Evening star., 1946-09-15
Pitching Gamble
Puts Bums0n|y
Point Off Lead
nd-Strineer HurIs
: 3-Hit Job; Lovoeetto
Homer Sturts Rout
BY Jack Hond,
Associated Press sports Writer

DHoohL1N, N. Y, sept. l4-IeO
Durocher got away with one of the
most colossal CANDLES in recent years
today when Ralph Branca, an OBJ
scure bullpen tosser who hadn't
pitched complete game all season,
shut out the ST. Louis Cardinals with
a three-hit job in the most impor-
tant ganoa of the season. SO. to re-
duce the Redbirds' first place margin
over Brooklyn to one-half game, or
ore skinny percentage point.
Before the rubber" game of the
"series-of-the-year." Durocher had
told reporters he was going to use
Branca to pitch to one hitter and
then shift to Lefty Vic Lombardi
after Eddie Dyer of the Cards had
committed himself to a surplus of
left-handed hitters in his batting
order.
According to the pregame script.
Branca was to come up with sore
arm" after the first pitch and gave
way to the southpaw, but he got the
first man out on the first throw, re-
tired the second on another fling
and had the Cards out on six tosses.
Big Win For Dodgers.
That changed the Durocher strate-
gy plan and Branca was left in to
shut the door in the faces of the
wounded Cards. 1t was only the
eighth time in % meetings that the
Brooks had beaten ST. Louis this
season, but this victory, coming in
their final meeting of the campaign.
may have been the pavoff.
Leaving for New York and A Sum-
day double-header with the Giants
while the Dodgers prepared to en-
tertain Chicago in two games ST
Louis had only 13 tilts to play, eight
OF them on the road. OF the Brooks
l6 remaining contests, 13 will be
played in the friendly confines of
Ebbets Field that was jammed with
a sellout crowd of 32s6o for the
series finale.
Actually Brooklyn was one game
ahead on the losing side of the
ledger, but st. Louis had won two
more, leaving the standings:
w. L. Pct.
81. Louis s--4------38 So .624
Brooklyn as 50 s2a
! Branca was the whole story TODAY.
ms greatest day of triumph since
leaving New York University. The
dark-haired Mount Vernon IN VI
native never gave the Cards a
!. chance, striking out nine men and
walking only two. He allowed only
three men to advance as far as
second base and retired II men in
succession from the fifth, when he
was In his only jam, until the ninth
Wnen Stan Musial singled with two
out.
The 20-year-old fast t-baller struck
out the side in the eighth. getting
Joe Garagiola, Marty Marion and
Pinch-hitter Nippy Jones to look at
a called third strike.
With two gone in the fifth. .Garav.
lola singled past Branca's head into
center field and Marion walked,
Dyer sent up Walter Sessi, the home
run hero of an important victory
over the Giants. but the big fellow.
batting for Starter Harry Brecheen.
went down on three straight strikes
Musial's single with two gone in
the ninth was the last Gard hope.
but he died on second where he
mad gone unmoleSted while Branca
was inducing Enos Slaughter to pop
to Ed Stevens.
Cookie Lavagetto actually won ths
game for the Buns with his second
inning homer that bounced off the
railing of the upper left field stand.
lt was his third of the season and
enough to doom Brecheen with his
l4th loss to Is wins. -I.
branca, who set the hitting pace
with two singles and two runs
opened the third inning with a
smash of Red Schoendienst's glove.
After Ed Stanky had lined to left.
Peewee Reese dropped a single into
lett held that Dick Sisler barely
reached after hard run, but
couldn't hold. Dixie Walker sn1acked
vital blow at st. Louis hopes with
two-run double to the far right
Cards Defense Cracks.
Again in the fifth, after Ted Wilks
mad taken up the pitching burden
Tor st. Louis, Branca led off with
a single. this time a shot into right
neid' He moved to second on Stan
ky's single and the bases were
loaded after Wilks slipped while
nelding Reeseis bunt for an error
Wllks gummed up things good
after striking out Pinch-hitte Augie
Galan. Fielding Dixie Walker,
smash to the hill, Wilks suddenly
decided to try for a play as second
instead of the plate, although
Branca had hardly moved of third.
The Gard pitcher again slipped and
Just did get the ball to Marty Marion
IN time to force Reese, Brancs
scoring.
The final run strolled home in
the eighth when Reliefer Fred
schmidt walked Edwards with the
Dases full. A pass to Galan, Furillo's
single and an error by Marion on
Lavagetto's easy roller loaded them
up. Red Barrett, the fourth Card
nurler. finally put out the IRE by
retiring the next two htters.
sebo, sej /. ., As. H.o.A, srklyn. As. H. GA.