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BOSTON BRAVES
...
SPAHN & SAIN and PRAY FOR RAIN ...
The Dodgers get the Braves in the 11th
July 7, 1948 ... The
Braves dropped their second extra inning decision in three days, when
they and Warren Spahn were beaten 4 to 3 in the 11th inning by
left-hander Preacher Roe of the Dodgers tonight, extending Brooklyn's
winning streak to seven-games. The 11th inning blowup started when
Spahn issued his first free pass of the game to Carl Furillo with one man out.
Immediately George Shuba straightened out a fast pitch, slashing the ball on a
line over rightfielder Mike McCormick's head. Mike played the sharp rebound
perfectly, holding Furillo on third-base. Spahn then walked Bruce Edwards
intentionally to load the bases.
A moment later the game was ended abruptly when Roy Campanella sent a long
fly out to Clint Conaster near the left-field grandstand. Conaster made the
catch but there was no use to make an effort to head off Furillo, as he sprinted
home with the game winning run.
It was an airtight game witnessed by 35,500 fans, Ebbets Field's largest
crowd of the season. Now that the Dodgers have started to win a few games, the
people who were staying at home, are falling all over each other to get into the
park. Several thousand fans were turned away tonight.
The Dodgers scored first in the second inning on Bruce Edwards' left-field
homer, but the Tribe came back in the third inning to tie the game when Earl
Torgeson drove Al Dark home from first base with a deep triple to right-field.
Torgy also knocked out a double against starter Ralph Branca in the fourth
inning to score two more runs, giving the Braves a 3 to 1 lead at the time.
That lead would have been enough to win the game had not Dark, after a simple
stop of a ground ball from Pee Wee Reese, not made a wild throw to first.
Following that, Jackie Robinson slapped a scratch double between Dark and
Elliott with runners on second and third. Furillo then poked a clean single to
left to tie up the game at three apiece.
After inconsequential sparring for five more innings, Branca was replaced by
preacher Roe and he held the Braves to just two widely separated singles during
the remainder of the game. Spahn was equally effective, as between the sixth and
the end of the game, he was hit only once.
It was the first defeat for the Braves in Brooklyn. They looked pretty tough
at the plate all especially Torgeson. Holmes, Elliott, Russell and the two
catchers went hitless. |
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