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DANNY LITWHILER |
BOSTON BRAVES
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SPAHN & SAIN and PRAY FOR RAIN ...
The Reds overpower the Braves
July 20, 1948 ... Danny
Litwhiler led a 13 hit assault on five Braves pitchers, to give the
Cincinnati Reds a 9 to 6 victory at Crosley Field in Cincinnati. For
five innings Bill Voiselle had quite an edge over Herm Wehmeier as
well as a 2 to 1 lead, in a game which switched quickly and
disastrously from a pitching battle to a home run barrage.
Litwhiler's ninth home run of the year started the Reds on a five-run sixth
inning, which sent them out front for good. It was the second of four hits by
the scrappy outfielder who the Braves sent to Cincinnati in May, so they could
bring up an outfielder from the Milwaukee farm club.
Jeff Heath gave the Braves a one run jump in the second inning when he lined
a drive over the centerfield wall for his 10th home run of the year. Doubles by
Tommy Holmes and Alvin Dark made it 2 to 0 for Boston in the third inning. The
Reds picked up one in their half of the third to make it 2 to 1.
The game disintegrated in the sixth inning. With two out, Litwhiler homered
against the laundry building behind the left-field wall. Successive singles by
Virgil Stallcup, Ray Lamano and Wehmeier put the Reds ahead 3 to 2. That also
brought Clyde Shoun in from the Braves bullpen. He got one strike on Johnny
Wyrostek, who then lifted one into the right-field bleachers for his 12th of the
year and a 6 to 2 lead.
A single by Mike McCormick and a home run by Tommy Holmes cut the Reds lead
to 6 to 4. Then a pass to Earl Torgeson, Bob Elliott's infield single, and an
error made it 6 to 5.
Billy Southworth then brought in Al Lyons to keep the Braves in the game and
his first batter received a free pass. Then with one out, Ted Kluszewski slammed
one into the right-field bleachers for two more runs. Litwhiler's double and
Lamano's single finished the Reds scoring, as well as Lyons. Ernie White came
in and put out the fire. The Braves picked up a run in the eighth that meant
nothing on a pass, a sacrifice and a single by Holmes.
With the Brooklyn Dodgers shutting out the Cubs, the Braves lead was cut the
6 1/2 games. They have now lost two full games in less than 24 hours. |
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