DODGERS TAKE 1ST PLAYOFF GAME; MAKE MOST OF 4 HITS
Branca, Furillo Pace Brooklyn; BBs Doom Hearn,
Giants
BROOKLYN, Oct. 1 (AP) - Ralph Branca pitched into the ninth inning, earning his
20th victory of the year in the process, and the Brooklyn Dodgers made the most
of only four hits en route to a 6-3 win over the New York Giants before a
sellout crowd at Ebbets Field in the first game of the best-of-three playoff
series to determine the National League pennant.
Neither team had a hit until there were two outs in the bottom of the third
inning. Billy Cox had drawn a base on balls off New York starter Jim Hearn
with one out and was sacrificed to second by Branca. Carl Furillo followed
with the first hit of the ball game--a shot into the lower stands in left field
for his 19th home run a 2-0 cushion for the Dodgers. It was a lead that
Brooklyn would never relinquish.
The Dodgers really seized control of the game in the fifth, largely due to
Hearn's wildness. With one out, Cox walked and stole second base.
After Branca was retired, Furillo walked and a wild pitch moved the runners to
second and third. Then Reese drew a base on balls. Duke Snider
followed with a 3-2 bases loaded walk to force in a run and push the Dodgers'
advantage to 3-0. That was it for Hearn; George Spencer replaced him and
promptly walked Jackie Robinson to force in another run. Roy Campanella
followed with a single through the box--the first and only hit of the
inning--scoring Reese and Snider to make it 6-0 before Andy Pafko flied out to
finally end the inning.
The Giants finally broke the shutout in the seventh, on a long home run into the
seats in center field off the bat of Willie Mays.
The 6-1 advantage held up for the Dodgers into the ninth inning. Bobby
Thomson led off with a double into the left field corner. Mays flied out,
but Wes Westrum belted his 20th home run of the season to make it 6-3 and
Brooklyn manager Charlie Dressen pulled the obviously tiring Branca and replaced
him with Don Newcombe. Pinch hitter Ray Noble singled, but Newcombe
retired Eddie Stanky and Alvin Dark to end the game.
The teams will shift to Upper Manhattan tomorrow when Game 2 will be held at the
Polo Grounds. Sheldon Jones is expected to start for the Giants.
Clem Labine is rumored to be his Dodgers opponent.
10/1/1951, 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 1 0 2 3 8 1 8 0 1951 Dodgers 0 0 2 0 4 0 0 0 x 6 4 0 7 0 Giants AB R H BI AVG Dodgers AB R H BI AVG Stanky 2b 4 0 0 0 .260 Furillo rf 4 2 2 2 .300 Dark ss 5 0 0 0 .283 Reese ss 2 1 0 0 .281 Mueller,D rf 4 0 2 0 .274 Snider cf 3 1 0 1 .296 Irvin lf 4 0 1 0 .330 Robinson,J 2b 1 0 0 1 .345 Lockman 1b 4 0 0 0 .267 Campanella c 4 0 1 2 .310 Thomson 3b 3 1 1 0 .270 Pafko lf 4 0 0 0 .253 Mays cf 4 1 1 1 .283 Hodges 1b 4 0 1 0 .246 Westrum c 4 1 2 2 .203 Cox 3b 2 2 0 0 .273 Hearn p 2 0 0 0 .125 Branca p 2 0 0 0 .184 Spencer p 0 0 0 0 .087 Newcombe p 0 0 0 0 .247 Thompson,H ph 0 0 0 0 .252 26 6 4 6 Koslo p 0 0 0 0 .093 Noble ph 1 0 1 0 .246 35 3 8 3 Giants INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Hearn L 14-10 4.2 1 6 6 6 0 87 45 4.36 Spencer 1.1 1 0 0 1 3 27 16 6.01 Koslo 2.0 2 0 0 1 0 39 24 3.41 8.0 4 6 6 8 3 153 85 Dodgers INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Branca W 20-7 8.1 7 3 3 3 3 142 88 3.40 Newcombe 0.2 1 0 0 0 0 9 4 3.15 9.0 8 3 3 3 3 151 92 NYN: Thompson,H batted for Spencer in the 7th Noble batted for Koslo in the 9th E-Stanky. 2B-Thomson(24), Furillo(34). HR-Mays(16), Westrum(21), Furillo(19). RBI-Mays(80), Westrum 2(73), Furillo 2(86), Snider(104), Robinson,J(95), Campanella 2(102). SB-Irvin(12), Robinson,J(25), Cox(5). K-Stanky, Thomson, Mays, Hodges, Cox, Branca. BB-Stanky, Thomson, Thompson,H, Furillo, Reese, Snider, Robinson,J 3, Cox 2. SH-Reese, Branca 2. WP-Hearn, Newcombe. GWRBI: Furillo Temperature: 74, Sky: cloudy, Wind: left to right at 10 MPH. Attendance: 31,613 Game Time: 2:27