WERBER DRIVES IN 7 AS BOSOX ROUT BROWNS
324 Paid Admissions
ST. LOUIS, Sept 17 (AP) - Billy Werber amassed five hits and drove in seven runs
as the Boston Red Sox pounded the St. Louis Browns 13-2 before a microscopic
crowd on a rainy Monday afternoon at Sportsman's Park. The announced crowd
of 324 represents the lowest paid attendance at a major league contest this
season.
Werber's seven runs batted is tied for second most in a big league game this
year with Chick Hafey of the Cincinnati Reds, who accomplished the feat in a
July 6 win over the Cardinals, also at Sportsman's Park. Bob Johnson of
the Philadelphia Athletics has the high mark for the season--nine, against the
Red Sox at Fenway Park on May 2. Werber's hits included a pair of doubles
as well as his sixth home run of the season.
Boston scored two in the top of the first inning, grabbing a lead they would
never relinquish. Max Bishop led off the game with a base on balls issued
by Browns starter Bump Hadley. Werber drove him home with the first of his
two triples and then scored himself on Mel Almada's ground out.
The Browns briefly appeared poised to make it a game by scoring a run in the
bottom of the inning. Red Sox starter George Hockette, making his season
debut, retired the first two batters, but Jack Burns tripled and Roy Pepper
doubled him home. St. Louis nearly tied the game but Pepper, trying to
score on Rollie Hemsley's base hit to center, was gunned down at the plate by
Skinny Graham.
The Red Sox then erupted for three runs in the top of the second, bouncing
Hadley from the game in the process. The first five batters of the inning
all reached base safely. Ed Morgan drew a lead-off free pass and took
second on Lynn Lary's bunt single. Hockette then helped himself by rolling
a base hit into right, scoring Morgan and sending Lary to third. When
Bishop extended the first and third parade with a single of his own to right
field, scoring Lary, Hadley was done. Browns manager Rogers Hornsby
replaced him with Jim Walkup, who was also making his season debut. He was
greeted by a base hit off the bat of Werber, scoring Hockette to make it
5-1.
That was still the score when the Red Sox effectively blew the game open once
and for all in the sixth and seventh innings. Werber tripled home two more
runs in the sixth. Roy Johnson led off the seventh with a home run to make
it 8-1 and Morgan later singled home a ninth Boston tally. A bases loaded
walk drawn by Bishop--one of four free passes drawn by the Boston second
baseman--scored a tenth run and Werber's fielder's choice grounder plated an
11th.
Harlond Clift's 14th home run of the season, a solo shot in the eighth, made the
score 11-2 but it only seemed to annoy the Red Sox who scored two more runs in
the ninth, with Werber's two-run homer doing the honors. Hockette closed
out his debut with a complete game effort by holding St. Louis scoreless in the
bottom of the ninth.
9/17/1934, BoA34-SLA34, Sportsman's Park (A) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1934 Red Sox 2 3 0 0 0 2 4 0 2 13 14 0 8 2 1934 Browns 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 11 0 6 1 Red Sox AB R H BI AVG Browns AB R H BI AVG Bishop 2b 2 3 1 2 .283 Clift 3b 4 1 3 1 .258 Werber 3b 6 2 5 7 .341 Bejma rf 4 0 1 0 .292 Almada rf 5 0 0 1 .145 Burns 1b 4 1 3 0 .294 Johnson,R lf 5 1 2 1 .361 Pepper cf 4 0 1 1 .290 Graham cf 5 1 1 0 .188 Hemsley lf 4 0 3 0 .283 Ferrell,R c 4 1 1 0 .230 Melillo 2b 4 0 0 0 .226 Morgan 1b 4 3 2 1 .283 Grube c 4 0 0 0 .256 Lary ss 3 1 1 0 .226 Strange ss 4 0 0 0 .236 Hockette p 5 1 1 1 .200 Hadley p 0 0 0 0 .188 39 13 14 13 Walkup p 2 0 0 0 .000 Andrews p 1 0 0 0 .412 35 2 11 2 Red Sox INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Hockette W 1-0 9.0 11 2 2 0 2 112 80 2.00 9.0 11 2 2 0 2 112 80 Browns INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Hadley L 4-15 1.0 5 5 5 2 0 35 18 4.24 Walkup 5.0 4 2 2 2 5 72 40 3.60 Andrews 3.0 5 6 6 4 0 65 32 5.37 9.0 14 13 13 8 5 172 90 2B-Pepper(29), Hemsley 2(27). 3B-Werber 2(14), Johnson,R(10), Burns(10). HR-Werber(6), Johnson,R(6), Clift(14). RBI-Bishop 2(41), Werber 7(74), Almada(5), Johnson,R(108), Morgan(82), Hockette(1), Clift(61), Pepper(84). SB-Werber(31). K-Bishop, Almada, Graham, Ferrell,R, Lary, Burns, Andrews. BB-Bishop 4, Almada, Ferrell,R, Morgan, Lary. SH-Lary. GWRBI: Werber Temperature: 84, Field: wet, Sky: threatening, Wind: left to right at 1 MPH, Rain Delays: 24 minutes. Attendance: 324 Game Time: 2:24