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MASI & ELLIOTT |
BOSTON BRAVES
...
SPAHN & SAIN and PRAY FOR RAIN ...
The Braves win again in St. Louis
June 9, 1948 ... For
the 10th time in 14 starts, the Braves won a baseball game in St.
Louis. They walloped the Cardinals by an 11 to 5 score, to climb
within a game and a half of first place in the National League.
Fourteen hits bounced off the Braves bats tonight, along with four
St. Louis errors and seven free passes handed out by the Cardinals
pitchers, allowing the Braves plenty of scoring opportunities. The
Braves spotted the Cardinals a run in the very first inning but they bounced
back in the second to pile up six runs of their own and chased starter Howie
Pollett. Warren Spahn, who was a bit spotty throughout the game, managed to last
for his fifth win. He also knocked out of an important second inning single that
tied up the game.
Jim Russell was again the big run producer for the tribe. He knocked in three
runners, giving him 18 RBIs for the a games played on this trip. Jeff Heath
broke a record for reaching safely nine times in a row in sportsman's Park this
season.
Six runs in the Boston second inning was opened up with a double off the bat
of Phil Masi. It was the first of his three hits in the game. After Sibbi Sisti
grounded out, Spahn knocked in Masi with the first run. That brought up Eddie
Stanky, who beat out a ground ball to second. It was the first of his four base
hits during the afternoon. A walk to Tommy Holmes loaded up the bases for Earl
Torgeson. Torgy bashed out another clean single to center that scored both Spahn
and Stanky. Bob Elliott grounded out as the two Boston base runners moved up a
base.
The Cardinals decided to pitch to Jim Russell even with first base open. He
hung one on a line to right-field that scored Holmes and Torgeson. Enos
Slaughter, who knocked in four of the five Cardinal runs, had a tough time with
Russell's line drive and allowed it to get by him, as Jeff Heath hustled across
for the sixth run of the inning.
Russell also produce the final two Braves tallies of the game. With the bases
loaded, Russell came up and drove a hot single to center to score Tommy Holmes
and Earl Torgeson in the eighth-inning.
Warren Spahn pitched brilliantly for seven innings, but lost some strength in
the eighth and ninth. He permitted six hits and four more runs, but had the
stuff in the ninth to get out of trouble.
The Braves four-game winning streak is their best so far this season. This is
the third series of the season between the Cardinals and the Braves and the
Braves have won the opening game each time. |
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