POTENTIAL PLAYOFF LOOMS; GIANTS WITHIN 1 GAME OF DODGERS
WITH ONE DAY LEFT
HRs By Nicholson, Seminick Upend Brooklyn; Giants
Hammer Braves
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 29 (AP) - The National League season will come down to the
final day--and perhaps beyond. The New York Giants exploded for six runs
in the third inning and buried Boston, 10-3 at Braves Field, winning for the
15th time in their last 16 games. Sal Maglie earned his 20th victory of
the year in the process. Shortly thereafter, the Phillies completed a
comeback win over the Dodgers at Shibe Park, 7-3. Bill Nicholson turned a
2-1 Philadelphia deficit into a 3-2 lead with a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth and
Andy Seminick sealed the deal by belting a grand slam just inside the left field
foul pole with two outs in the eighth. It was the third straight loss for
the suddenly slumping Dodgers whose magic number remained one; the Giants trail
the first place Dodgers by one game with a single day remaining on the 1951 regularly
scheduled National League docket.
In Boston, the Giants spotted the Braves a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first
when Sam Jethroe's one-out double was followed by a two-bagger off the bat of
Earl Torgeson and, one out later, an RBI-single off the bat of Walker Cooper.
But the Giants seized firm control of the game in the top of the third by
tallying six times capped by Wes Westrum's 20th home run of the year, a two-run
blow.
To add insult to injury, already ahead 7-2 in the sixth, Bobby Thomson continued
his torrid September with his third home run in three days, and 10th of the
month. The solo shot was his 27th long ball of the year--part of a
three-hit effort. Later in the frame Whitey Lockman roped his second
double of the game and drove in his third run of the contest to give the Giants a 9-2
advantage.
Maglie, meanwhile, settled in after the rocky first inning and shut the Braves
out into the ninth. With the Giants on top 10-2 and two outs in the bottom
of the ninth, Willard Marshall lined his 12th home run of the season over the
right field fence and into the Jury Box. Three more Braves reached base
and Maglie was lifted in favor of Sheldon Jones who quietly retired Bob Addis on
comebacker to the mound to close out the game.
At Shibe Park, the Dodgers scored first when Jackie Robinson's single in the
opening frame scored Pee Wee Reese. A potentially big inning went awry,
however, when Roy Campanella rolled into a double play with runners on the
corners and one out. The Phillies evened the score in the home half of the
first on Willie Jones' RBI grounder.
Starters Don Newcombe and Robin Roberts then matched scoreless innings until the
top of the sixth when the Dodgers regained the lead on an unearned run.
Robinson led off the inning with a single to center, but Richie Ashburn overran
the ball and his error allowed Robinson to take second. This would prove
crucial, because the runner advanced to third on Campanella's slow roller to
short. Andy Pafko lifted a fly to right that was deep enough to allow
Robinson to tag and score and Gil Hodges' fly to left ended the inning.
But the Phillies came right back again in the bottom of the frame. With
one out, Dick Sisler singled and he came around to score on Nicholson's home run
into the lower stands in right-center field to give Philadelphhia its first lead
of the game.
The Dodgers threatened in the seventh, but Reese grounded into an inning ending
double play with runners at first and second.
A 49-minute rain delay followed the top of the seventh, but it was the eighth
that conclusively did Brooklyn in. Johnny Schmitz started the inning on
the mound and retired Sisler, but allowed Nicholson to double into the right
field corner. Jones drew a walk and Bud Podbeilan replaced Schmitz on the
hill. He retired Granny Hamner on a fly to shallow left and then walked
Eddie Waitkus to fill the bases. Seminick then applied the coup de grace
on a 1-1 pitch and it was all over but the shouting.
Both pairs of clubs will meet again tomorrow. For the Giants, Larry Jansen
(22-5, 2.76) will be on the hill and will oppose Jim Wilson (5-5, 4.74) of the
Braves. Preacher Roe (19-9, 2.57) will start for Brooklyn just two days
after throwing 106 pitches and will face the Phillies' Bubba Church (14-13,
3.72).
9/29/1951, NYN51-BoN51, Braves Field 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1951 Giants 0 0 6 1 0 2 1 0 0 10 14 1 11 1 1951 Braves 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 7 0 7 0 Giants AB R H BI AVG Braves AB R H BI AVG Stanky 2b 5 0 1 0 .261 Addis lf 5 0 0 0 .240 Williams,Da 2b 1 0 0 0 .190 Jethroe cf 3 1 1 0 .305 Dark ss 5 0 0 0 .281 Torgeson 1b 4 1 1 1 .285 Thomson 3b 4 3 3 1 .270 Gordon 3b 4 0 0 0 .333 Hartung rf 1 0 0 0 .256 Cooper c 4 0 1 1 .289 Irvin lf 3 2 1 0 .332 Marshall rf 4 1 2 1 .246 Lockman 1b 4 1 2 3 .267 Sisti 2b 3 0 1 0 .274 Mays cf 4 2 1 2 .281 Kerr ss 2 0 0 0 .226 Mueller,D rf 4 1 3 2 .273 Surkont p 0 0 0 0 .145 Thompson,H ph 1 0 1 0 .249 Chipman p 1 0 0 0 .000 Westrum c 3 1 2 2 .201 Hartsfield ph 1 0 1 0 .275 Maglie p 5 0 0 0 .168 Spahn p 1 0 0 0 .138 Jones,Sh p 0 0 0 0 .034 Logan ph 2 0 0 0 .222 40 10 14 10 34 3 7 3 Giants INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Maglie W 20-11 8.2 7 3 3 3 2 125 80 2.61 Jones,Sh 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 7 5 3.19 9.0 7 3 3 3 2 132 85 Braves INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Spahn L 19-14 5.0 9 7 7 3 3 107 62 3.44 Surkont 1.1 4 3 3 2 0 40 18 4.16 Chipman 2.2 1 0 0 3 1 44 22 5.79 9.0 14 10 10 8 4 191 102 NYN: Thompson,H batted for Mueller,D in the 8th Williams,Da inserted at 2b in the 8th Hartung inserted at rf in the 8th Thompson,H moved to 3b in the 8th BoN: Logan batted for Spahn in the 5th Logan moved to ss in the 6th Hartsfield batted for Chipman in the 9th E-Dark. 2B-Lockman 2(28), Mueller,D(9), Jethroe(27), Torgeson(24), Marshall(22). HR-Thomson(27), Westrum(20), Marshall(11). RBI-Thomson(103), Lockman 3(64), Mays 2(77), Mueller,D 2(80), Westrum 2(71), Torgeson(97), Cooper(52), Marshall(57). SB-Mays(8). K-Stanky, Mays, Maglie 2, Sisti, Chipman. BB-Dark, Thomson, Irvin 2, Lockman, Mays, Westrum 2, Jethroe, Sisti, Logan. BALK-Spahn. GWRBI: Mays Temperature: 71, Sky: clear, Wind: out to right at 11 MPH. Attendance: 6,851 Game Time: 2:34 9/29/1951, Brk51-PhN51, Shibe Park (N) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1951 Dodgers 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 8 0 6 1 1951 Phillies 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 4 x 7 9 2 6 2 Dodgers AB R H BI AVG Phillies AB R H BI AVG Furillo rf 4 0 2 0 .301 Young,D 2b 5 1 3 0 .258 Reese ss 4 1 1 0 .281 Ashburn cf 4 0 0 0 .327 Snider cf 4 0 2 0 .296 Sisler lf 4 1 2 0 .269 Robinson,J 2b 4 1 2 1 .342 Nicholson rf 3 2 2 2 .229 Campanella c 4 0 0 0 .311 Jones,W 3b 2 1 0 1 .305 Pafko lf 3 0 0 1 .255 Hamner ss 4 0 0 0 .231 Belardi ph 1 0 0 0 .333 Waitkus 1b 3 1 0 0 .266 Hodges 1b 3 0 0 0 .246 Seminick c 4 1 2 4 .266 Williams,Di ph 1 0 0 0 .267 Roberts p 2 0 0 0 .214 Cox 3b 3 0 1 0 .270 31 7 9 7 Russell ph 1 0 0 0 .000 Newcombe p 2 0 0 0 .247 Abrams ph 0 0 0 0 .323 Branca p 0 0 0 0 .189 Schmitz p 0 0 0 0 .125 Podbielan p 0 0 0 0 .059 34 2 8 2 Dodgers INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Newcombe L 21-8 6.0 6 3 3 2 2 94 60 3.15 Branca 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 13 9 3.43 Schmitz 0.1 1 2 2 1 1 17 8 5.40 Podbielan 0.2 1 2 2 2 0 17 8 4.15 8.0 9 7 7 5 3 141 85 Phillies INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Roberts W 23-14 9.0 8 2 1 1 6 120 81 2.88 9.0 8 2 1 1 6 120 81 Brk: Abrams batted for Newcombe in the 7th Belardi batted for Pafko in the 9th Williams,Di batted for Hodges in the 9th Russell batted for Cox in the 9th E-Ashburn, Waitkus. 2B-Cox(34), Nicholson(9). HR-Nicholson(7), Seminick(12). RBI-Robinson,J(91), Pafko(89), Nicholson 2(31), Jones,W(124), Seminick 4(50). K-Furillo, Snider, Robinson,J, Hodges 2, Belardi, Ashburn, Sisler, Waitkus. BB-Abrams, Nicholson, Jones,W 2, Waitkus, Roberts. SH-Roberts. GWRBI: Nicholson Temperature: 73, Field: wet, Sky: threatening, Wind: right to left at 24 MPH, Rain Delays: 49 and 68 minutes. Attendance: 10,457 Game Time: 2:06