BRAVES OUTLAST GIANTS IN 15 INNINGS

Lee, Kennedy Toss 13 IP

NEW YORK, Apr. 25 (AP) – Lefty Wallace singled home the game-winning run in the top of the 15^th inning and also was credited with the victory in relief as the Boston Braves defeated the New York Giants 2-1 in 15 innings at the Polo Grounds.  Starters Bill Lee of the Braves and Monte Kennedy of the Giants each tossed 13 innings, allowing only one run apiece, but neither pitcher was involved in the decision.

Oddly, all three of the game’s runs were driven home by pitchers.

Neither club scored until the fifth inning.  In the top of the frame, Boston’s Skippy Roberge led off with a triple off of Kennedy and scored two batters later on Lee’s fly to left, putting the Braves on top 1-0. 

In the bottom of the fifth, Sid Gordon led off with a double against Lee, advanced to third on Buddy Kerr’s sacrifice and scored on Kennedy’s two-bagger.  After Bill Rigney fanned, Mickey Witek lined a two-out single to left, but Bama Rowell gunned down Kennedy at the plate to end the inning with the score tied at one.

And there things stood for a long, long time.  Kennedy simply cuffed the Braves for the duration of his outing.  A string of 11 consecutive batters retired was interrupted in the eighth when Connie Ryan reached on second baseman Witek’s error.  But Ryan was immediately cut down at second on a stolen base attempt.  The next 11 Boston batters were set down in order, until Ray Sanders singled with two outs in the top of the 12^th.  Rowell followed with a routine grounder to short for the third out of the inning.

It was a similar experience for Kennedy.  He retired eight consecutive New York hitters until Witek reached on first baseman Sanders’ miscue with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Willard Marshall’s fielder’s choice grounder ended that inning and the Giants didn’t manage another baserunner until Kennedy singled with two outs in the bottom of the 10^th.  The next seven New York batters were retired, taking the game through the 12^th inning.

In the top of the 13^th, Lee pitched around Phil Masi’s leadoff base hit.  But in the bottom of the 13^th, the Giants sent Johnny Rucker to the plate to pinch hit for Kennedy.  Rucker delivered a base hit, and was replaced on first by pinch runner Buster Maynard, but New York couldn’t advance the runner.

Ken Trinkle took over on the mound for the Giants and retired Boston in order in the top of the 14^th.  In the bottom of the inning, Wallce took over for Lee and immediately walked Marshall, but erased him just as quickly when Johnny Mize lined into a double play.  Walker Cooper grounded out to end the inning.

In the 15^th, the Braves finally broke through.  Rowell bounced a leadoff single through the box and advanced to second on Trinkle’s wild pitch.  Masi grounded to first, with Rowell taking third.  The Giants brought the infield in and Roberge grounded to second, with Rowell holding.  Whitey Wietelmann was walked intentionally, but Wallace foiled the strategy by dumping a single down the left field line, scoring Rowell to give Boston a 2-1 lead.

Wallace then retired New York in order in the bottom of the 15^th to secure the victory.

Hits were few and far between in the game.  The two clubs combined to go 14-for-101 overall.

4/25/1946, BoN46-NYN46, Polo Grounds

                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12

1946 Braves            0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0

1946 Giants            0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0

                      13 14 15     R  H  E   LOB DP

1946 Braves            0  0  1     2  7  2     8  1

1946 Giants            0  0  0     1  7  1     7  1

Braves               AB  R  H BI   AVG    Giants               AB  R  H BI   AVG

Ryan              2b  6  0  0  0  .214    Rigney,B          ss  6  0  1  0  .122

Hopp              cf  5  0  0  0  .412    Witek             2b  6  0  1  0  .231

Holmes            rf  6  0  1  0  .314    Marshall,W        rf  5  0  0  0  .233

Sanders           1b  6  0  1  0  .375    Mize              1b  6  0  0  0  .387

Rowell            lf  6  1  1  0  .256    Cooper,W          c   6  0  0  0  .296

Masi              c   6  0  1  0  .188    Young             cf  5  0  0  0  .258

Roberge           3b  5  1  1  0  .222    Gordon,S          lf  6  1  2  0  .438

Wietelmann        ss  5  0  1  0  .111    Kerr              3b  5  0  0  0  .206

Lee,B             p   5  0  0  1  .125    Kennedy,M         p   4  0  2  1  .400

 Wallace          p   1  0  1  1  .333     Rucker           ph  1  0  1  0  .400

                     51  2  7  2           Maynard          pr  0  0  0  0  .000

                                           Trinkle          p   0  0  0  0  .000

                                                               50  1  7  1

Braves                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Lee,B                           13.0  7  1  1  1  3 168 105  0.48

Wallace          W 1-1           2.0  0  0  0  1  1  20  11  4.15

                                15.0  7  1  1  2  4 188 116

Giants                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Kennedy,M                       13.0  4  1  1  3  5 182 109  1.62

Trinkle          L 0-1           2.0  3  1  1  1  1  38  20  4.26

                                15.0  7  2  2  4  6 220 129

NYN: Rucker batted for Kennedy,M in the 13th

     Maynard ran for Rucker in the 13th

E-Sanders, Masi, Witek. 2B-Gordon,S(2), Kennedy,M(1). 3B-Roberge(1).

RBI-Lee,B(1), Wallace(1), Kennedy,M(1). CS-Ryan, Rigney,B. K-Sanders 2, Masi,

Wietelmann 2, Lee,B, Rigney,B, Cooper,W, Young, Kerr. BB-Ryan, Hopp, Roberge,

Wietelmann, Marshall,W, Young. SH-Kerr. WP-Trinkle.

GWRBI: Wallace

Temperature: 56, Sky: threatening, Wind: in from center at 9 MPH.

Attendance: 9,524

Game Time: 3:15