1956 Index 1956 Post Season Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 6 Statistics

Monday, October 8, 1956, Cleveland @ Milwaukee – County Stadium

SCORE ONE FOR THE INDIANS, 5-1 OVER THE BRAVES

Herb Score rebounded from an ugly performance in Game Two of the series by going the distance in Game Five, striking out nine, leading Cleveland to a convincing 5-1 victory over Milwaukee. The series now heads back to Cleveland with the Indians leading the series three games to two.

Score looked nothing like he did four days ago when he walked eight in just 5-2/3 innings, and let a five run lead disappear. Handed an early lead this time, Score was up to the task. The Indians plated an unearned run off Braves right-hander Lew Burdette in the top of the first when Al Smith led the game off with a base hit, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Chico Carrasquel, then took third on a ground out by Vic Wertz. Smith then scored on Al Rosen’s ground ball that Braves shortstop Johnny Logan kicked for a miscue.

Score helped his own cause in the top of the second inning with a two-out run-scoring double off Burdette, increasing the lead to 2-0.

The Braves got to Score for a run in the bottom of the second on a lead-off homerun by Hank Aaron, a 1-2 pitch that Aaron golfed over the left field wall. Score was incensed that Aaron was able to lift the pitch and hit it as far as he did, and let his feelings known when he struck out Joe Adcock, Bobby Thomson, and Andy Pafko in succession to finish off the inning.

In the third inning, weather started to become a factor, as rain started to fall and the wind picked up in intensity, blowing in from left field. Burdette made quick work of the Tribe in the top of the third, getting the three outs he needed with just six pitches, and headed the dugout to stay dry.

In the bottom of the third, the Braves looked destined to at least tie the game against Score. Del Crandall lined a double down the third base line to get things started. Burdette then stepped in and battled his counterpart for eight pitches before going down swinging for the first out. As Burdette headed back to his dugout, bat in hand, the skies opened up and play was halted for a little over an hour. When play finally resumed, Score came back out to the mound, and after a few warmups, walked the O’Connell on four pitches, none close to the strike zone. But Score and the Indians caught a break as the next hitter, Johnny Logan, swung at the first pitch, and bounced into a double play to kill the inning. It was a tough day for the Braves shortstop.

Milwaukee’s inability to push across the tying run was only half the bad news, as it turned out, as Lew Burdette was unable to continue after the long layoff as the game moved to the fourth inning. Taylor Phillips was called upon in the Braves bullpen to make his first appearance of the series, and with the help of a couple of double play balls, was able to put together two scoreless frames after the Indians put their lead off hitter on in each.

Phillips’ good fortune ended in the sixth. Carrasquel led off with a single up the middle, then Wertz doubled down the right field line, putting runners at second and third with nobody out. Ray Crone took over for Phillips and got the first out of the inning when Carrasquel was cut down at the plate on Al Rosen’s ground ball to second. Rocky Colavito made sure the Indians got at least one run in the inning with a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Wertz, extending Cleveland’s advantage to 3-1.

By then Score had re-found his rhythm on the mound. The Indians hard throwing southpaw set down 15 of the last 17 batters he faced over the last five frames, with neither of the two base runners, a single in the seventh and a walk in the eighth, getting as far as second base.

Jim Busby left no doubt in the outcome when he doubled home two insurance runs in the eighth off Gene Conley, capping the scoring in a 5-1 victory for Cleveland.

The Indians now get two shots to win one game to claim the World Series, and will have the benefit of doing so on their home field in front of 70,000 plus crowds.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP

Cleveland 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 5 11 0 6 1

Milwaukee 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 1 6 4

Indians AB R H BI AVG Braves AB R H BI AVG

Smith,A lf 5 1 1 0 .250 O'Connell 2b 3 0 0 0 .158

Carrasquel ss 4 1 3 0 .550 Logan ss 4 0 0 0 .333

Wertz 1b 3 2 1 0 .316 Mathews 3b 3 0 0 0 .150

Rosen 3b 4 0 0 0 .250 Aaron rf 4 1 2 1 .409

Colavito rf 2 0 0 1 .211 Adcock 1b 4 0 0 0 .143

Busby cf 4 0 1 2 .250 Thomson cf 4 0 2 0 .400

Naragon c 4 0 2 0 .250 Pafko lf 3 0 0 0 .000

Avila 2b 3 1 2 0 .150 Crandall c 3 0 1 0 .200

Score p 4 0 1 1 .286 Burdette p 1 0 0 0 .000

33 5 11 4 Phillips,T p 1 0 0 0 .000

Crone p 0 0 0 0 .000

Mantilla ph 1 0 0 0 .000

Conley p 0 0 0 0 .000

31 1 5 1

Indians INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA

Score W 1-0 9.0 5 1 1 3 9 119 79 3.68

9.0 5 1 1 3 9 119 79

Braves INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA

Burdette L 0-1 3.0 4 2 1 0 1 37 27 5.40

Phillips,T 2.0 3 1 1 1 1 30 18 4.50

Crone 2.0 2 0 0 0 1 29 20 0.00

Conley 2.0 2 2 2 2 2 42 20 4.50

9.0 11 5 4 3 5 138 85

Mil: Mantilla batted for Crone in the 7th

E-Logan. 2B-Wertz(1), Busby(2), Score(1), Crandall(2). HR-Aaron(1).

RBI-Colavito(5), Busby 2(3), Score(2), Aaron(2). K-Wertz, Naragon, Score 3,

Logan 2, Mathews, Aaron, Adcock, Thomson, Pafko, Burdette, Mantilla.

BB-Wertz, Colavito, Avila, O'Connell, Mathews, Pafko. SH-Carrasquel.

SF-Colavito. PB-Naragon.

Lew Burdette was removed after a rain delay

Temperature: 48, Field: wet, Sky: threatening, Wind: in from left at 11 MPH,

Rain Delays: 62 and 13 minutes.

Attendance: 43,845

Game Time: 1:57