Boston Red Sox history: 4 greatest performances in a losing effort
By Kevin Henry
Ted Williams accomplished many amazing feats in his Hall of Fame career and, yes, one of his finest games happened in a losing effort.
Remembering the time Ted Williams mashed as the Boston Red Sox lost to the Detroit Tigers
The year was 1954 and the Red Sox were on their way to a 69-85 record, despite having one of the game’s best hitters in their lineup. However, in the third game of the season, no one knew what was coming later in the year. They just knew that Williams could still hit the ball like few others.
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On the second day of the season (May 16), the Red Sox were in Detroit to take on the Tigers. In a doubleheader, Boston lost the first game 7-6 as Williams went 3-for-4 from the plate. However, it is what he did in the second game that will go down in history as one of his most productive games.
Playing at Briggs Stadium, Williams went 5-for-5 with two singles, a double, and two home runs (totaling 12 bases) and logged five RBI. However, the Tigers would score a run with two outs in the bottom of the 14th to post a 9-8 win.
Interesting note: Including this monster of a game, Williams would bat .408 with a 1.288 OPS in the opening month of the season and finish the season with a .345 batting average and 1.148 OPS.