Damn Yankees by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Damn Yankees

Page 181

strikeouts - 124, and shutouts – 6. He finished 11th in AL Most Valuable Player voting.

Facing the Washington Senators in his first start of 1949 on April 20, Raschi held them to three hits in a 3–0 victory. On May 18, Raschi allowed just two hits in a shutout of the defending champion Indians. Against the White Sox on June 1, he limited Chicago to three hits in a 3–0 shutout victory. At midseason, he was selected to the All-Star Game, throwing three scoreless innings in the AL's 11–7 win. He was 15–3 with a 2.55 ERA through July 21, but he went 2–6 over his next 10 games,

posting a 5.58 ERA from that date through the end of August. On August 4, he pitched 11 innings against the Tigers, allowing three runs in 3–2 loss. He had a 3.30 ERA in September, losing once in five decisions. In 1949, the pennant race between the Yankees and the Red Sox came down to the final day of the season,

October 2 at Yankee Stadium. Pitching for New York, Raschi held the Red Sox scoreless for eight innings, clinging to a one run lead until the Yankees scored four runs in the eighth. He gave up three runs in the ninth but persevered, retiring Birdie Tebbetts on a pop fly to end the game as the Yankees prevailed by a score of 5–3. Raschi went 21–10 in 1949, finishing among the AL leaders in wins, winning percentage - .677, ERA - 3.34,