Читать книгу Bad Boys, Bad Times. The Cleveland Indians and Baseball in the Prewar Years, 1937–1941 онлайн

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Feller and Yankee starter Red Ruffing were impressive from the onset. Neither team scored until the visitor half of the third inning, when shortstop Frank Crosetti led off with a walk and moved to second on an infield ground out. Up to the plate came “Joltin’” Joe DiMaggio. Crosetti edged off second base, and on the pitch raced for third. DiMaggio sent a scorching ground ball at third baseman Sammy Hale. “Bad News” knocked the ball down, but before he could pick it up Crosetti came sliding hard into the third-base bag. His foot kicked the ball into foul territory, out of Hale’s reach and far enough for Crosetti to scramble to his feet and score the game’s first run.

The Indians tied the game in the seventh inning on singles by Trosky, Hale, and Pytlak. In the ninth the score remained 1–1. Feller had thrown well over a hundred pitches, yet still had plenty of steam on his fastballs. Leading off the ninth was Red Ruffing, already a two-time strikeout victim. A good-hitting pitcher, Ruffing caught up with a fastball and lined a base hit. Crosetti dropped a sacrifice bunt near the mound. Feller picked up the ball and threw wild to first, leaving runners on first and second with nobody out. He then walked third baseman Red Rolfe on four straight pitches.