McDOUGALD'S PINCH BOMB BESTS TRIBE
Raschi, Yanks Eke Out Win in Final AB
NEW YORK, May 16 (AP) - It's only mid-May but there was a pennant race
atmosphere afoot at Yankee Stadium today between the top two teams in the
American League. Gil McDougald's pinch hit home run leading off the bottom
of the ninth was the difference in New York's 2-1 victory over Cleveland.
The dramatic conclusion overshadowed a tremendous pitchers' duel between the
Yankees' Vic Raschi (4-2) and the Indians' Bob Lemon (3-2).
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the eighth inning. In fact, the
starters were so effective that neither team advanced a runner past second base
until the Yankees broke the tie--and it all started with two outs. Lemon
had retired Phil Rizzuto on a routine fly to right and fanned Mickey Mantle
before Bobby Brown sprayed a single to left. Joe DiMaggio then drew a free
pass. Yogi Berra fell behind in the count 1-2 but managed to bounce a
ground ball between Snuffy Stirnweiss and Luke Easter into right field, scoring
Brown with the game's first run. Hank Bauer walked to fill the bases but
Lemon stranded the bases loaded by inducing Joe Collins to roll out to
Stirnweiss to end the inning.
Billy Martin was brought into the game defensively in the top of the ninth to
replace Brown at third in a move that would have consequences in the top of the
ninth. Larry Doby opened the frame by lining a single to left-center off
Raschi. Easter bounced into a 6-4 fielder's choice for the first
out. Milt Nielsen came in to run for Easter and advanced to second when Al
Rosen walked. Sam Chapman hit a grounder to the left of second baseman
Jerry Coleman who managed to get the force at second for out number two.
Ray Boone then came up and appeared to end the game on a chopper to third but
Martin--the defensive replacement--dropped the ball for an error, allowing
Nielsen to score the tying run. Raschi struck out Jim Hegan to end the
inning, but the damage had been done.
Coleman was due to lead off the ninth but New York manager Casey Stengel sent up
McDougald instead. The pinch hitter moved ahead in the count 3-1 before
driving a Lemon fastball into the lower seats down the left field line for the
game-winner.
The 2-1 Yankees victory was the second tight, low-scoring game between the two
teams in this series. The Indians won the opener 3-1. The clubs will
meet in the rubber match tomorrow.
5/16/1951, Cle51-NYA51, Yankee Stadium 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1951 Indians 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 6 0 7 2 1951 Yankees 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 8 2 9 1 Indians AB R H BI AVG Yankees AB R H BI AVG Mitchell lf 4 0 2 0 .275 Rizzuto ss 3 0 0 0 .340 Stirnweiss 2b 3 0 0 0 .100 Mantle rf 4 0 1 0 .308 Simpson ph 1 0 0 0 .260 Brown,B 3b 3 1 1 0 .313 Avila 2b 0 0 0 0 .209 Martin,B 3b 0 0 0 0 .333 Doby cf 4 0 2 0 .256 DiMaggio,J cf 3 0 1 0 .320 Easter 1b 4 0 0 0 .205 Berra c 4 0 3 1 .302 Nielsen pr 0 1 0 0 .000 Bauer lf 2 0 0 0 .364 Kennedy,Bo rf 0 0 0 0 .250 Collins 1b 4 0 0 0 .286 Rosen 3b 3 0 1 0 .227 Coleman,Je 2b 1 0 0 0 .276 Chapman rf 4 0 0 0 .129 McDougald ph 1 1 1 1 .314 Boone ss 4 0 0 0 .187 Raschi p 3 0 1 0 .238 Hegan c 4 0 0 0 .263 28 2 8 2 Lemon p 3 0 1 0 .385 34 1 6 0 Indians INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Lemon L 3-2 8.0 8 2 2 5 4 115 61 3.65 8.0 8 2 2 5 4 115 61 Yankees INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Raschi W 4-2 9.0 6 1 0 1 7 126 76 3.96 9.0 6 1 0 1 7 126 76 Cle: Simpson batted for Stirnweiss in the 8th Avila inserted at 2b in the 8th Nielsen ran for Easter in the 9th Kennedy,Bo inserted at rf in the 9th Chapman moved to 1b in the 9th NYA: Martin,B inserted at 3b in the 9th McDougald batted for Coleman,Je in the 9th E-Rizzuto, Martin,B. 2B-Mitchell(4). HR-McDougald(5). RBI-Berra(17), McDougald(13). K-Stirnweiss 2, Doby, Easter, Hegan 2, Lemon, Mantle 3, DiMaggio,J. BB-Rosen, Brown,B, DiMaggio,J, Bauer, Coleman,Je 2. SH-Rizzuto, Bauer. GWRBI: McDougald Temperature: 73, Sky: partly cloudy, Wind: out to left at 13 MPH. Attendance: 26,245 Game Time: 1:50