KUZAVA, YANKS WIN 4TH STRAIGHT
Close to Within 2 1/2 of Idle Tribe
NEW YORK, Sept. 26 (AP) - Bob Kuzava tossed a five-hit complete game shutout,
leading the Yankees past the Philadelphia Athletics, 1-0 at Yankee
Stadium. The victory was the fourth in a row and moved New York to within
2 1/2 games of the idle Cleveland Indians in the chase for the American League
pennant.
Kuzava, who had largely struggled since being acquired in a trade with
Washington in mid-June, battled control issues (six bases on balls) throughout,
but had the A's off-stride all game long. Philadelphia starter Bobby
Shantz (10-10) was, arguably, even more impressive than Kuzava, but lost despite
allowing only one run on four hits and one free pass.
The game remained scoreless through three innings. In the top of the
fourth, Kuzava pitched into and out of a jam, issuing consecutive two-out walks
to Billy Hitchcock and Dave Philley before retiring Pete Suder on a fielder's
choice to end the frame.
The Yankees carved out the game's only run in the bottom of the fourth.
Mickey Mantle led off the inning with a double to the right-center field gap,
but Phil Rizzuto's sacrifice attempt failed. The bunt was too hard and too
close to the mound and Shantz cut down Mantle at third. Hank Bauer dumped
a single into short right-center, advancing Rizzuto to third. Then came a
key moment in the game. Casey Stengel called for a hit-and-run play on the
very first pitch to Joe DiMaggio, who uncharacteristically swung and
missed. But Bauer stole second when catcher Joe Tipton's throw was off
target. With runners and second and third, the A's kept the infield back
and DiMaggio's roller to short scored Rizzuto.
The A's had a threat going in the top of the fifth with runners at first and
second and only one out, but Kuzava avoided damage when he induced Ferris Fain
to ground into a 6-4-3 double play.
In the top of the seventh, Suder led off with a single. Tipton flied to
left and Shantz struck out but Eddie Joost dropped a fly ball in between Bauer
and DiMaggio for a double, advancing Suder to third. With Fain, who is
still challenging for the AL batting title, at the plate, Kuzava threw strike
one and, on a pre-planned play, catcher Yogi Berra fired to Gil McDougald at
third base and picked Suder off to end the inning.
In the top of the ninth, Kuzava retired Hitchcock on a fly to left and fanned
Philley. Lou Limmer pinch hit for Suder, drew a walk and was pinch run for
by Wally Moses. Kuzava then walked Tipton on a 3-2 pitch to but the
potential go-ahead run on first base. Shantz--a good-hitting pitcher--hit
for himself and swung at the first pitch, grounding out to second baseman Jerry
Coleman to end the game.
The Yankees still have five games remaining on their regular season schedule;
the Cleveland Indians have only two contests left to play.
9/26/1951, PhA51-NYA51, Yankee Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1951 Athletics 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 9 1 1951 Yankees 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 x 1 4 0 4 1 Athletics AB R H BI AVG Yankees AB R H BI AVG Joost ss 3 0 1 0 .290 Mantle rf 4 0 2 0 .295 Fain 1b 4 0 0 0 .333 Rizzuto ss 4 1 0 0 .286 Valo rf 3 0 0 0 .314 Bauer lf 3 0 1 0 .352 Zernial lf 4 0 1 0 .297 DiMaggio,J cf 3 0 0 1 .271 Hitchcock 3b 3 0 1 0 .313 McDougald 3b 2 0 0 0 .270 Philley cf 3 0 0 0 .294 Martin,B pr 0 0 0 0 .271 Suder 2b 3 0 1 0 .256 Berra c 3 0 0 0 .274 Limmer ph 0 0 0 0 .150 Mize 1b 3 0 0 0 .308 Moses pr 0 0 0 0 .223 Coleman,Je 2b 3 0 0 0 .294 Tipton c 3 0 1 0 .263 Kuzava p 3 0 1 0 .103 Shantz p 4 0 0 0 .258 28 1 4 1 30 0 5 0 Athletics INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Shantz L 10-10 8.0 4 1 1 1 3 101 61 4.49 8.0 4 1 1 1 3 101 61 Yankees INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Kuzava W 6-6 9.0 5 0 0 6 5 126 72 4.32 9.0 5 0 0 6 5 126 72 PhA: Limmer batted for Suder in the 9th Moses ran for Limmer in the 9th NYA: Martin,B ran for McDougald in the 7th Martin,B moved to 3b in the 8th E-Suder. 2B-Joost(33), Mantle(16), Kuzava(2). RBI-DiMaggio,J(59). SB-Bauer(5). K-Joost, Zernial 2, Philley, Shantz, McDougald, Berra, Kuzava. BB-Joost, Valo, Hitchcock, Philley, Tipton, Limmer, McDougald. GWRBI: DiMaggio,J Temperature: 64, Sky: clear, Wind: out to left at 7 MPH. Attendance: 33,894 Game Time: 1:48