Series 16: Black Caps take two of three from Rams

Black Caps 23-23, Rams 23-25

Game One: Black Caps 5, Rams 3
WP: Streeter (5-1)
LP: Stoner (1-1)
HR: Palm (7)

Game Two: Black Caps 5, Rams 2
WP: Holland (6-3)
LP: Collins (2-5)
Save: McDonald (2)

Game Three: Rams 6, Black Caps 5
WP: Holloway (5-2)
LP: Currie (2-3)
Save: Dauss (7)
HR: Blackwell (3)

Spoony Palm's two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth gave gave Sam Streeter a vultured win in relief in the opener. Phil Cockrell went eight innings, allowing two runs, but Hilton Smith and Streeter combined to allow Raymond to tie it in the top of the ninth. Lil Stoner, relieving Red Ruffing in the ninth, got the first batter, but then Art Pennington singled and Palm hit the game-winning homer.

Bill Holland came out of the bullpen to throw three innings of shutout ball to collect the win in the second game. Vic Harris went 4-for-5 with a run and two RBIs, and Jerry Benajmin scored twice.

The Rams jumped on Rube Currie in the finale for five runs in the first and another in the second. Phil Rizzuto had a three-run double in the big inning, which turned on a Dick Seay error on a likely double-play grounder. After Currie was hit for in the bottom of the second, the Black Caps got four shutout innings from Webster McDonald and three more from Streeter as they chipped away at the lead. Charles Blackwell hit a two-run homer, and Red Parnell had a pinch hit RBI double. Ken Holloway wriggled out of a first-and-third, one-out jam in the sixth, but the biggest escaped came in the ninth. The Black Caps, down a run, loaded the bases with no outs. But Hooks Dauss got Alec Radcliff and Pennington to pop up, and then got Bill Perkins on a grounder to third for the final out.

Pitcher availability: For the Orators, Ed Wells and Dauss each pitched one inning in the finale. All other relievers are fully rested. For the Black Caps: McDonald sits for five games. Williams, Holland, Cockrell and Streeter need two games to start, one to relieve. Currie should sit a game for either purpose.

Projected starters: Rams -- Perry-Ruffing-Whitehill-Collins-Perry-Ruffing. Black Caps -- Mathis-Drake-???