BROWNS DOWN BOSOX IN 1-0 THRILLER
Jacobson Preserves Shutout With Wondrous Grab of Liner in 9th
BOSTON, July 10 (AP) -- Dave Danforth bested Curt Fullerton in a marvelous
pitcher's duel as the St. Louis Browns eked out a 1-0 victory over the Boston
Red Sox at Fenway Park. Danforth (5-6) twirled his best game of the year
and was helped immeasurably by the defensive wizardry of St. Louis center
fielder Baby Doll Jacobson whose diving catch of Homer Ezzell's blast ten feet
from the bullpen fence in right-center field ended the contest.
If Danforth was outstanding--and he was, firing a two-hit shutout, his first
whitewashing of the year and just the second by a Brownie--Fullerton (0-3) was
scarcely a cut below. The Red Sox right-hander, making just his third
start of the season, allowed only five hits to the hard-hitting Browns and
walked just two, but emerged the unlucky loser.
The game's only run came in the top of the fourth. George Sisler led off
and drew a free pass; the Browns first baseman was the recipient of both
Fullerton's walks. Ken Williams grounded to second with Sisler advancing
90 feet. Jacobson followed with a swinging bunt to the left side;
Fullerton made a nice play barehanding the ball, but Jacobson beat the throw to
first. Sisler took third on the play. Gene Robertson then sent right
fielder Bobby Veach to the cusp of the wall to haul in his fly ball.
Sisler scored and the Browns led 1-0.
For their part, the Red Sox went virtually without baserunners into the sixth
inning. Ira Flagstead drew a one-out walk off Danforth in the second but
was immediately erased when Howie Shanks rapped into a 6-4-3 double play.
Boston's second baserunner--and first hit, snapping a string of 13 straight men
retired--didn't arrive until the sixth when Dud Lee looped a one-out single to
left but he was eliminated one out later when Hank Sevareid spoiled Lee's stolen
base attempt.
The problem for the Browns was that Fullerton was matching Danforth zero for
zero on the scoreboard, the top of the fourth notwithstanding. Sisler died
on first after drawing a two-out walk in the second and Robertson advanced as
far as third after doubling with one out in the second. But after scoring
in the fourth, the Browns didn't move a runner past second base for the duration
of the game and that came with two outs in the fifth.
After Lee's sixth inning single, retired seven straight Red Sox, leading to the
bottom of the ninth inning. Johnnie Heving opened the frame with a line
single to center field, Boston's second hit and third baserunner of the
afternoon. Lee failed on successive attempts to sacrifice and ultimately
grounded into a force at second on a nice play by shortstop Wally Gerber who had
to go deep in the hole. Joe Harris then pinch hit for Fullerton and
grounded sharply to Sisler at first. The Browns came within a whisker of
ending the game on a 3-6-3 double play, but Harris beat the relay to first base
by an eyelash. Still, Lee had been forced at second and the Red Sox were
down to their last out. That set the stage for Jacobson's heroics.
Ezzell worked the count full, fouled off a pitch and then laced a Danforth
fastball deep into the right-center field gap. It was the hardest hit ball
off the Browns left-hander all game long and, with Harris off with the pitch, it
looked like a game-tying extra base hit. But Jacobson got a terrific jump
on the ball and, no more than ten feet from the short fence separating the
bullpen area from the playing field, launched himself into a full dive and
speared the baseball just inches above the grass.
It was a stunning ending to a hard-fought contest. The rest of the Browns
mobbed Jacobson--and then Danforth--while the Red Sox and their crestfallen fans
could only look on in disbelief.
7/10/1924, SLA24-BoA24, Fenway Park 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1924 Browns 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 0 4 1 1924 Red Sox 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 Browns AB R H BI AVG Red Sox AB R H BI AVG Tobin rf 4 0 1 0 .323 Ezzell 3b 4 0 0 0 .304 McMillan 2b 4 0 0 0 .215 Wambsganss 2b 3 0 0 0 .312 McManus 2b 0 0 0 0 .299 Veach lf 3 0 0 0 .279 Sisler 1b 2 1 1 0 .318 Collins 1b 3 0 0 0 .340 Williams lf 4 0 0 0 .358 Flagstead cf 2 0 0 0 .288 Jacobson cf 4 0 1 0 .294 Shanks rf 3 0 0 0 .212 Robertson 3b 2 0 1 1 .407 Heving c 3 0 1 0 .429 Severeid c 3 0 0 0 .232 Lee ss 3 0 1 0 .281 Gerber ss 3 0 1 0 .266 Fullerton p 2 0 0 0 .000 Danforth p 3 0 0 0 .172 Harris ph 1 0 0 0 .311 29 1 5 1 27 0 2 0 Browns INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Danforth W 5-6 9.0 2 0 0 1 3 111 66 4.72 9.0 2 0 0 1 3 111 66 Red Sox INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Fullerton L 0-3 9.0 5 1 1 2 2 109 73 3.47 9.0 5 1 1 2 2 109 73 SLA: McManus inserted at 2b in the 9th BoA: Harris batted for Fullerton in the 9th 2B-Robertson(13). RBI-Robertson(34). CS-Jacobson, Lee. K-McMillan, Gerber, Ezzell, Veach, Collins. BB-Sisler 2, Flagstead. SH-Robertson. GWRBI: Robertson Temperature: 77, Sky: clear, Wind: right to left at 4 MPH. Attendance: 6,536 Game Time: 1:46