 |
|
JOHNNY VANDER
MEER |
BOSTON BRAVES
...
SPAHN & SAIN and PRAY FOR RAIN ...
The Reds knock the Braves off the top spot
June 12, 1948 ... The
Braves fell off the National League roof with a thud, losing a
doubleheader in Cincinnati, by scores of 3 to 2 and 11 to 9. Johnny
Vander Meer, who has been playing in the N.L. since 1938, connected
with his first major league homer to win the first game himself.
Red Barrett was charged with both losses. In the first game he
was knocked around for nine hits and three runs in six innings.
A walk and two hits gave the Reds a quick 1-0 first inning lead.
Vander Meer's home run started off the third inning and a pair of
singles along with a sac fly concluded Cincinnati's scoring.
The Braves first run in the top of the third inning, came as a result
Eddie Stanky's double and Earl Torgeson's triple. Stanky hit
his first homer of the year in the eighth inning to make it 3 to 2.
The Braves used 22 players in an effort to take the second game. They
got a three run jump in the first inning on Torgy's single, his swipe
of second base, Jim Elliott's base hit and Jeff Heath's two run
homer. The Reds were given all the runs back in the bottom of
the inning, with one run interest, on Hank Sauer's first major league
grand slam over the left field wall.
The Reds added three in the bottom of the second on three hits and a
dropped pop fly by Jeff Heath. The Braves fought back in the
sixth. They hit Howie Fox for the cycle in the sixth inning.
Tommy Holmes singled, Torgeson tripled, Russell doubled and Bill
Salkeld homered for four runs.
In the eighth, the Braves tied up the game at nine apiece on Phil
Masi's two run homer. On came Red Barrett again in the eighth
inning and he threw three straight balls before being pulled in favor
of Jim Pendergast, who completed walking Johnny Wyrostek. Sauer's
singled ended Pendergast's night, and Howie Schultz sacrificed off
Bill Voiselle. Virgil Stallcup was passed on purpose to lad
them up, and Babe Young singled home the winning run.
Connie Ryan and Johnny Sain were the only players not used in the
second game. Twenty four players, used in a game by one team,
is the major league record. The Pirates and the Braves used 40
players in a game in 1940. |
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