Virgil Trucks Pitches No-Hit Game: Senators Victims Of Detroit Hurler; Wertz Blasts Homer With Two Out in Ninth Inning For Only Score of Game, Daily Racing Form, 1952-05-16

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Virgil Trucks Pitches No-Hit Game Senators Victims Of Detroit Hurler Wertz Blasts Homer With Two Out in Ninth Inning For Only Score of Game By LLOYD NC THARD United Press Sports Writer DETROIT, Mich., May 15.— Virgil Trucks pitched the second no-hit, no-run game in Detroit Tiger history today in beating the Washington Senators, 1-0. Vic Wertz. homered in the ninth inning with two out for the only run of the game. I The 33-year-old fireballing righthander, | who once pitched a no -hitter at Buffalo only to lose in the 10th inning, recorded his first victory of the season today. He walked one, hit two other batters and a fourth Washington player reached base on an error. Otherwise, Washington was completely futile against his power-pitching. George Mullin was the only other Tiger pitcher to toss a no-hitter, turning back the St. Louis Browns on Independence Day in 1912. The last no-hitter at Briggs Stadium was recorded by Bob Lemon of the Cleveland Indians on June 30, 1948. It was the first no-hitter of this season. For the second straight day, Wertz provided the game-winning puncHV His home run today was a drive into the upper seats in right field with the count one ball and no strikes. It was his seventh four-bagger of the season and broke up a brilliant pitching duel between Trucks and Bob Porter-field. Picked Off of Second Porterfield turned back the Tigers with ease through the first five innings and gave up his first hit, a single by George Kell, with two out in the sixth. Wertz doubled to lead off the seventh but was picked off second and Trucks beat out an infield single in the eighth for the only hits off Porter-field until the game-winning homer. After retiring the first five batters, Trucks saw Gil Coan reach second when Gerry Priddy fumbled his grounder and then threw wildly to first base. Trucks hit Eddie Yost with two out in the third and nicked Jim Busby with two out in the sixth. He walked Clyde Klutzz in the eighth and turned back the last five Senators to face him. He struck out seven, two more than Porterfield, who walked two. It was the second near-perfect performance by a Detroit pitcher this season. Young Art Houtteman had a no-hitter against Cleveland on April 26 until Harry Simpson lined a single to left field with two out in the ninth. By winning, the last-place Tigers equalled their longest winning streak of the season, two games in a row. Trucks had lost two starts before today and Porterfield had won three and lost three. Ironically, only 2,215 fans were on hand to watch Trucks pitch his no -hitter. It was the smallest crowd of the season at Briggs Stadium. Score by innings: R. H.E. WASHINGTON 000 000 000 — 0 0 0 DETROIT 000 000 001 — 1 4 3 Errors — Priddy 3. Runs batted in— Wertz. Two-base hit— Wertz. Home run — Wertz. Left on base — Washington 4, Detroit 4. Bases on balls — Porterfield 2, Trucks 1. Struck out— Porterfield 5, Trucks 7. Winning pitcher — Trucks 1-2. Losing pitcher — Porterfield 3-4.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1952051601/drf1952051601_2_1
Local Identifier: drf1952051601_2_1
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800