Thursday, May 27, 2010

Boys of Summer take 3 of 4 from Braves

8/16-8/17 - Ebbets Field
GAME 1 - Dodgers 16, Braves 5

Warren_Spahn_MLN Against most teams Warren Spahn dominates, but not vs the Boys of Summer.  For years Spahn dominated the NL, except for his encounters vs power laden right handed lineup of 'dem Bums.  Spahn looked good going into the 5th with a 5-1 lead thanks to his own offensive skills that supplied 4 of the 5 runs.  In the 3rd he hit a solo shot and in the 4th he hit a 3 run shot over the chain link fence and on to Bedford Avenue.  Dodger starter Carl ErskineKarl_Spooner_BKN fooled nobody, except for maybe the fool who tapped him to start.  He did however benefit from Spahn's lack of dominance.  In  the 5h 'dem Bums scored 4 to tie the game at 5.  With 2 out Junior Gilliam doubled home 2.  A costly error by Joe Adcock on a Duke Snider 2 hopper cost them another run.  Brooklyn would take the lead with 2 in the 6th and then blow the doors off the wagon with 9 in the 9th.  Don_Zimmer_BKN Karl Spooner came on in relief of Oisk and tossed 3 scoreless innings.  Russ Meyer mopped up in the 9th when the outcome was long since determined.  Every Dodger starter except Gilliam had at least 2 hits.  Gil Hodges and Don Zimmer both had 3 RBI.  Hank Aaron also homered for the Braves.  Nobody homered for the Dodgers, who banged out 18 hits.

GAME 2 - Braves 7, Dodgers 6
World Series hero Lew Burdette went the distance as the BravesEddie_Mathews_MLN offense outlasted the Dodger offense.  Dodgers starter Don Newcombe went 8 and gave up 7 (6 earned) and took the loss.  Milwaukee broke the ice in the top of the 2nd when Wes Covington hit a solo shot.  Brooklyn answered back with 3 in the bottom of the inning thanks to a titanic blast by Newk, who would be stronger with his lumber than his arm in this contest.  The Braves chipped away inning by inning.  A solo shot by Eddie Mathews in the 3rd cut the Dodger lead to 3-2.  Hank Aaron's solo shot in the 5th tied it at 3 apiece, but Roy Campanella singled home Duke Snider in the bottom of the inning to put the Dodgers back up by 1.  A two run homer by Red Schoendienst in the top of the 6th with 2 out put the Braves up by 1.  Balls were flying out of the tiny ballpark in Flatbush like crazy.  Brooklyn tied it when "the Duke" hit a solo shot into the middle of Bedford Avenue in the 8th to make it 6-6.  Red_Schoendienst_MLN By this point Hilda Chester and the Dodgers Sym-phony began getting louder and louder.  It all came to a screeching halt in the top of the 9th when Wes Covington singled home Joe Adcock to take the lead.  Burdette allowed Gilliam a 1 out single and the crowd began to rev up again.  Then Snider got a hold of a change up and sent Aaron back to wall.  Hammerin' Hank jumped up with his back to the scoreboard and took a sure double away from the Duke.  Campy followed by fanning on 3 pitches as Burdette toughed out the win.

8/18-8/19 - Milwaukee County Stadium
GAME 3 - Dodgers 8, Braves 1

1955 World Series MVP Johnny Podres picked up rightJohnny_Podres_BKN where he left off in real life.  The Upstate NY native tossed six shutout innings vs the Braves before giving way to Meyer, who tossed 2 shutout innings of his own.  The Braves only run, which was unearned, came in the 7th.  The Dodgers had their way with Bob Buhl, who was gone after giving up 6 in 5 innings of work.  Duke Snider had a huge breakout day hitting 2 homers and knocking in 4 runs.  Gil Hodges was 3 for 5 and Campy went 3 for 4.  Hank Aaron was 3 for 3 in a losing effort.

GAME 4 - Dodgers 6, Braves 4
Pee Wee_Reese_BKN Bill "Never win 20 or they'll expect you to keep doing it" Loes took the hill for the Boys of Summer to face "Giant" Gene Conley.  Brooklyn scored first in the top of the 1st when Pee Wee Reese led off the game with a triple and scored when Jim Gilliam grounded to second.  It stayed scoreless until the bottom of the 7th when Loes gave up a 2 run homer to of all people Felix Mantilla.  Mantilla didn't even start the game, but had to replace Johnny Logan at short in the top of the 3rd when Logan crashed into fence while chasingFelix_Mantilla_MLN after a foul pop up.  The Dodgers tied it up on the first pitch in the top of the 8th.  Backup catcher Rube Walker pulled one just inside the foul poll in right to make it 2-2.  Bob Hazle was tapped to pinch hit for Conley to lead off the 8th and walked on 4 pitches.  Loes looked to be tiring and with 2 outs he served up a huge gopher ball to HOF'er Eddie Mathews.  Milwaukee was up 4-2 going into the 9th and it all looked to be over.  With reliever Don McMahon tired from working the previous day the Braves went to lefty Juan Pizarro to close it out.  That turned out to be a catastrophic mistake, because Pizarro is a southpaw and we all know how dem Bums murder portsiders.  Carl Furillo led off the 9th with a walk.  Jackie Robinson singled to put runners on the corners.  On a botched hit and run play Sandy Amoros swung through Pizarro's offering, but Robinson still managed to beat Del Crandall's throw to Mantilla.  A single would tie the game, but the Dodgers manager had no faith  that Amoros could supply that hit.  The decision Frank_Kellert_BKNwas to call on Frank Kellert with an 0-1 count to come to the rescue.  Kellert worked the count full then singled up the middle to tie the game.  Campy came up to pinch hit for Walker and got on base.  Don Hoak bunted both runners up to 2nd and thrid and the captain, Pee Wee Reese delived the knockout blow with a 2 run double off the right center field fence.  Clem Labine pitched a scoreless 9th to close it out.  Both teams combined for 16 home runs in this exciting series.

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