by a few percentage points.
It was Sain's second win of the year, scattering 10 hits and displaying terrific
courage to preserve a shutout. The Cardinals loaded the bases in the seventh
inning with one out. Stan Musial bounced a single off Johnny's right knee. Sain
then grabbed a smash back to the box by Enos Slaughter, and started an inning
ending double play. He also drove home the first and only run the Braves needed
to win.
Jeff Heath, Tommy Holmes and Earl Torgeson gave Sain tremendous support at
the plate. Heath doubled twice and walking once. Holmes extended his consecutive
game batting streak to 12 games and Torgeson thumped home three runs with a
terrific home run in the fourth inning that clinched the game.
In the two games at Sportsman's Park, from where he was exported to the
Braves last winter, Heath's gone to bat seven times. He has smashed out a home
run, two doubles, one single and drawn three walks for a perfect record. As
result, his batting average is up to .327
Tommy Holmes batted in a pair of runs with his two base hits and narrowly
missed a three run homer in the second inning, as his long drive was a foot
short of landing on the pavilion roof. It bounced off the screen for a double
and he is now leading the National League with a .487 batting average.
Heath launched the Braves assault the second inning with a double off the
right-center field wall. He stayed at second as Torgeson beat out a bunt and
after Salkeld and Ryan fanned, Sain singled to center to score Heath. A double
by Holmes brought Torgeson home next. With two gone in the third inning, Bob
Elliott singled and Heath walked. Torgy then tagged a 3-1 pitch and sent it 375
feet into the right-center pavilion for his second homer the year. Ken Burkhart
was the victim of the Braves' six run in the fourth inning. Ryan walked and was
sacrificed to second by Sain. Holmes then lashed a single to center that scored
Ryan.
The victory put the Braves in with three-way tie for fourth place with the
Dodgers and the Phillies. |
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