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 Wednesday, October 10, 1956, Milwaukee @ Cleveland – Cleveland Municipal Stadium

 

WERTZ CARRIES INDIANS TO WORLD SERIES VICTORY 

 

Vic Wertz crushed a pair of homeruns, including a tie-breaking three-run blast in the sixth inning, to lift Cleveland to a 7-4 win over Milwaukee, and win the World Series four games to two.

 

Wertz’ first homerun, and third of the series, came in the bottom of the first inning after Milwaukee grabbed a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the inning.  Bob Lemon struggled a bit at the outset, issuing a couple of walks, then a run-scoring single to Joe Adcock, to give the Braves the early lead.  But Wertz accounted for the first lead change of the contest after Bob Buhl walked Al Smith after two were out.  Wertz sent a long soaring ball down the right field line easily reaching the seats for a two-run homerun and a 2-1 Indians lead. 

 

Milwaukee responded immediately with a run in the top of the second to tie the game.  A double by Billy Bruton followed two quick outs by Del Crandall and Buhl, but Danny O’Connell delivered a clutch two-out single to score Bruton from second base, making it a new game.

 

The Indians retook the lead in the bottom of the third, with a little help from the Braves.  Buhl walked Gene Woodling to give Cleveland a lead off base runner.  Buhl then drilled a hot-hitting Chico Carrasquel with a pitch in the rib cage, giving the Indians two on with nobody out.  After Al Smith followed with a line drive to Hank Aaron in right field for the first out, Wertz pulled a sharp ground ball to Adcock at first base primed to be turned into a double play.  But Adcock’s throw to second missed the target, and all hands were safe, loading the bases.  Al Rosen made the error costly with a base hit to center to make it 3-2 Cleveland.  Buhl regrouped to limit the damage by getting the next two batters, but once again the Braves trailed on the scoreboard in a must win contest.

 

Aaron took care of the one run deficit with a long homerun over the center field fence in the fifth inning, his second of the series.

 

In the sixth, Lemon got touched up again and the Braves grabbed the lead with another longball, this time by Crandall, his first of the series.

 

Given a 4-3 lead, Buhl was back on the hill to start the home half of the sixth.  Jim Hegan and Lemon were retired quickly, but Gene Woodling, making his first start in the series, worked Buhl for a walk.  Carrasquel, aching a bit from the rib shot earlier in the game, got his revenge with a single to left center, Woodling taking third base.  Al Smith then hit the first pitch he saw from Buhl and blooped a single into shallow center field in front of a charging Bruton, scoring Woodling, knotting the score up once again, 4-4.  With the hulking Wertz due up next, the Braves opted to bring in a left-hander, Lou Sleater, who had yet to pitch in the series.  Wertz worked the count full against the Braves reliever, then hammered the next pitch deep to right field.  Aaron retreated to the fence, but ran out of room as the ball sailed over his head.  The Tribe reclaimed the lead at 7-4.

 

Lemon pitched through the middle of the Braves lineup in the seventh and eighth innings without incident, looking to close it out with a quick ninth.  But the Braves were not ready to roll over.  Jack Dittmer came off the bench and delivered a pinch hit single to right to lead off the inning.  Frank Torre followed with a pinch hit single through the left side, giving Milwaukee two runners with none out, and the top of the order due up.  The Indians made their move to the bullpen for Ray Narleski.  The hard throwing right-hander got O’Connell on a comebacker, getting the lead runner at third base on the force.  But Logan followed and worked a walk, loading the bases, and putting the potential tying run at first base.  Hank Aaron stepped to the plate, and on the first pitch, hit a sharp two-hopper toward Bobby Avila at second base.  Avila flipped to Carrasquel at second for the force, the relay to Wertz at first was in time, and it was over, the Cleveland Indians were winners, 7-4, and World Series champions.

 

Wertz’ fine performance in Game Six culminated an impressive series that produced 333/407/875 slash numbers (8-for-24) backed by a double, four homeruns and eight RBI.  Chico Carrasquel surprised most with an outstanding World Series of his own, 500/556/625 (12-for-24) with two RBI and four runs scored. The two Indians players shared the Most Valuable Player honors for their contributions as World Series champions.  

 

 

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

Milwaukee              1  1  0  0  1  1  0  0  0     4  9  1     8  0

Cleveland              2  0  1  0  0  4  0  0  x     7  7  0     9  2

 

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

O'Connell         2b  4  0  2  1  .217    Woodling          lf  3  2  0  0  .000

Logan             ss  3  1  1  0  .333    Carrasquel        ss  4  1  1  0  .500

Aaron             rf  4  1  1  1  .385    Smith,A           rf  3  2  2  1  .304

Mathews           3b  3  0  0  0  .130    Wertz             1b  5  2  2  5  .333

Adcock            1b  4  0  1  1  .160    Rosen             3b  4  0  1  1  .250

Covington         lf  4  0  0  0  .214     Strickland       3b  0  0  0  0  .000

Bruton            cf  4  1  1  0  .294    Busby             cf  3  0  1  0  .263

Crandall          c   3  1  1  1  .231    Avila             2b  4  0  0  0  .125

 Dittmer          ph  1  0  1  0 1.000    Hegan             c   3  0  0  0  .067

Buhl              p   3  0  0  0  .000    Lemon,B           p   3  0  0  0  .000

 Sleater          p   0  0  0  0  .000     Narleski         p   0  0  0  0  .000

 Jolly            p   0  0  0  0  .000                         32  7  7  7

 Phillips,T       p   0  0  0  0  .000

 Torre            ph  1  0  1  0 1.000

                     34  4  9  4

 

Braves                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Buhl             L 1-1           5.2  5  6  5  5  3  98  51  5.40

Sleater                          0.0  1  1  1  0  0   6   3 99.00

Jolly                            2.0  1  0  0  1  0  24  15 15.43

Phillips,T                       0.1  0  0  0  0  0   6   4  3.86

                                 8.0  7  7  6  6  3 134  73

 

Indians                          INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Lemon,B          W 1-1           8.0  9  4  4  3  5 124  78  7.20

Narleski         S 1             1.0  0  0  0  1  0  12   5  2.08

                                 9.0  9  4  4  4  5 136  83

 

Mil: Dittmer batted for Crandall in the 9th

     Torre batted for Phillips,T in the 9th

Cle: Strickland inserted at 3b in the 9th

 

E-Adcock. 2B-Bruton(1). HR-Aaron(2), Crandall(1), Wertz 2(4).

RBI-O'Connell(3), Aaron(3), Adcock(4), Crandall(3), Smith,A(3), Wertz 5(8),

Rosen(3). K-O'Connell, Adcock 2, Buhl 2, Rosen, Busby, Lemon,B. BB-O'Connell,

Logan, Aaron, Mathews, Woodling 2, Smith,A, Busby, Hegan, Lemon,B. HBP-Logan,

Carrasquel, Smith,A. HB-Buhl 2, Lemon,B. WP-Jolly.

GWRBI: Wertz

Temperature: 57, Sky: clear, Wind: out to center at 3 MPH.

Attendance: 74,270

Game Time: 2:37