The eventual world champion Brooklyn Dodgers of 1955 led in each of their first 25 games. Their first road loss was at Wrigley Field, and the next night at Milwaukee County Stadium, they never led–for the first time that season–and lost 2-1 to the Braves.
1. The first loss
April 22 after Brooklyn had won its first 10 games. The loss was at Ebbets Field to the hated New York Giants, who rallied for five runs in the eighth to win 5-4.
2. The second loss
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Slumping horribly now, the Dodgers lost to the Giants two days later 11-10 in 10 innings, blowing a 5-3 lead when Alvin Dark homered to tie the game 5-5 in the ninth. The Giants scored six in the 10th, but the Dodgers rallied for five in their half and had two on when Carl Furillo popped out to end it.
3. The third loss
Brooklynwon 11 straight April 27 through May 10. But the next day, after taking a 2-0 lead in the first at Wrigley Field, the Dodgers gave up five runs in the bottom half — four on the first of Ernie Banks’ five 1955 grand slams–and lost to the Cubs 10-8. Russ Meyer, who had beaten the Cubs 17 straight times, got the loss.
4. That game in Milwaukee
With 39,155 on hand, Henry Aaron’s homer off Carl Erskine gave the Braves a 1-0 lead in the second before the Dodgers tied it in the fourth on a Sandy Amoros home run. That was it until Del Crandall’s game-winning homer in the 12th. Brooklyn had “dipped” to 22-4.
5. The lineup
The batting order most frequently used by manager Walter Alston during the Dodgers’ amazing start:
2B: Junior Gilliam
SS: Pee Wee Reese
CF: Duke Snider
C: Roy Campanella
LF: Amoros
1B: Gil Hodges
3B: Jackie Robinson
RF: Furillo
The pitcher