The story of the Yankees’ craziest game of 1952

After dropping the opening game of a double header on August 13, 1952, Bob Kuzava got the start for the Yankees in the second game. The Senators won the first game 12-4, scoring six off Yankees’ starter Vic Raschi.

Kuzava started the game off for the Yankee with a scoreless inning in the top of the first. In the bottom of the first, Hank Bauer and Phil Rizutto hit two straight singles to start things off. After Mickey Mantle flew out, Yogi Berra drove home a run with a single. After a double, a Senators’ error, and a single, the Yankees ended the first inning with a 5-0 lead.

In the second inning, Gene Woodling drove home a run, already his third of the day, to give the Yankees a 6-0 lead. Kuzava came back out for the third and got two outs either side of a walk. He then issued a two-out walk to Jackie Jensen. The Senators then went single, single, walk, double, and chased Kuzava from the game. Jim McDonald came in and allowed another single. That tied the game. A six run Yankee lead was gone.

In the fourth, the Yankees retook the lead. Woodling reached on Mickey Vernon’s second error of the game. Rizzuto scored on the play, making it 7-6.

After that, the game settled down. Tom Gorman came in to pitch, as McDonald had been pinch hit for in the third. Gorman did quite a good job. Two Senators reached via error, and Gorman walked one, but going into the ninth, those were the only base runners he allowed.

However, down to their last out in the ninth, the Senators tied the game. Eddie Yost hit a solo home run off Gorman, keeping Washington alive. The Yankees couldn’t win the game in the ninth, and it went into extra innings.

Gorman remained in the game for the Yankees and threw scoreless innings in the 10th and 11th. In the bottom of the 11th, the Yankees squandered a chance to win the game. After a one out single by Mantle, he moved to third on a wild pitch. The Senators then intentionally walked both Berra and Joe Collins to load the bases. Irv Noren and Gil McDougald both had chances to win the game, but they popped out and struck out to end the inning.

After a scoreless inning for both sides in the 12th, Gorman allowed a lead off walk to start the 13th. After a force out at second on a grounder, Vernon atoned for his earlier errors, and hit a two run home run. After having a 6-0 lead and a lead with two outs in the ninth, the Yankees were now losing 9-7.

The Yankees still had a chance in the bottom of the 13th, and Rizzuto started things off with a double. After Mantle walked, Berra singled, scoring a run. Collins hit a sac fly, scoring Mantle to tie the game. After an intentional walk and a single, Billy Martin came to the plate. The Yankees won this game when Martin squeeze bunted a run home. After 13 innings, the Yankees won 10-9.

Gorman’s final line was 10 innings pitched, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks.

The Yankees won the 1952 World Series in seven games over the Dodgers. They probably didn’t play a wilder game than the second one on August 13, 1952.

Sources

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA195208132.shtml