BLACKWELL NO-HITS PHILS

Reds Win 3 of Last 4

CINCINNATI, May 3 (AP) – Ewell Blackwell became the first National League hurler to toss a complete game no-hitter, leading the Cincinnati Reds past the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0 at Crosley Field.  The Reds scored just enough to take the pressure off Blackwell, pushing across two runs in the fourth and adding an insurance run in the fifth.  Blackwell did walk four batters and found himself in the middle of one jam, when the Phillies loaded the bases with one out in the top of the sixth before a double play ball allowed him to escape damage.

The clubs traded scoreless frames until the bottom of the fourth inning.  Mike McCormick drew a one-out free pass from Phillies starter Al Jurisich, and Grady Hatton’s base hit left runners on the corners.  A wild pitch on ball four to Al Libke allowed McCormick to score the game’s first run and left runners on second and third.  Max West’s slow roller to third plated Hatton to give the Reds a 2-0 lead, and Eddie Miller grounded out to end the inning.

Cincinnati added a run in the fifth.  Bert Haas led off the frame with a double and advanced to third on Ray Mueller’s sacrifice.  Blackwell popped to second, but Lonny Frey drew a walk and McCormick reached on an infield single, scoring Haas with the third Reds run.

Blackwell took his no-hitter into the top of the sixth, but it nearly unraveled when he lost command of the strike zone.  After retiring Emil Verban on a routine ground ball to open the inning, he walked Jurisich, the opposing pitcher.  Two more consecutive walks, to Skeeter Newsome and Johnny Wyrostek followed, loading the bases and bringing Del Ennis to the plate.  Things appeared bleak when Blackwell fell behind Ennis 2-0, but on the very next pitch Ennis slapped a double play grounder to shortstop Eddie Miller.  The Reds infield completed the twin killing and the threat was snuffed out, just like that.

The weight of the world seemed lifted from Blackwell’s shoulders.  The double play was the first in a string of 10 consecutive batters retired to end the game, as Blackwell cruised through the Philadelphia order en route to completing the no-hitter.

5/3/1946, PhN46-Cin46, Crosley Field

                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP

1946 Phillies          0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0     0  0  1     3  0

1946 Reds              0  0  0  2  1  0  0  0  x     3  6  1     7  2

Phillies             AB  R  H BI   AVG    Reds                 AB  R  H BI   AVG

Newsome           ss  3  0  0  0  .392    Frey              2b  3  0  0  0  .179

Wyrostek          cf  2  0  0  0  .250    McCormick,M       cf  3  1  1  1  .211

Ennis             lf  4  0  0  0  .350    Hatton            3b  4  1  1  0  .319

McCormick,F       1b  3  0  0  0  .267    Libke             rf  2  0  1  0  .217

Northey           rf  3  0  0  0  .255     Clay             lf  0  0  0  0  .111

Hughes,R          3b  3  0  0  0  .000    West,M            lf  3  0  0  1  .097

Hemsley           c   3  0  0  0  .257     Lamanno          ph  1  0  0  0  .000

Verban,E          2b  3  0  0  0  .000     Usher            rf  0  0  0  0  .333

Jurisich          p   1  0  0  0  .000    Miller,E          ss  3  0  0  0  .261

 Crawford         ph  1  0  0  0  .000    Haas              1b  4  1  1  0  .283

 Hoerst           p   0  0  0  0  .000    Mueller           c   2  0  1  0  .146

                     26  0  0  0          Blackwell         p   3  0  1  0  .167

                                                               28  3  6  2

Phillies                         INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Jurisich         L 1-2           7.0  5  3  3  4  4 106  60  3.27

Hoerst                           1.0  1  0  0  0  0   6   4  3.94

                                 8.0  6  3  3  4  4 112  64

Reds                             INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Blackwell        W 1-1           9.0  0  0  0  4  3 109  67  2.18

                                 9.0  0  0  0  4  3 109  67

PhN: Crawford batted for Jurisich in the 8th

Cin: Lamanno batted for West,M in the 8th

     Clay inserted at lf in the 9th

     Usher inserted at rf in the 9th

E-Verban,E, Haas. 2B-Libke(3), Haas(2), Mueller(2). RBI-McCormick,M(1),

West,M(4). K-Newsome, Hemsley, Jurisich, Frey, McCormick,M 2, Miller,E.

BB-Newsome, Wyrostek 2, Jurisich, Frey, McCormick,M, Libke 2. SH-Miller,E,

Mueller. WP-Jurisich.

Temperature: 62, Sky: clear, Wind: left to right at 12 MPH.

Attendance: 10,870

Game Time: 1:51