GASTON SNAPS EPIC PERSONAL 'L' STREAK AT 14
Hayes Produces 9th Inning Game-Winner
CHICAGO, Sept. 9 (AP) - Phil Gaston broke a personal 14-game losing streak with
a strong complete game effort as the Chicago White Sox won the opening game of a
doubleheader with the Washington Senators by a 2-1 score at Comiskey Park.
Gaston's last win came on June 13--also against the Senators, but at Griffith
Stadium in Washington. Gaston's losing streak was by far the longest in
major league baseball this year. The next longest string is six, by Bump
Hadley of the St. Louis Browns and Paul Derringer of the Cincinnati Reds.
In fact, other than Gaston, the longest string of losses limited to decisions is
nine (Hadley). Gaston, by contrast, lost 14 straight appearances prior to
the win over the Senators.
Gaston has been, hands down, the least effective starting pitcher in the big
leagues this year. Also on the short list of least effective starters is
Gaston's mound opponent in this game, Montie Weaver. Gaston entered this
game with a season's ERA well over eight; Weaver came in with an ERA of nearly
seven. Both pitched brilliantly on this day.
The White Sox took the lead in the bottom of the first inning. Evar Swanson led
off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on Jocko Conlan's
sacrifice. Al Simmons then tripled to left-center to put Chicago on top
1-0. But in a bit of foreshadowing of what was to come, Weaver minimized
the damage, inducing Zeke Bonura to pop up for the second out and retiring Luke
Appling to fly out to end the inning.
The score remained stuck at 1-0 until the eighth. The only runner Gaston
allowed past first base through the first seven innings came in the fourth when
Dave Harris doubled with one out. Heinie Manush flied to center, with
Harris advancing to third and Cliff Bolton rolled out to short to end the
threat. In each of the next three innings the Senators managed a single
baserunner in each frame. Fred Schulte reached on second baseman Jackie
Hayes' error leading off the fifth, but was stranded. Ossie Bluege singled
with one out in the sixth but went nowhere. Manush lined a base hit to
open the seventh but was erased by a double play ball.
Weaver, meanwhile, was breezing through the White Sox order. After
Simmons' triple in the first inning, Weaver retired 14 straight batters before
issuing a one-out free pass to Swanson in the sixth. After Conlan popped
out, Simmons singled to right, chasing Swanson to third. But Weaver
retired Bonura on a grounder to second to end the inning. In the seventh,
Marty Hopkins doubled with two outs but was stranded when Merv Shea struck out.
The Senators finally tied the game in the eighth. Gaston retired Pete
Susko and John Kerr on routine fly balls to left but Weaver, hitting for
himself, made the strategy look brilliant when he tripled to the wall in
right-center. Bluege then reached on an infield single, driving home
Weaver to tie the game. John Stone followed with a double into the right
field corner, putting runners on second and third, and Harris walked to load the
bases. The momentum of the game seemed to have switched completely but
Gaston got Manush on a fly to center to send the game to the bottom of the
eighth still tied.
The White Sox went down quietly in their half of the eighth and Gaston got into
trouble again in the ninth, walking both Schulte and Susko with one out.
But Kerr lined out to third and Weaver fanned to end the inning.
In the bottom of the ninth, Simmons opened by reaching on an infield hit but
Bonura flied to left. Appling rolled a single between first and second,
chasing Simmons all the way to third with the potential winning run.
Jackie Hayes then came through with a base hit over short, scoring Simmons to
win the game.
9/9/1934, Was34-ChA34, game 1, Comiskey Park 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1934 Senators 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 7 0 8 0 1934 White Sox 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 7 1 6 1 Senators AB R H BI AVG White Sox AB R H BI AVG Bluege ss 4 0 2 1 .246 Swanson rf 3 1 1 0 .257 Stone rf 4 0 1 0 .312 Conlan cf 3 0 0 0 .231 Harris,D 3b 3 0 1 0 .266 Simmons lf 4 1 3 1 .367 Manush lf 4 0 1 0 .286 Bonura 1b 4 0 0 0 .275 Bolton c 4 0 0 0 .290 Appling ss 4 0 1 0 .311 Schulte cf 3 0 0 0 .292 Hayes,J 2b 4 0 1 1 .301 Susko 1b 3 0 0 0 .271 Hopkins 3b 3 0 1 0 .164 Kerr 2b 4 0 1 0 .227 Shea c 3 0 0 0 .170 Weaver p 4 1 1 0 .192 Gaston p 3 0 0 0 .242 33 1 7 1 31 2 7 2 Senators INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Weaver L 8-17 8.1 7 2 2 1 3 106 72 6.45 8.1 7 2 2 1 3 106 72 White Sox INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Gaston W 4-22 9.0 7 1 1 3 4 132 82 7.81 9.0 7 1 1 3 4 132 82 E-Hayes,J. 2B-Stone(27), Harris,D(13), Hopkins(11). 3B-Weaver(2), Simmons(12). RBI-Bluege(19), Simmons(86), Hayes,J(20). SB-Swanson(9). K-Bolton, Kerr, Weaver 2, Hopkins, Shea 2. BB-Harris,D, Schulte, Susko, Swanson. SH-Conlan. GWRBI: Hayes,J Temperature: 73, Sky: partly cloudy, Wind: right to left at 18 MPH. Attendance: N/A Game Time: 1:57