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JOHNNY SAIN |
BOSTON BRAVES
...
SPAHN & SAIN and PRAY FOR RAIN ...
Johnny Sain
shuts out the Cubs
and knocks in the only run
June 6, 1948 ... Johnny
Sain got his fifth consecutive game at different ballpark, as he put
down the Chicago Cubs with four hits with a 1 to 0 victory at Wrigley
Field. To add to his resume, he drove in the only run of the game, a
tense battle with Russ Meyer. He made several brilliant fielding
plays and is the first Braves pitcher to reach the five game victory
mark so far. It was his second shutout of the year and each of his
five wins has a been registered in a different ballpark, but none
back home. That single run of the game was recorded in the fifth
inning as Jim Russell got on base with a scratch single and was sacrificed to
second by Bill Salkeld. He took off to third as Sibbi Sisti rolled out to short,
and Sain scored him with a clean single over second base.
After the Braves scored in the fifth inning, the toughest situation that Sain
had to face, happened in the fifth inning. Bob Elliott started the trouble by
fumbling an easy ground ball. Roy Smalley rolled one down the Sibbi Sisti who
picked it up cleanly and made a perfect throw to Bobby Sturgeon with what
should've been a routine doubleplay, but Sturgeon didn't touch the bag. Instead
of having two men out and nobody on there were two Cubs on base with nobody out.
Russ Meyer laid down a sacrifice bunt and Earl Torgeson charged in and slid,
doing well to fire the ball to Sturgeon, covering first for the out. Henry
Schenz was up next, with runners on second and third. He slashed a low hot shot
straight at the Sain, who stuck his glove down and just ticked the ball. The
carom struck his leg and stayed on the mound, so Johnny was able to make the
throw to first. The Cubs runner, Clarence Maddern, stayed on third, but Roy
Smalley took off for the occupied bag. Torgeson spotted Smalley making his break
and threw the ball over to Sisti. At that moment Maddern broke for the plate. A
perfect throw by Sisti over to Salkeld nailed him trying to score the potential
tying run.
The Braves have now won all four games played with the Cubs this season. In
fact, the Cubs have not scored a run against the Braves in two games here. The
Braves road record on their current western tour, is three wins and two losses.
They slipped back in the fourth place as the Phillies lost a doubleheader to the
Cardinals.
Tommy Holmes was back in the lineup and continued his batting streak, of 17
straight games, in his first at-bat, knocking a single between short and third
into left field |
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