PESKY AMASSES 7 HITS, YORK HITS SLAM & FOR CYCLE
5-Run 16th Gives BoSox 4th Straight ‘W’
PHILADELPHIA, July 5 (AP) – Johnny Pesky set a new major league season high with seven hits in a game and Rudy York hit for the cycle, including his second grand slam in the span of a week, as the Boston Red Sox won their fourth consecutive game on the strength of a five-run top of the 16th inning, defeating the Philadelphia Athletics 12-7 at Shibe Park. On a scorching hot day, the two teams slogged their way through a four hour and 51 minute marathon, 45 minutes longer than the next most extenuated game of the major league season. Few of the 8,744 that had been in attendance made it to the final out.
The Red Sox overcame a 7-1 deficit after five innings, drawing to within one run in the seventh on York’s slam and finally tying the contest in the top of the eighth. Both teams had numerous chances to break the tie before Boston blew the game open in the 16th, as evidenced by the combined 39 runners left on base. The clubs combined for 45 hits, a new single game high in the majors this season, and for 20 bases on balls.
For all the offensive fireworks, it was the Red Sox bullpen that emerged as the collective unsung hero of the contest; Bill Butland, Earl Johnson, Bob Klinger and Mike Ryba combined to toss 11 2/3 scoreless innings.
Pesky finished the game 7-for-9, with a double, six singles and three runs scored. York became the first big leaguer this season to hit for the cycle when he tripled during Boston’s 16-inning rally. He finished 4-for-7, with three runs scored, seven runs batted in and a pair of walks. Rip Russell finished with four hits, including three doubles, and drove in a pair of runs. Ted Williams reached base safely six times in nine plate appearances, including a pair of hits, including a solo home run in the second, four walks and three runs scored.
Jack Wallasea of the A’s finished with three hits, including a three-run home run, and five RBIs. Sam Chapman and Pete Suder both added four hits for Philadelphia, with Chapman socking his 17th home run of the season in the bottom of the first, a two-run shot. Williams countered with a solo homer in the top of the second and the A’s led 2-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
Wallaea’s three-run homer in the fourth gave Philadelphia a 5-1 lead, and his two-run double in the fifth put the A’s ahead 7-1.
The Boston comeback began in the sixth, with Russell’s RBI double and really gained traction in the seventh. Pesky led off with a single and back-to-back walks to Dom DiMaggio and Wiliams loaded the bases, bringing York to the plate. He wasted no time, driving an opposite field home run off the light station in right field for a grand slam. It had been only six days since York cracked a third inning slam off Walt Masterson of the Washington Senators. DiMaggio’s double in the eighth scored Pesky, who had singled, to tie the game at seven. The Red Sox loaded the bases with one out, but Russell bounced into a double play to end the inning.
The A’s got the potential winning run to third with one out in the 11th, but Wallasea flied to shallow center and Jesse Flores struck out. The Red Sox had runners on second and third and one out in the 13th. Hal Wagner was walked intentionally to load the bases and Pinky Higgins hit into a twin killing to end the inning. In the top of the 14th, Klinger singled and was sacrificed to second by Leon Culberson. Pesky followed with a single to center, but Barney McCoskey gunned Klinger down at the plate.
Finally, in the top of the 16th, the Red Sox broke through. George Metkovich pinch hit for Klinger leading off and singled. Culberson sacrificed Metkovich to second and Pesky rapped out his seventh hit of the game, singling to right, with Metkovich holding at third. With the infield playing in double play depth up the middle and the corners in, DiMaggio grounded to Wallasea at short, who kicked the potential double play ball for his third error of the contest. Metkovich scored, finally breaking the deadlock that had stood since the eighth inning. Williams then reached on an infield single, loading the bases and York ripped a triple into the right field corner, clearing the bases and putting Boston top by four runs. Russell followed with his third two-bagger of the contest, scoring York, with Russell thrown out at third. The Red Sox took a 12-7 lead into the bottom of the 16th.
Ryba came on and pitched around a single and a walk to close out the game.
The Red Sox have won 14 of their last 17 games and have beaten the A’s in nine of 10 head-to-head contests thus far this year.
7/5/1946, BoA46-PhA46, Shibe Park (A)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
1946 Red Sox 0 1 0 0 0 1 4 1 0 0 0 0
1946 Athletics 2 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 14 15 16 R H E LOB DP
1946 Red Sox 0 0 0 5 12 25 0 22 4
1946 Athletics 0 0 0 0 7 20 4 17 3
Red Sox AB R H BI AVG Athletics AB R H BI AVG
Culberson rf 8 0 2 0 .288 Valo rf 5 0 2 0 .336
Pesky ss 9 3 7 0 .350 McCosky,B cf 5 0 2 0 .313
DiMaggio,D cf 8 2 1 2 .206 McQuinn 1b 4 1 0 0 .239
Williams,T lf 5 3 2 1 .311 Hall ph 1 0 0 0 .195
Ryba p 0 0 0 0 .000 Chapman,S lf 8 1 4 2 .323
York 1b 7 3 4 7 .324 Rosar c 8 1 2 0 .280
Russell,R 3b 8 0 4 2 .247 Majeski,H 3b 5 2 2 0 .219
Wagner,H c 6 0 2 0 .225 Handley,G ph 2 0 1 0 .254
Carey 2b 4 0 0 0 .000 Suder 2b 8 1 4 0 .302
Higgins,P ph 4 0 1 0 .247 Wallaesa ss 7 1 3 5 .214
Dobson p 2 0 0 0 .071 Fowler p 4 0 0 0 .140
Butland p 2 0 0 0 .000 Christopher p 0 0 0 0 .091
Johnson,E p 2 0 0 0 .091 Armstrong ph 1 0 0 0 .000
Klinger p 1 0 1 0 .222 Flores p 2 0 0 0 .364
Metkovich ph 1 1 1 0 .253 Griffeth p 0 0 0 0 .000
67 12 25 12 Stainback ph 1 0 0 0 .237
61 7 20 7
Red Sox INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA
Dobson 4.1 11 7 7 2 2 93 57 3.67
Butland 2.1 3 0 0 2 2 47 31 10.57
Johnson,E 4.2 5 0 0 2 4 81 46 4.70
Klinger W 2-0 3.2 0 0 0 2 0 47 26 1.63
Ryba 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 21 13 6.75
16.0 20 7 7 9 8 289 173
Athletics INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA
Fowler 7.1 12 7 7 5 5 153 91 2.68
Christopher 2.2 2 0 0 1 1 33 22 3.95
Flores L 1-5 5.2 11 5 4 5 2 108 59 2.32
Griffeth 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 5 2 4.50
16.0 25 12 11 11 8 299 174
BoA: Higgins,P batted for Carey in the 9th
Russell,R moved to 2b in the 9th
Higgins,P moved to 3b in the 9th
Metkovich batted for Klinger in the 16th
Metkovich moved to lf in the 16th
PhA: Armstrong batted for Christopher in the 10th
Handley,G batted for Majeski,H in the 11th
Handley,G moved to 3b in the 12th
Hall batted for McQuinn in the 12th
Hall moved to 2b in the 13th
Suder moved to 1b in the 13th
Stainback batted for Griffeth in the 16th
E-Valo, Wallaesa 3. 2B-Pesky(22), DiMaggio,D(8), York(18), Russell,R 3(5),
Wallaesa(2). 3B-York(3). HR-Williams,T(20), York(9), Chapman,S(17),
Wallaesa(4). RBI-DiMaggio,D 2(29), Williams,T(55), York 7(56),
Russell,R 2(12), Chapman,S 2(54), Wallaesa 5(13). CS-Valo. K-Culberson 2,
DiMaggio,D, York 2, Russell,R, Carey 2, McCosky,B, McQuinn, Chapman,S,
Majeski,H, Suder, Fowler, Armstrong, Flores. BB-DiMaggio,D, Williams,T 4,
York 2, Wagner,H 3, Higgins,P, Valo 3, McCosky,B 2, McQuinn 2, Wallaesa,
Hall. SH-Culberson 2, Russell,R, McCosky,B, Handley,G. HBP-Metkovich.
HB-Griffeth. WP-Butland, Ryba.
GWRBI: DiMaggio,D
Temperature: 104, Sky: partly cloudy, Wind: left to right at 7 MPH.
Attendance: 8,744
Game Time: 4:51