|
 |
|
JEFF HEATH
SLIDES HOME |
BOSTON BRAVES
...
SPAHN & SAIN and PRAY FOR RAIN ...
The Braves
take their third straight
July 10, 1948 ... The
Braves captured their third straight game and stepped four games
ahead of their nearest competitor, the Pittsburgh Pirates, as they
edged the Phillies 4 to 3 before 25,000 fans at Braves Field. Big
Bill Voiselle came within one out of racking up his sixth complete
game but he was forced out with the tying run on first in the last of
the ninth. Voiselle carried a 4 to 1 lead into the last inning
against his opposing starter Dutch Leonard and reliever Schoolboy Rowe, when he
ran into trouble. Del Ennis hit him for his 12th round tripper of the year to
open the inning and Bert Haas singled solidly to center two batters later. Bob
Elliott took care of Eddie Miller's ground ball as Haas advanced. Phil Masi then
permitted a pitch to get away from him for a passed ball and Haas scooted over
to third. He pranced home with the Phillies third run on a single by Andy
Seminick, cutting the Braves lead to one run.
When Don Padgett came up to the plate to pinch-hit, Billy Southworth called
in Clyde Shoun and it was a chess match as manager Ben Chapman then substituted
Al Lakeman as a pinch-hitter. The Braves' Sidewinder took care of Lakeman all by
himself on a swinging third strike. Voiselle would've liked and gone all the way
but he pitched a great game in getting his 10th win of the year. He granted only
one run and six hits through the first eight innings and walked nobody until the
eighth.
The tribal muscleman, Jeff Heath, was a standout all night both with the bat
and on defense. He batted in two runs against Leonard who carried a 1.96 ERA
into the game. He also covered left-field like a blanket, taking a long drive
against the wall with a runner on third in the fourth inning. Al Dark continued
his consecutive game hitting streak, reaching 22, one under Richie Ashburn's 23,
the record for the National League this season. Phil Masi pounded out to long
doubles and a single.
The Braves initial score came in the second inning and was unearned. With one
out both Heath and Russell singled in succession and then Masi hit a routine
grounder down to Haas, who in his eagerness to start a doubleplay, took his eye
off the ball. The ball skipped over to deep short and Heath headed for home and
was safe when Seminick dropped the throw. The Braves added three more in the
third when Dark led off with a single and Torgeson and Elliott were both walked
to load the bases. Heath lined a single right to score clean up the bases.
Bob Sturgeon arrived in Boston early this morning to take the place of the
injured Eddie Stanky who was able to watch the baseball game on a television
while recuperating from his ankle injury at the Cardinal O'Connell house today.
Stanky will be gone for an estimated two months. |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg)
.jpg)