Wild Thing
Plus: Day In Review, June 2, 1949
Wild Thing
I really don’t know how the Athletics are doing it.
I’ve written already about how they basically don’t have a bullpen. But, one way or another, this team is staying relevant.
They were behind 3-2 going into the 8th inning of this one. Detroit had scored 3 in the bottom of the 1st inning, and looked like it could hold the Athletics off. Fred Hutchinson was pitching well, although not perfect.
But then Wally Moses came up with a man on:
Now, I still thought that the Tigers would come back. After all, Lou Brissie wasn’t pitching all that well, and had a very high pitch count. It didn’t look like the Athletics were going to take him out anytime soon, either.
Sure enough, Johnny Lipon came up with one out in the bottom of the 9th:
The last thing in the world you want a tired pitcher to do is to go to a full count with a weak hitter like Lipon. Now Johnny was on first base as the potential tying run, and up came Bob Swift, the weak-hitting backup catcher:
And that really was a turning of the screw! There were two men on with only one out. None other than George Kell came to the plate.
Now, as you may know, Kell was the actual batting average champion in the real 1949. He’s had a slow start in the replay, and is currently hitting just a hair under .280. If there was ever a time for him to shine, though, this was it.
Well, I guess his star doesn’t quite shine all that brightly.
Brissie threw 161 pitches, walked 8, struck out 7, and managed to hold on to a win by the slimmest of margins. Hutchinson pitched much better, but that Wally Moses home run spelled the end of him.
I just don’t know how the Athletics are doing it.
Other Action
Indians 6, Red Sox 3: At Cleveland, the Indians punish Boston pitching, making short work of the Red Sox. Watch the game here.
White Sox 6, Yankees 3: At Chicago, Vic Raschi labors through 6 walks, 6 strikeouts, and a seemingly infinite number of full counts as the Yankees lose their second straight. New York is now one full game behind the American League leading Cleveland Indians. Watch the game here.
Athletics 4, Tigers 3: At Detroit, see above.
Browns 14, Senators 6: In a wild and wet game at St. Louis, Jack Graham homers twice to lead the Browns to an easy victory over the visiting Washingtonians. The two teams combine for 31 hits.
Cardinals 7, Dodgers 5: Brooklyn hosted a wild one here. The Dodgers had a 3-1 lead after one, but Preacher Roe’s sermon fell on deaf ears. St. Louis eventually went up for good on Stan Musial’s 7th inning triple, which scored 2. Brooklyn is now 8 games behind the first place Giants; the Cardinals are 10 games back.
Pirates 7, Braves 2: Braves Field is supposed to be a pitcher’s park, but the Pirates apparently didn’t get the memo. Pittsburgh demolishes the Braves, scoring 7 runs on 12 hits. Ralph Kiner comes within a home run of the cycle.
Giants 3, Cubs 2: At New York, the Giants win easily over the Cubs. Chicago tries to come back but winds up mounting nothing offensively in the late innings. Watch the game here.
Reds 5, Phillies 1: The Phillies wind up not mounting much of an offensive attack at home, losing badly to the mediocre Reds.
Standings
The American League just keeps getting closer and closer.