ROE LOSES PERFECTO IN 10TH, GAME IN 12TH
Dodgers Fail to Score, Blackwell Nabs Win
BROOKLYN, N.Y., Aug. 30 (AP) - In one of the most difficult defeats suffered by
a starting pitcher this year, Preacher Roe was perfect through nine innings and
took a no-hitter into the 12th only to lose at the hand of Ewell Blackwell and
the Cininnati Reds, 3-0, at Ebbets Field.
Roe retired the first 28 batters he faced, before walking Connie Ryan with one
out in the top of the 10th. He then set down the next six batters in order
before yielding a solo home run to Blackwell with one out in the 12th. The
Reds went on to push across two more runs in the inning--both of them unearned
due to Roe's throwing error one what could have been an inning-ending double
play.
As good as Roe was--and he was sensational--Blackwell was every bit as effective
until he finally appeared to run out of gas in the bottom of the 12th.
Through 11 innings the Reds right-hander yielded only two hits and two
walks. The Dodgers never had more than one man on base in any frame and
never advanced a runner past second. Neither team ever came particularly
close to scoring until Cincinnati finally dented home plate in the 12th.
The Dodgers chance came in the the bottom of the 11th. Rube Walker led off
with a base on balls and was replaced at first by pinch runner Jim
Russell. Billy Cox tried to bunt for a hit but was thrown out at first and
was credited with a sacrifice. Roe--with the perfect game still
intact--rolled out to second with Russell taking third but Carl Furillo filed
routinely to right to end the inning.
The Reds came closest to a baserunner, prior to Ryan's walk, when Bobby Adams
flied out to deep right. Left fielder Don Thompson made a leaping grab,
right in front of the fence, to preserve the perfect game.
Everything fell apart for Roe in the 12th. Dixie Howell struck out but
Blackwell--perhaps the best hitting pitcher in all of baseball--drove Roe's
first pitch six or seven Roe's into the left field grandstand for his fourth
home run of the year. Adams immediately followed with a single to center
and Ryan walked on five pitches. Johnny Wyrostek tapped one right back to
the mound, but Roe's attempt to start the inning-ending double play flew over
the head of Pee Wee Reese and into center field. Adams scored, with Ryan
moving to third. Ted Kluszewski's fly ball to right then scored Ryan and
the Reds led 3-0.
Blackwell retired Reese to lead off the bottom of the 12th, but Duke Snider
flared a double down the left field line. That ended Blackwell's day; he
was replaced on the hill by Frank Smith who promptly fanned Jackie Robinson and
retired Gil Hodges on a ground ball to first to end the game.
The irony of the National League's best offensive unit being shut out for 12
innings, unable to win a game in which its starting pitcher fired nine perfect
innings escaped few observers.
8/30/1951, Cin51-Brk51, Ebbets Field 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 R H E LOB DP 1951 Reds 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 3 0 2 0 1951 Dodgers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 1 5 0 Reds AB R H BI AVG Dodgers AB R H BI AVG Adams 3b 5 1 1 0 .237 Furillo rf 5 0 2 0 .306 Ryan 2b 3 1 0 0 .236 Reese ss 5 0 0 0 .263 Wyrostek rf 5 0 0 0 .286 Snider cf 5 0 1 0 .306 Kluszewski 1b 5 0 0 1 .277 Robinson,J 2b 4 0 0 0 .362 Stallcup ss 5 0 1 0 .225 Hodges 1b 5 0 0 0 .244 Adcock lf 4 0 0 0 .281 Thompson,D lf 2 0 0 0 .204 Usher cf 4 0 0 0 .206 Pafko ph 1 0 0 0 .250 Howell c 4 0 0 0 .207 Walker,R c 3 0 0 0 .320 Blackwell p 4 1 1 1 .395 Russell pr 0 0 0 0 .000 Smith,F p 0 0 0 0 .000 Campanella c 0 0 0 0 .309 39 3 3 2 Cox 3b 3 0 0 0 .288 Roe p 4 0 0 0 .128 37 0 3 0 Reds INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Blackwell W 10-11 11.1 3 0 0 3 8 142 86 2.91 Smith,F S 10 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 10 7 4.20 12.0 3 0 0 3 9 152 93 Dodgers INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Roe L 18-5 12.0 3 3 1 2 3 127 87 2.46 12.0 3 3 1 2 3 127 87 Brk: Pafko batted for Thompson,D in the 10th Pafko moved to lf in the 11th Russell ran for Walker,R in the 11th Campanella inserted at c in the 12th E-Roe. 2B-Snider(30). HR-Blackwell(4). RBI-Kluszewski(86), Blackwell(10). SB-Robinson,J(20). CS-Furillo. K-Wyrostek, Howell 2, Reese, Robinson,J 2, Hodges, Walker,R, Cox 3, Roe. BB-Ryan 2, Robinson,J, Thompson,D, Walker,R. SH-Cox. GWRBI: Blackwell Temperature: 68, Sky: clear, Wind: in from left at 13 MPH. Attendance: 24,114 Game Time: 2:19