Red Sox miss Braves in crosstown clash
A positive is a delightful way to start, but it did become negative. Boston and Cleveland tussled in 1948 for the American League title. The Red Sox were in somewhat of a Golden Age, winning in 1946, flopping in 1947, and recovering in 1948.
The battle lines for Cleveland and Boston came down to the end of the season. Cleveland lost two of three to the Tigers, and the Yankees were in Boston for a pair. Boston won the first game, and the second was necessary to the Sox.
The Yankees were in the mix all season; were out of it at his point but could give Boston a nose bleed. Boston hammered four New York hurlers for 15 hits and ten runs, resulting in Cleveland and Boston going cleat to cleat in a one-game playoff.
Boston started journeyman Denny Galehouse in a bizarre move. Galehouse and later Elis Kinder got pounded, and Cleveland got the flag. That put the kibosh on a subway series as the Braves won the National League pennant.
Still, it did represent a necessary beat down of the Yankees when needed most. That set the stage for a similar situation in 1949.