BRANCA LOSES NO-HITTER, BUT WINS GAME
Bucs' Friend Fires CG 3-Hitter in Loss
BROOKLYN, N.Y., June 10 (AP) - In what may have been the pitching duel of the
year, Ralph Branca got the better of Bob Friend as the Dodgers eked past the
Pittsburgh Pirates, 1-0, in the first game of a doubleheader at Ebbets
Field. Branca took a no-hitter into the ninth inning, but Clyde
McCullough's leadoff single ended the right-hander's bid for a piece of
history. Branca then weathered a Pirates threat, finishing with a two-hit
shutout.
The outcome of the game was in doubt throughout because Pirates starter Bill
Friend, who had been having a very difficult season to date, pitched by far his
best game of the year. Friend held the Dodgers to just three hits--two of
them off the bat of Roy Campanella--in eight innings, but surrendered a single
run in the third.
In that third inning, Campanella led off with a triple off the right-center
field fence. Billy Cox's roller to third was booted by Wally Westlake,
allowing Campanella to score. Branca sacrificed Cox to second but Friend
retired Gene Hermanski on a routine fly ball to right field and Pee Wee Reese on
strikes to end the frame.
Campanella doubled to left with one out in the fifth, but Cox and Branca both
grounded out.
Branca, meanwhile, was rolling right along. He took a perfect game into
the eighth inning--retiring the first 21 Pirates he faced--but walked Ralph
Kiner to open the frame. George Strickland was brought in to run for Kiner
but he never moved off first base. Gus Bell and Westlake both flied out to
right and Pete Castiglione bounced out to Jackie Robinson at second.
Friend was every bit as a effective. After the Campanella double in the
fifth the Pittsburgh right-hander retired eight of nine, allowing only a
meaningless walk one-out walk to Reese in the sixth. But Cox led off the
bottom of the eighth with a walk. Branca laid down a perfect bunt,
sacrificing Cox to second with one out. But Hermanski tapped a ball back
to Friend for the second out and Reese fanned for the second time in the game.
After McCullough broke up Branca's no-hitter to start the top of the ninth, Pete
Reiser pinch hit for Friend and flied to defensive replacement Don Thompson in
left. Erv Dusak pinch hit for Hank Schenz and struck out but Catfish
Metkovich rifled a double off the Gem Blades sign in right. Carl Furillo
played the ball expertly and McCullough had to be held at third. The
Pirates, at this point, lamented the fact that they didn't have a speedy runner
remaining on their bench to use as a pinch-runner; it may have cost them the
game. Branca then stiffened and retired Rocky Nelson on a routine ground
ball to Reese to end the game.
6/10/1951, Pit51-Brk51, game 1, Ebbets Field 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1951 Pirates 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 3 0 1951 Dodgers 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 x 1 3 0 4 0 Pirates AB R H BI AVG Dodgers AB R H BI AVG Schenz 2b 3 0 0 0 .163 Hermanski lf 4 0 0 0 .164 Dusak ph 1 0 0 0 .333 Miksis 3b 0 0 0 0 .111 Metkovich cf 4 0 1 0 .284 Reese ss 3 0 0 0 .217 Nelson lf 4 0 0 0 .207 Snider cf 3 0 0 0 .309 Kiner 1b 2 0 0 0 .277 Robinson,J 2b 3 0 0 0 .328 Strickland pr 0 0 0 0 .229 Hodges 1b 2 0 0 0 .218 Bell rf 3 0 0 0 .304 Furillo rf 3 0 0 0 .310 Westlake 3b 3 0 0 0 .321 Campanella c 3 1 2 0 .336 Castiglione ss 3 0 0 0 .291 Cox 3b 3 0 1 1 .273 McCullough c 3 0 1 0 .274 Thompson,D lf 0 0 0 0 .091 Friend p 2 0 0 0 .000 Branca p 1 0 0 0 .071 Reiser ph 1 0 0 0 .316 25 1 3 1 29 0 2 0 Pirates INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Friend L 2-2 8.0 3 1 1 2 3 107 66 5.66 8.0 3 1 1 2 3 107 66 Dodgers INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Branca W 6-0 9.0 2 0 0 1 3 102 64 2.10 9.0 2 0 0 1 3 102 64 Pit: Strickland ran for Kiner in the 8th Nelson moved to 1b in the 8th Strickland moved to ss in the 8th Westlake moved to lf in the 8th Castiglione moved to 3b in the 8th Reiser batted for Friend in the 9th Dusak batted for Schenz in the 9th Brk: Miksis inserted at 3b in the 9th Thompson,D inserted at lf in the 9th E-Westlake. 2B-Metkovich(10), Campanella(13). 3B-Campanella(3). RBI-Cox(17). SB-Reese(5). CS-Hodges. K-Schenz, Friend, Dusak, Reese 2, Snider. BB-Kiner, Reese, Hodges. SH-Branca 2. GWRBI: Cox Temperature: 72, Sky: clear, Wind: right to left at 9 MPH. Attendance: N/A Game Time: 1:50