PAGE FIRES YANKS’ 2^ND NO-HITTER OF SEASON

Keller Extends HR Streak to 4 With Pair of Blasts

NEW YORK, June 9 (AP) – Joe Page tossed a no-hitter, as the New York Yankees defeated the Cleveland Indians 6-0 in the first game of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium.  Page becomes the second Yankees starter to throw a no-hitter this year; Spud Chandler fired a no-hit, no-run game against the Washington Senators at Yankee Stadium on April 21.

Tommy Henrich cracked a three-run homer and Charlie Keller belted a pair of solo shots for New York, extending his home run streak to a major league season best four consecutive games.  Keller is a virtual lock for American League Player of the Week honors.  With the second game of the doubleheader still to be played, Keller is batting .500 for the week beginning June 3, with six home runs.

The Yankees took the lead for good in the bottom of the second.  Joe Gordon led off with a triple to left-center against Cleveland starter Don Black.  Aaron Robinson walked and Phil Rizzuto’s fly to center scored Gordon with the game’s first run.  Keller’s first home run of the game, with one out in the bottom of the seventh, gave New York a 2-0 advantage.

The Yankees broke the game open with four unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth.  Robinson walked leading off, and, one out later, Page sacrificed Robinson to second.  Snuffy Stirnweiss reached when third baseman Ken Keltner booted his grounder.  Instead of ending the inning, the Yankees had runners on the corners and Henrich coming up.  Henrich picked on a first pitch fastball from reliever Tom Herrick and deposited it into the upper deck in right field for a three-run home run and a 5-0 lead.  Keller followed with his second solo home run of the game to make the score 6-0.

Page was in firm control throughout the game.  He retired 10 in a row before walking Stirnweiss with one out in the fourth.  Page then retired the next 10 Cleveland hitters, before Pat Serrey drew a free pass with two outs in the sixth.  Lou Boudreau grounded out to end the inning.

The closest the Indians came to a hit was when Ray Mack batted with two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the eighth.  He lifted a 1-0 offering to deep center, but Joe DiMaggio got a great jump and ran the ball down.

In the top of the ninth, Page opened the inning by issuing his third walk of the contest, putting pinch hitter Buster Mills on first.  George Case then lined softly to first baseman Nick Etten for the first out.  That brought Felix Mackiewicz to the plate and, on the very first pitch, he grounded to Stirnweiss at third.  That started an around-the-horn double play, ending the game.

It was the third no-hitter of the major league season thus far.  In addition to Chandler, Ewell Blackwell of the Cincinnati Reds tossed a no-hitter, on May 3 against the Philadelphia Phillies at Crosley Field.

6/9/1946, Cle46-NYA46, game 1, Yankee Stadium

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

1946 Indians           0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0     0  0  1     2  0

1946 Yankees           0  1  0  0  0  0  1  4  x     6 12  0    10  1

Indians              AB  R  H BI   AVG    Yankees              AB  R  H BI   AVG

Case              lf  4  0  0  0  .243    Stirnweiss        3b  5  1  0  0  .283

Mackiewicz        cf  3  0  0  0  .277    Henrich           rf  5  1  2  3  .270

Fleming,L         1b  3  0  0  0  .250     Lindell          rf  0  0  0  0  .196

Seerey            rf  2  0  0  0  .244    Keller            lf  3  2  3  2  .268

Boudreau          ss  3  0  0  0  .318    DiMaggio,J        cf  5  0  2  0  .262

Keltner           3b  3  0  0  0  .231    Etten             1b  4  0  0  0  .271

Lollar            c   3  0  0  0  .208    Gordon,J          2b  4  1  1  0  .246

Mack              2b  3  0  0  0  .208    Robinson,A        c   2  0  1  0  .426

Black             p   2  0  0  0  .000    Rizzuto           ss  4  0  1  1  .308

 Ferrick,T        p   0  0  0  0  .000    Page              p   2  1  2  0  .318

 Mills            ph  0  0  0  0  .412                         34  6 12  6

                     26  0  0  0

Indians                          INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Black            L 1-1           6.2  8  2  2  4  3 112  69  2.00

Ferrick,T                        1.1  4  4  0  0  1  22  15  5.06

                                 8.0 12  6  2  4  4 134  84

Yankees                          INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Page             W 6-2           9.0  0  0  0  3  6 120  69  1.44

                                 9.0  0  0  0  3  6 120  69

Cle: Mills batted for Ferrick,T in the 9th

NYA: Lindell inserted at rf in the 9th

E-Keltner. 2B-Henrich(9). 3B-Gordon,J(1). HR-Henrich(9), Keller 2(12).

RBI-Henrich 3(25), Keller 2(43), Rizzuto(17). SB-Mackiewicz(1). CS-Rizzuto.

K-Case, Fleming,L 2, Lollar, Mack, Black, Henrich, Gordon,J 2, Rizzuto.

BB-Mackiewicz, Seerey, Mills, Keller 2, Robinson,A 2. SH-Page 2.

GWRBI: Rizzuto

Temperature: 78, Sky: clear, Wind: out to left at 10 MPH.

Attendance: N/A

Game Time: 2:11