June 10, 1948
Two days ago, the Cleveland Indians snapped the Boston Red Sox five-game win streak. After a rainout yesterday, it seems turnabout is fair play.
The BoSox used a big third inning to chase Bob Feller from the game and took advantage of the Indians’ bullpen to send the Tribe packing out of Boston, 15-7. The eight runs allowed by the Indians in the third inning are the most they’ve surrendered in an inning all season. Feller had control issues from the beginning, allowing six walks in his two and two-thirds innings of work.
The Red Sox provided some foreshadowing in the first inning to the big inning to come in the third. In the bottom of the first, Feller retired the first two hitters before walking Ted Williams and giving up a double to Stan Spence down the right field line. With runners on second and third base, Feller uncorked a wild pitch that was ruled a passed ball since it skipped off catcher Joe Tipton’s glove. Regardless, Williams was able to scamper home from third base and give the Red Sox an early 1-0 lead.
Boston took control of the game in the third inning when they scored eight more runs and knocked Feller out of the game. After striking out Dom DiMaggio, Feller allowed a walk to Johnny Pesky and single to Williams to put runners on the corners. Spence grounded to first base, but Tribe first baseman Eddie Robinson threw home. The throw was wide and Pesky slid home safely to make the score 2-0, Boston.
Feller struck out Stephens looking and could have minimized the damage there, but Boston had a two-out rally in mind. Bobby Doerr hit a three-run home run over the Green Monster, making it 5-0. It was Doerr’s fifth home run of the season. After the blast, Feller seemed to further lose his control.
Billy Goodman, Birdie Tebbetts and Joe Dobson all drew walks to load the bases before DiMaggio singled to center field and scored two of them to make the score 7-0. It would be the end of Feller’s day, with Indians manager Lou Boudreau deciding to bring in Bill Kennedy from the bullpen. Kennedy would do little to slow down the hit parade.
Kennedy entered the game, walked Pesky and gave up a two-run RBI single to Williams to make the score 9-0 before getting Spence to fly out to center field and end the disastrous inning.
In the two and two-thirds innings he was able to throw, Feller (5-5) allowed four hits and six walks, resulting in nine runs — eight earned — while only striking out three. The six walks and home run to Doerr were the crushing blows to Feller. He has not pitched since last Friday and the five days rest may have made him too strong for his own control. Feller, once perceived as the staff ace, now has as many wins as losses.
The Tribe did try to play their way back into the game with four runs of their own in the top of the fourth. Red Sox starter Dobson had only allowed one hit in the first three innings, but he too lost control in the fourth when he walked Dale Mitchell and Hank Edwards to start the inning. Boudreau singled to load the bases with no one out and Robinson tried to redeem himself for his error with a single to right field that scored two, cutting the Boston lead to 9-2.
A wild pitch advanced Robinson to second base and after Wally Judnich struck out, Joe Gordon singled to left field to score Boudreau and Robinson, making it just 9-4 Boston. Cleveland would never get any closer, however, as the bullpen could not slow down the Red Sox.
Kennedy had no answer for the Red Sox offense. In the bottom of the fourth inning he walked Stephens and allowed a single to Doerr to lead off the inning. A grounder back to Kennedy allowed him to force out Stephens at third base for the first out, but Tebbetts doubled to center field, scoring two runs and extending the score to 11-4. Kennedy would head to the showers in place of Bob Muncrief, who promptly allowed a single to Dobson and sacrifice fly to DiMaggio to make it 12-4 by the end of the fourth inning.
After a solid home start for Kennedy on the last homestand, he has struggled mightily since. Today, he allowed three runs on three hits with two walks in just two-thirds of an inning. His ERA for the season has escalated to 10.32. Muncrief finished the fourth inning before giving way to Steve Gromek.
Cleveland tried again to scrape back into the game with two runs in the top of the sixth on RBI by Judnich and Ken Keltner. Judnich’s fly ball scored Johnny Berardino — who had replaced Boudreau at shortstop, as the manager is nursing a sore shoulder. The runs cut the score to 12-6, but it was to little avail.
Gromek gave the two runs back, plus another, in the bottom half of the sixth inning. The inning was keyed by a two-run home run by DiMaggio, his first of the year, and made the score 15-6. Gromek, like Feller, might have struggled due to rust. After a solid start in Philadelphia on Sunday, he was supposed to start a game in Boston originally, but rain on Monday and Wednesday washed out games and his start.
Larry Doby pinch-hit for Gromek in the top of the seventh inning and doubled to left field. He advanced to third when Mitchell flew out to center field and scored on Edwards’ ground out to second base to make the score 15-7, Boston. Ed Klieman pitched the final two frames for the Indians, allowing no further damage.
Dobson (7-4) went the distance for Boston, allowing nine hits and seven runs while walking three and striking out six. It was not his finest start, but once the game was out of question early, he was more focused on logging outs and avoiding big innings than shutting out the Tribe.
The loss cuts into Cleveland’s first place lead, leaving them just three games up on both the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Athletics. The Red Sox, meanwhile are trying to inch their way back to .500. The victory gets them back to 21-25 on the season and 9.5 games back of the Tribe. One of the favorites to win the American League, Boston is still two games back of fourth place Washington.
Cleveland now travels to New York to take on the Yankees for a four-game series over the next three days. The Tribe will send new ace Bob Lemon (8-3, 2.17) to the hill with hopes of getting the Indians back on track.
Yankees manager Bucky Harris plans to send right-hander Vic Raschi (7-1, 2.36) to the bump. Raschi has not lost since April 21 at Washington, his first start of the season. The second year hurler looks to be the next in a long line of strong New York starters. The Yankees are expecting over 60,000 at Yankee Stadium for tomorrow night’s contest.
Photo: ootpdevelopments.com
