Hello from Fenway Park (1941) where Ohio (2-1) will be taking on Boston and the Braves (2-1). It’s a day game, the weather is fine, and the Green Monster is making an inviting target for those right handed hitters.
Here are today’s lineups
A couple of fly outs and a strike out for Ohio in the top of the first. 0-0
Johnny Bench leads off the second with a single bringing Tris Speaker to the plate.
Speaker hits a ground ball to Sisler at first who throws to Rabbit Maranville covering second. Bench goes in hard spikes up and well off the base path. Maranville can’t get the throw off and Speaker is safe at first.
Doby singles but is stranded. 0-0 middle 2nd
A lead off walk by Hank Aaron is erased on an inning ending double play. 0-0 end second.
Back to back strikeouts for Maddux to start the third are followed by back back-to-back singles by Lajoie and Boudreau before Frank Robinson gets rung up to complete Maddux’s trifecta. 0-0 middle third
Not to be outdone, Joss strikes out the first two batters he sees before giving up a single and then two walks to load the bases. Boston’s right fielder, Jim Rice, looking forward a pay day hits a topper to Joe Sewell at third who tosses to Tony Perez at first to end the inning.
Will you look at that! Bench leading off the fourth gets the last laugh after that second inning controversy with a towering shot over the Green Monster to give Ohio a 1-0 lead.
After the lead off home run Maddux notches another two strikeouts. He has seven on the day and Boston trails 1-0 with Hank Aaron coming up to lead off the bottom half of the fourth.
Boston levels the score after Aaron doubles to lead off the inning. He moves to third on a deep fly to centre by Sisler and scores on a grounder to third by Mathews. A single by Collins is left aboard. 1-1 after 4.
Maranville’s lead off single is left aboard. 1-1 after five.
Ohio takes Maddux deep for a second time. Lou Boudreau, leading off the inning, mashes another one over the Green Monster to give Ohio a 2-1 lead in the 6th.
Robinson follows up Boudreau’s home run with a single and Maddux is not looking happy. Despite 8 strikeouts in the day he trails by one and he’s got a runner aboard with none out in the sixth and here comes Johnny Bench.
This does not look good folks. Bench is sitting in the dirt in front of home plate holding his arm. The Ohio players have come to the top of the steps and they’re shouting at Maddux.
Speaker hits it on the ground to Maranville and it’s in and out of his glove. Everybody’s safe. That’ll be ruled an error on the shortstop. The bases are loaded and still no out. Looks like there might be some movement in the Boston bullpen.
Larry Doby hits it hard on the ground to Sisler at first who stabs at it, makes the throw to Maranville who steps in the bag and fires back to Maddux covering first. It’s a 3-6-1 double play! Robinson scores and Ewing moves over to third on the play. It’s now 3-1 Ohio.
Sam Crawford hits a lead off triple.
Crawford scores on a ground out to second by Sewell and Radbourn retires Lajoie and Boudreau as they follow. Ohio extends its lead to 4-1 and the fans rise to extend their limbs as it’s stretch time here in Boston.
Tris Speaker makes it 5-1 Ohio with a third straight base hit to start the inning. Robinson scores and Ewing moves to third. Nobody’s out and the Boston bullpen is stirring again.
The score is currently 6-1 Ohio, runners on 1st and 2nd and none out in the top of the 8th. Kid Nichols is in to pitch now for Boston.
Nichols retires Perez, Crawford, and Sewell in order. 6-2 mid 8
Nothing for Boston in the eighth. We’re headed to the top half of the 9th and the top third of the Ohio lineup is due up.
Ohio goes quietly in the 9th. Joss will try for the complete game. Sisler, Mathews, and Collins will be looking to turn the day around for Boston.
A two out single by Collins and walk by Fisk are left aboard for Boston as Ohio takes this 6-1, improving their record to 3-1. Boston falls to 2-2.
Joss gets the complete game victory giving up 1 run on 7 hits with three walks and 4 strikeouts. Maddux takes the loss.