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EARL TORGESON
& CONNIE RYAN |
BOSTON BRAVES
...
SPAHN & SAIN and PRAY FOR RAIN ...
Connie Ryan provides the
14th inning game winner against Brooklyn
August 23, 1948 ... The
Braves forgotten man, Connie Ryan, doubled to left field in the 14th
inning and scored Phil Masi from third, with the run that beat the
Brooklyn Dodgers, 3 to 2, in a thriller at Ebbets Field. The win
knocked the Dodgers out of second place and sent the Braves off to
St. Louis with a 2 1/2 game lead over the Cardinals, and a three-game
lead over the Dodgers. Mike McCormick's first home run of the
season, in the eighth-inning, is the one that sent the game into extra innings.
Masi ruined a superb relief effort by Rex Barney, who came in with one out in
the ninth-inning. With one away in the 14th, Phil doubled off the right-field
fence and took third when George Shuba kicked the ball around. Ryan, the next
batter, lined the ball just inside the third-base line and it hopped into the
left-field stands for a ground rule double.
Bobby Hogue got the win, when he took over it to start of the 10th inning. In
the 11th inning, with bases-loaded and two outs, he struck out pinch-hitter Arky
Vaughn to save the Braves from losing the game right there.
Two times the Braves came from behind. Down 1 to 0, Sibbi Sisti singled down
the third-base line with the bases loaded to tie up the game. Then in the
eighth-inning, down 2 to 1, McCormick's home run tied up the game.
Exceptional pitching by Red Barrett, who threw three-hit baseball for 6 2/3
innings was a major factor that carried the Braves. Barrett relieved Nels
Potter, who reinjured his back in the second inning.
The Dodgers threatened in the bottom of the 14th inning. Down 3 to 2, Duke
Snider singled, was sacrificed over to second and then Vaughn was walked. Vern
Bickford came in to rescue Hogue and saved the game by making Gil Hodges fly to
center and Eddie Miksis ground into a force out.
The crowd was constantly on edge, with 19 Boston base runners stranded on
base. Maneuvering by both managers, resulted in the use of 17 players being
used. It was the first extra inning game that the Braves had won this year.
The length of the game caused the Braves to miss their plane for St. Louis
and forced them to take the train, which they barely caught after the game. |
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