Bickford Versus the Giants

Braves at Giants, April 24, 1949

Bickford Versus the Giants

The New York Giants have been red hot this season, and came into this game with a 5-0 record. However, they came up against a very good pitcher.

Helping His Own Cause

You remember that old “Spahn, Sain, and Pray for Rain” refrain from 1948, right? Well, you shouldn’t overlook Vern Bickford.

Bickford took matters into his own hands early on this Sunday afternoon. He came up in the top of the 2nd inning with two men on, and sparked a major Braves rally:

Four men wound up scoring before the Giants got the third out, and Bickford now had something to work with.

The Comeback

The Giants are no pushovers, of course. They came back big in the 5th inning, highlighted by this huge Bobby Thomson blast with two on:

Thomson is remembered for that clutch home run in 1951. We tend to forget that he was a good power hitter before that three game playoff.

The Giants then did everything they could to try to tie it. However, victory eluded their grasp time and time again.

The comeback attempt finally ended in the bottom of the 9th, when Sid Gordon was thrown out after a good Bickford move to first:

In the end, Bickford was too much for the Giants. New York only managed 5 hits off of him, and mustered no real offensive attack outside the Thomson home run. Not even 6 walks seemed to stop Bickford from dominating en route to his second win.