FELLER 1-HITS YANKS IN DOMINANT PERFORMANCE

Teams Combine for Only 4 Hits

 

CLEVELAND, June 25 (AP) – Bob Feller turned in what may be the most dominant performance in the major leagues this year, fanning 11 and tossing a one-hit complete game shutout as the Cleveland Indians defeated the New York Yankees 4-0 at League Park.  Feller yielded a single to Joe DiMaggio leading off the top of the second and never came close to surrendering another hit.  If anything, he became stronger as the game wore on, recording eight of his strikeouts over the contest’s final four innings, and retiring the final 10 batters he faced.

 

The Indians scored twice off Yankees starter Tommy Byrne in the bottom of the first inning, without the benefit of a hit.  George Case drew a leadoff walk and promptly stole second.  Frank Mackiewicz then drew another free pass, putting runners on first and second.  Les Fleming rolled into a fielder’s choice, with Mackiewicz being forced at second and leaving runners on the corners.  Pat Seerey then grounded to third baseman Billy Johnson, who threw home in an attempt to nab Case, who had broken for the plate on contact.  But the throw was late, and Johnson scored the game’s first run.  Lou Boudreau followed by drawing Byrne’s third free pass of the frame, loading the bases, and Ken Keltner followed with a fly ball to center that was deep enough to plate Fleming, making the score 2-0.

 

That’s where things stood until the eighth when Cleveland picked up some insurance.  Keltner led off the inning with a home run off reliever Al Gettel, and opposite field shot that cleared the wall in right.  Dutch Meyer drew a base on balls, then moved to second on Jim Hegan’s sacrifice bunt.  Feller grounded to second, with Meyer advancing to third, and Case followed by lining a double to left-center, scoring Meyer to give the Indians a 4-0 lead.

 

That was more than enough for Feller.  In addition to the DiMaggio single in the second, he issued two walks—to Tommy Henrich, leading off the fourth, and to Henrich again, with two outs in the sixth.  None of the New York baserunners ever advanced beyond first.

 

After DiMaggio’s base hit in the second, Feller retired six straight before issuing the first free pass to Henrich, then set down eight straight before walking Henrich again.  The final base on balls was followed by ten batters in a row retired to end the contest.

 

Feller has now fanned at least 10 batters in a game six times thus far this year, more than any other pitcher in either league.

 

 

6/25/1946, NYA46-Cle46, League Park

 

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

1946 Yankees           0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0     0  1  1     3  0

1946 Indians           2  0  0  0  0  0  0  2  x     4  3  0    10  0

 

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

Rizzuto           ss  4  0  0  0  .294    Case              lf  3  1  1  1  .248

Henrich           rf  2  0  0  0  .284    Mackiewicz        cf  4  0  0  0  .280

Keller            lf  4  0  0  0  .264    Fleming,L         1b  3  1  0  0  .290

DiMaggio,J        cf  3  0  1  0  .252    Seerey            rf  3  0  0  1  .258

Johnson,B         3b  3  0  0  0  .203    Boudreau          ss  2  0  1  0  .315

Lindell           1b  3  0  0  0  .213    Keltner           3b  2  1  1  2  .226

Gordon,J          2b  3  0  0  0  .237    Meyer,D           2b  3  1  0  0  .231

Robinson,A        c   3  0  0  0  .333    Hegan             c   3  0  0  0  .000

Byrne             p   2  0  0  0  .200    Feller            p   3  0  0  0  .094

 Gettel           p   1  0  0  0  .087                         26  4  3  4

                     28  0  1  0

 

Yankees                          INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Byrne            L 0-1           5.2  1  2  2  6  4 104  57  3.68

Gettel                           2.1  2  2  2  3  1  40  22  4.24

                                 8.0  3  4  4  9  5 144  79

 

Indians                          INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Feller           W 11-6          9.0  1  0  0  2 11 119  74  2.09

                                 9.0  1  0  0  2 11 119  74

 

E-Johnson,B. 2B-Case(10). HR-Keltner(9). RBI-Case(11), Seerey(18),

Keltner 2(42). SB-Case(11). K-Rizzuto, Henrich, Keller 3, Johnson,B,

Lindell 2, Gordon,J, Robinson,A, Byrne, Fleming,L 2, Meyer,D, Hegan, Feller.

BB-Henrich 2, Case, Mackiewicz, Fleming,L, Seerey, Boudreau 2, Keltner,

Meyer,D, Feller. SH-Case, Keltner, Hegan.

GWRBI: Seerey

Temperature: 77, Sky: partly cloudy, Wind: right to left at 11 MPH.

Attendance: 4,929

Game Time: 2:13