Damn Yankees by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview
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Damn Yankees
Page 207
out by third baseman Gil McDougald. In the eighth, Boudreau popped to Hank Bauer in short right for the first out. Hatfield then caught hold of one and Bauer made a nice catch in deep right. Robinson came closest to a hit. He backed Bauer against the seat railing in right for the catch. A few feet more and it would have been a home run.
The crowd was in a frenzy as the ninth began. The victory, which would clinch a tie for the pennant, was assured, for the Yanks had an 8-0 lead, but the fans wanted a no hitter.
Charlie Maxwell batted for relief pitcher Harry Taylor at the start of the ninth. Reynolds put over two quick strikes, then retired him on an easy grounder to second. He couldn't find the plate and walked Dom DiMaggio on four pitches for his fourth
pass. Pesky took a called third strike, Reynolds' ninth strikeout, and Williams, baseball's top hitter, came to the plate as the crowd was beside itself with excitement.
Reynolds' first pitch was a called strike. Williams swung at the next and lifted a towering foul behind the plate. Catcher Yogi Berra circled under it, misjudged it, finally dove for it and the ball hit the glove and bounced out as he sprawled to the ground. Reynolds, who had raced in, almost stepped on Yogi's hand when the catcher fell.