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TOMMY HOLMES |
BOSTON BRAVES
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SPAHN & SAIN and PRAY FOR RAIN ...
Johnny Sain wins his 10th of the year
July 1, 1948 ... The
Boston Braves squelched the New York Giants behind Johnny Sain, by a
score 4 to 1 and pushed their lead in the National League pennant
race to 2 1/2 games. It was Johnny Sain's 10th win of the year,
making him the first pitcher in the National League to reach that
goal. It was a four hit masterpiece that could as easily been a
shutout. By winning 11 of their last 17 games in their own ballpark,
the Tribe has opened up a lead which they feel good could be
sufficient to win their first pennant since 1914. It took a
bases-loaded, three-run double by Tommy Holmes, to give the Braves their win.
Although Sain pitched near perfect ball, for six innings Clint Hartung matched
him pitch for pitch. Both teams scored a run in the early innings. The Giants
were the first when Buddy Kerr hit a curveball in the direction of centerfield
in the first inning. The ball fell in front of Jim Russell for a single and then
Whitey Lockman drove a single to left, on a hit-and-run, that sent Kerr to
third. He scored when Johnny Mize lofted a fly ball out to Russell for the
sacrifice and a 1 to 0 lead. Sain shut the door on the Giants after that.
The tying Braves run required only one swing of Bob Elliott's big bat. He hit
a fastball over the left-field fence for his sixth home run of the year to tie
up the game in the second inning. The Braves and the Giants shut each other out
until the seventh. Hartung walked Bill Salkeld to start. Al Dark sacrificed him
over to second and Sain singled to left, moving Salkeld over to third. A pass to
Eddie Stanky filled the bases and that was the set up for Holmes. Tommy teed off
on the first pitch he saw and sent a screaming liner to centerfield for a double
that cleared the bases, giving the Braves their 4-1 lead.
And midnight, the Braves left on a trip starting in Philadelphia. In their
homestand the Braves picked up five full games on the Giants, with whom they
were time before returning home. |
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