DODGERS BULLPEN MELTDOWN SECURES GIANTS WIN
N.Y. Within 5 1/2 Games of Lead
BROOKLYN, N.Y., Aug. 9 (AP) - The New York Giants scored six runs in the final
two innings, completing a 6-2 comeback victory over the first place Brooklyn
Dodgers at Ebbets Field. The win pulled the Giants to within 5 1/2 of the
National League lead.
The Dodgers drew first blood in the first inning when, with two outs, Duke
Snider doubled and Jackie Robinson drove him home with a single to center field.
Brooklyn extended its lead to 2-0 in the fifth off Giants starter Larry Jansen
on Billy Cox's leadoff home run.
Dodgers starter Ralph Branca, meanwhile, was holding New York at bay.
Branca pitched out of a bases loaded one out situation in the first by inducing
Whitey Lockman to bounce into an inning ending double play.
After that, Giants threats were few and far between until the eighth inning when
Branca tired. With one out, Alvin Dark walked and Don Mueller singled to
put runners at first and second. Monte Irvin then flied to the warning
track in center field for the second out, with Dark advancing to third.
Branca walked Whitey Lockman on four pitches to fill the bases and then issued
another four-pitch base on balls to Willie Mays to force in a run. That
spelled the end of Branca's afternoon and he was replaced by Clyde King who
struck out Bobby Thomson to end the inning and preserve the lead--for the
moment.
Jansen retired the Dodgers in order in the bottom of the eighth and King
returned to the mound to try to finish off the win. It wasn't to be.
Wes Westrum led off the inning with a walk and was replaced by pinch hitter Hank
Schenz. Hank Thompson was called up on to hit for Jansen and, after a wild
pitch moved the tying run to second base, Thompson walked to put the potential
go-ahead run on base. King then walked Eddie Stanky on a 3-2 pitch,
filling the bases with no outs. Dark followed with a single to
left-center, scoring Schenz and Thompson to give the Giants a 3-2 lead and
advancing Dark to third. Don Mueller then broke the game wide open by
driving a 2-2 offering into the left field stands for a three-run home run and a
6-2 Giants lead. King was replaced by Irv Palica who mopped up the inning,
but the Dodgers were now on the short end of a four-run game.
George Spencer was on the mound for the Giants in the bottom of the ninth and
held the Dodgers scoreless to end the contest.
New York has posted a 26-11 record since July 1 and the 5 1/2 game deficit the
Giants currently face is the smallest since mid-May.
8/9/1951, NYN51-Brk51, Ebbets Field 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1951 Giants 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 6 9 0 10 0 1951 Dodgers 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 7 0 7 2 Giants AB R H BI AVG Dodgers AB R H BI AVG Williams,Da 2b 3 0 2 0 .200 Furillo rf 4 0 2 0 .306 Rapp ph 1 0 0 0 .000 Reese ss 3 0 0 0 .247 Stanky 2b 0 1 0 0 .258 Snider cf 4 1 1 0 .299 Dark ss 4 2 2 2 .274 Robinson,J 2b 4 0 1 1 .359 Mueller,D rf 5 1 2 3 .283 Pafko lf 4 0 1 0 .245 Irvin lf 4 0 1 0 .309 Campanella c 4 0 1 0 .328 Lockman 1b 3 0 2 0 .252 Hodges 1b 2 0 0 0 .241 Mays cf 4 0 0 1 .288 Cox 3b 4 1 1 1 .290 Thomson 3b 4 0 0 0 .258 Branca p 3 0 0 0 .224 Westrum c 3 0 0 0 .203 King p 0 0 0 0 .091 Schenz pr 0 1 0 0 .242 Palica p 0 0 0 0 .313 Noble c 0 0 0 0 .239 Walker,R ph 1 0 0 0 .311 Jansen p 2 0 0 0 .203 33 2 7 2 Thompson,H ph 0 1 0 0 .239 Spencer p 0 0 0 0 .077 33 6 9 6 Giants INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Jansen W 16-4 8.0 7 2 2 2 1 96 62 2.52 Spencer 1.0 0 0 0 1 0 11 4 6.68 9.0 7 2 2 3 1 107 66 Dodgers INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Branca 7.2 6 1 1 5 5 133 80 3.41 King BS 1, L 4-6 0.1 2 5 5 3 1 29 13 4.48 Palica 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 20 10 4.78 9.0 9 6 6 9 6 182 103 NYN: Rapp batted for Williams,Da in the 8th Stanky inserted at 2b in the 8th Schenz ran for Westrum in the 9th Thompson,H batted for Jansen in the 9th Noble inserted at c in the 9th Brk: Walker,R batted for Palica in the 9th 2B-Lockman(16), Furillo 2(25), Snider(23), Pafko(6). HR-Mueller,D(11), Cox(8). RBI-Dark 2(52), Mueller,D 3(46), Mays(55), Robinson,J(60), Cox(38). CS-Robinson,J. K-Dark, Mays, Thomson, Westrum, Jansen 2, Campanella. BB-Dark, Irvin, Lockman 2, Mays, Thomson, Westrum, Stanky, Thompson,H, Reese, Hodges 2. SH-Jansen. WP-King. GWRBI: Dark Temperature: 82, Sky: threatening, Wind: in from left at 4 MPH, Rain Delays: 65 minutes. Attendance: 31,798 Game Time: 2:23