PHILS NEARLY BLOW 13-RUN LEAD, HOLD ON TO TOP BRAVES
Teams Combine for 37 Runs, 43 Hits
BOSTON, July 4 (AP) – In one of the wildest games ever played in major league history, the Philadelphia Phillies came within inches of blowing a 13-run lead, but held on in the end to defeat the Boston Braves 19-18 in the first game of a doubleheader at Braves Field. The two teams combined for 37 runs on 43 hits, both marks shattering previous season highs across the major leagues. The Phillies outhomered the Braves 4-0 and ran out to a massive lead of 14-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. They also led by 11 runs in the sixth inning. But the Braves kept chipping away and, at points in the final two frames, had the lead run on base before finally succumbing.
Incredibly, the score was 2-1 after two innings. The Phillies—who, somehow, never trailed in the contest—picked up an unearned run in the top of the first on a throwing error by Braves catcher Phil Masi, and added another run in the second when starting pitcher Oscar Judd singled home Andy Seminick. The Braves cut the deficit to a single run in the bottom of the second when Nanny Fernandez doubled home Tommy Holmes.
But the game appeared to be over in the third when, in the top of the inning, the Phillies scored 10 runs, driving Boston starter Ed Wright from the game. Philadelphia sent 15 men to the plate, and eight of the first nine of them reached base safely. Ron Northey hit the first of his two home runs, a two-run shot, and later singled home a third run. Emil Verban, Judd, Johnny Wrostek, and Jim Tabor all had run-scoring singles. Del Ennis drew a bases loaded walk.
In the top of the fourth, the Braves increased their already seemingly insurmountable lead to a staggering 14-1 when Northey doubled home Judd, who had singled, and Wyrostek scored on the play when Masi committed his second error of the contest by dropping a perfect relay throw to the plate.
It all seemed inconsequential, given the size of the lead, but the Braves made some noise in the bottom of the fourth, scoring five times, stringing six consecutive baserunners of their own together in the process. Holmes, Connie Ryan and pinch hitter Johnny Sain, Boston’s best pitcher, had the run-scoring hits. Even with the outburst, the Phillies led by eight.
In the top of the sixth, Philadelphia appeared to put the game away once and for all, tallying three more times. Northey ripped a three-run, two-out shot over the right field wall, his second home run of the game, to give his team a 17-6 lead.
The Braves got all three runs back in the bottom half of the inning, on four hits. All three runs scored—the third on an outfield misplay—on Billy Herman’s bases loaded two-bagger. And in the bottom of the seventh, Boston cut the Philadelphia lead to 17-11, when Fernandez walked, scored on Mike McCormick’s triple to right-center, and Herman’s second double of the contest plated McCormick.
The Phillies upped the advantage to seven in the top of the eighth when relief pitcher Dick Milligan improbably belted a home run to right-center.
But the Braves proved once and for all, in the bottom of the eighth, that they were never going to cry uncle. They scored six times. The first five batters of the inning reached safely; Ryan, the fourth man to hit in the inning, came to the plate with the bases loaded and drilled a double into the left field corner off Andy Karl, scoring two runs and leaving runners on second and third. It was now 18-13. Bama Rowell then came on as pinch hitter and singled to center, scoring both baserunners. The tying run was now in the on-deck circle. McCormick hit into a force play, for the first out, but Herman ripped his third double of the contest, chasing McCormick to third, bringing the tying run to the plate in the form of Johnny Hopp, who promptly singled to left, scoring both runners. It was now 18-17. Danny Litwhiler reached on an infield single, putting runners on first and second. That brought Masi to the plate and he grounded a single through the box and, in an incredible moment in a game filled with them, Philles center fielder Wyrostek gunned Litwhiler--the potential tying run--down at the plate. Charley Schanz replaced the ineffective Karl and retired Holmes, who grounded to second on the first pitch he saw.
The game wasn’t over; there was still a ninth inning to play, and Philadelphia third baseman Tabor proved it by drilling a one-out solo homer off Fred Barrett to give the Phillies an insurance run. They would need it.
Fernandez led off the bottom of the ninth was a base hit to center, bringing the tying run to the plate. Dick Culler grounded out, with Fernandez advancing to second and Rowell filed to left, leaving the Braves with only one out remaining. But pinch hitter Ray Sanders sliced a base hit to left, scoring Fernandez. The tying run was now on first base and the winning run was coming to the plate in the form of doubles machine Herman. Schenz complicated mattes by uncorking a wild pitch, moving the tying run into scoring position. On a 3-2 offering, Herman lifted a fly ball that Wyrostek caught to finally end the game. It remained to be seen if either club had any energy remaining with which to prosecute the nightcap.
Northey finished with a game for the ages: 5-for-5, with a home run and two doubles, a walk, three runs scored, seven RBIs and, for good measure, his first stolen base of the season. A total of eight players across the two teams had at least three hits.
The incredibly difficult loss was the ninth in a row for the Braves, the longest such streak in the National League thus far this season.
7/4/1946, PhN46-BoN46, game 1, Braves Field
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP
1946 Phillies 1 1 10 2 0 3 0 1 1 19 18 2 7 1
1946 Braves 0 1 0 5 0 3 2 6 1 18 25 2 11 0
Phillies AB R H BI AVG Braves AB R H BI AVG
Wyrostek cf 4 3 3 1 .262 McCormick,M cf 6 2 2 1 .233
Newsome ss 4 3 1 0 .290 Sanders ph 1 0 1 1 .247
Gilbert,C rf 0 0 0 0 .195 Herman,B 2b 7 2 3 3 .295
Northey rf 5 3 5 7 .219 Hopp 1b 5 0 1 3 .380
O'Neil ss 0 0 0 0 .359 Litwhiler,D lf 5 1 3 0 .309
McCormick,F 1b 4 2 0 0 .276 Barrett,F p 0 0 0 0 1.000
Ennis lf 5 1 1 1 .300 Masi c 6 2 4 0 .271
Tabor 3b 6 1 2 3 .324 Holmes rf 5 3 3 1 .301
Seminick c 5 2 1 0 .215 Fernandez ss 3 4 2 1 .237
Verban,E 2b 6 1 1 1 .272 Ryan 3b 5 2 3 3 .250
Judd p 4 2 3 3 .294 Culler pr 1 1 0 0 .219
Mulligan,D p 1 1 1 1 .333 Wright,E p 0 0 0 0 .229
Karl p 0 0 0 0 .000 Singleton p 1 0 0 0 .167
Schanz p 0 0 0 0 .000 Sain ph 1 0 1 2 .333
44 19 18 17 Johnson,S p 0 0 0 0 .214
Gillenwater ph 1 1 1 0 .309
Posedel p 1 0 0 0 .000
Rowell ph 2 0 1 2 .268
50 18 25 17
Phillies INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA
Judd W 7-3 5.0 10 8 8 3 4 83 47 4.44
Mulligan,D H 1 2.0 7 5 5 2 1 53 33 8.51
Karl 0.2 6 4 4 1 0 28 19 4.01
Schanz S 3 1.1 2 1 1 0 0 22 13 5.47
9.0 25 18 18 6 5 186 112
Braves INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA
Wright,E L 5-5 2.1 7 9 8 4 2 72 36 4.90
Singleton 1.2 6 5 4 2 0 50 25 5.12
Johnson,S 2.0 2 3 3 1 1 31 19 4.60
Posedel 2.0 2 1 1 1 1 33 19 3.68
Barrett,F 1.0 1 1 1 0 1 18 11 2.25
9.0 18 19 17 8 5 204 110
PhN: Gilbert,C inserted at rf in the 9th
O'Neil inserted at ss in the 9th
BoN: Sain batted for Singleton in the 4th
Gillenwater batted for Johnson,S in the 6th
Culler ran for Ryan in the 8th
Rowell batted for Posedel in the 8th
Fernandez moved to 3b in the 9th
Culler moved to ss in the 9th
Rowell moved to lf in the 9th
Sanders batted for McCormick,M in the 9th
E-Ennis, Verban,E, Masi 2. 2B-Wyrostek(11), Northey(9), Herman,B 3(17),
Fernandez(3), Ryan(14), Sain(2). 3B-McCormick,M(2). HR-Northey 2(7),
Tabor(6), Mulligan,D(1). RBI-Wyrostek(24), Northey 7(32), Ennis(42),
Tabor 3(26), Verban,E(19), Judd 3(5), Mulligan,D(3), McCormick,M(15),
Herman,B 3(26), Hopp 3(24), Holmes(38), Fernandez(11), Ryan 3(24), Sain 2(5),
Rowell 2(12), Sanders(35). SB-Northey(1), McCormick,F(1). K-Newsome,
McCormick,F, Ennis 2, Judd, McCormick,M, Hopp, Litwhiler,D, Masi, Holmes.
BB-Wyrostek 2, Newsome, Northey, McCormick,F 2, Ennis, Seminick, Hopp,
Litwhiler,D, Holmes, Fernandez 3. SH-Newsome. WP-Schanz.
Temperature: 92, Sky: clear, Wind: out to right at 16 MPH.
Attendance: N/A
Game Time: 3:16