Sal the Barber Maglie paces New York Giants to win in baseball game July 21, 1954 on a Wednesday in Wrigley Field in Chicago before 12,190 fans A pitching duel between mound stars Sal Maglie of the New York Giants and Bob Rush of the Chicago Cubs ended on a pinch hit single by rookie Bill Taylor in the top-of-the 9th – giving the league leading Giants a 2-1 victory. By winning the Giants improved their National League 1954 record to 62-30 – 7 full games in front of Brooklyn. The Cubs meanwhile fell to 35-53 – 25 games off the pace. Both starting pitchers worked complete games The Giants have scored only 7 runs in the last 4 games and won 3 of those games Sal ‘the Barber’ Maglie (noted for his close shaves of opposing batters) scattered 4 hits, struck out 7, walked 3 and improved his 1954 record to 10-4. From the 3rd inning on he gave up only one single. Bob Rush was inducing groundouts and a strong Lake Michigan wind hampered long balls from the power-packed Giants bats. Throwing to rookie catcher El Tappe, the big right-handed Bob Rush struck out 1, walked 2, allowed 7 hits in his 9 innings on the mound. Chicago shortstop Ernie Banks gathered 7 fielding chances, 2nd baseman Gene Baker also had 7 and first baseman Dee Fondy had a whooping total of 16 fielding chances. Highlights: 2nd Inning Hank Sauer of the Chicago Cubs lofted a high fly over the right side of the infield, and the fly got caught in the strong wind and eluded Giants 2nd baseman Davey Williams. However, after this double by Sauer, no run scored. 3rd Inning Bob Talbot, rookie centerfielder, with one out, he walked and stole second base and continued to third base on an overthrow towards 2nd by All-Star catcher Wes Westrum. Gene Baker lined a single to left, scoring Bob Talbot. Cubs winning 1-0. 4th Inning Bobby Thompson, Giants star third baseman (batting third), doubled down the right field line and scored when cleanup hitter Monte Irvin signed to right. Tie Score 1-1. Top of 9th Inning Bobby Thompson walked, Monte Irvin sacrificed Thompson to 2nd. Don Mueller grounded out to ss Ernie Banks, and Bobby Thompson moved up to 3rd. Two outs and a runner on third - NY Centerfielder Dusty Rhodes (hitting around .330 for 1954) strode into the batters box and was given an intentional walk. Giants runners on 1st and 3rd with 2 men out. NY manager Leo Durocher decides to replace Davey Williams with a pinch-hitter - Bill Taylor, a rookie out of Chapman, Alabama USA. The left-handed hitting Bill Taylor lined a single over 2nd base scoring Bobby Thompson. Giants leading 2-1 Last of the 9th Cubs fail to score NY Giants win 2-1 July 21 1954 Baseball Game Newspaper Clipping Archives Page 132 |
