Burleigh Grimes and the Cardinals took a 3-0 lead into the 6th thanks in part to a 2-run home run by Pepper Martin, but they nearly blew it thanks to poor fielding. Errors by infielders Sparky Adams, Charlie Gelbert, and Jake Flowers led to two unearned runs in the inning. New York slugger Mel Ott hit a 2-run homer in the 8th to give the Giants the lead. The Cardinals got one back in the bottom of the 8th against starter Hal Schumacher, but reliever Jim Bowman prevented any more that inning. With 2 out in the 9th, George Watkins hit a triple to drive in pinch-hitter Taylor Douthit to tie the game. Cardinals reliever Jim Lindsey walked three straigtht to load the bases in the 10th, but escaped without allowing a run. In the Cardinals half, Jim Bottomley walked to bring up Chick Hafey. Hafey took the 1st pitch just over the wall for the walkoff 2-run shot to give the Cardinals a 7-5 win. The teams are now tied at a game a piece and will head to New York for the next two games in the best-of-five series. Frankie Frisch is expected to miss around a week after a collision with Charlie Gelbert in the 4th.

’34 Giants @ ’31 Cardinals – 9/9/23

Cincinnati’s Wally Berger hit a 2-run home run in the 2nd inning, but Paul Derringer ran into trouble against the Chicago Cubs offense in the 4th and 5th as the Reds dropped their 2nd straight game to the Cubs, this one 6-3. The Cubs started the 4th with 4 straight singles, led by Gabby Hartnett, to score 2 runs and take a 3-2 lead. The next inning, Chuck Klein hit a 2-run homer, and the Cubs scored 3 more runs. Lon Warneke scattered 7 hits in a complete game, allowing just 3 runs to earn a win in his 1st start of the Tournament. Derringer allowed 12 hits and 4 earned runs in 6 innings of work. The series will now head to Cincinnati with the Cubs in control of the series 2-0. Billy Herman went 3 for 4 for the 2nd straight game.

’39 Reds @ ’35 Cubs – 9/9/23

After Detroit Tigers’ Gee Walker hit a 2-run home run off Rube Walberg in the 5th to take a 2-1 lead, the Athletics had a pep talk when they were back in the dugout. In the 7th, the pep talk payed off. Dib Williams homered to lead off the inning against Schoolboy Rowe, and the next 8 Athletics hitters reached base, aided by a 3-run homer by Mickey Cochrane on the 1st pitch that reliever Vic Sorrell sent towards home plate. The 8-run inning saw three different Detroit pitchers. The Tigers put up a fight in the 9th, scoring 3 runs off Walberg to chase him from the game, but it was too little too late. Reliever Hank McDonald retired 3 straight Tiger hitters to end the game with a 9-5 win. Al Simmons went 4 for 5 in the game. Leadoff hitter Max Bishop was the only hitless Athletics hitter, but he did walk 3 times.

’35 Tigers @ ’31 Athletics – 9/9/23

Washington starter Lefty Stewart held the New York Yankees to just 5 hits and 1 earned run in 8 1/3 innings, and the Senators had some 9th-inning magic for the 2nd straight game as they topped New York 3-2 at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees took advantage of 3 singles and an error to score in the 1st inning, but Tommy Henrich gunned down Red Rolfe tagging up at the plate to end any further damage. Lefty Gomez shut down the Senators’ offense for 8 innings, taking a 1-0 shutout into the 9th, until Goose Goslin drew a walk and Joe Cronin singled to chase the starter. Reliever Marius Russo got Fred Schulte to pop out before walking Joe Kuhel to load the bases and Dave Harris to tie the game. Two batters later, Luke Sewell hit a 2-run single to give Washington a 3-1 lead. But Joe Cronin bobbled an easy grounder, and reliever Bobby Burke walked the bases loaded with one out to give New York a chance. Babe Dahlgren hit a long flyout to score one run, but Frankie Crosetti grounded out to end the game. It’s the 2nd straight game that the Yankees have blown their chance in the 9th. They now head to Washington down 2 games to 0. Washington reliever Jack Russell will miss some time after leaving with elbow inflammation while warming up to come into the game.

’33 Senators @ ’39 Yankees – 9/9/23

St. Louis Cardinals starter Bill Hallahan allowed just 7 hits in 8 1/3 inning against the New York Giants. Unfortunately, 3 of those hits were home runs. That combined with a great performance by Carl Hubbell spoiled the 1st game of the Tournament for the Cardinals, as they lost 4-2. The Giants got on the board in the 3rd when Gus Mancuso hit a solo home run. The next inning, Lefty O’Doul hit a 2-run shot. Hallahan retired the next 12 batters, which gave St. Louis a chance. A Blondy Ryan error led to one run for the Redbirds in the 5th, and Pepper Martin hit an RBI single in the 7th to cut the New York lead to 3-2. But Mel Ott took Hallahan deep in the 9th to put an end to his day. Hubbell allowed just that one earned run in his complete game victory, holding the Cardinals to 7 hits. St. Louis will hope to bounce back tomorrow as the Giants try to get up 2 games to 0.

’34 Giants @ ’31 Cardinals – 9/8/23

Cincinnati Reds starter Bucky Walters struggled against the Chicago Cubs, blowing a 4-0 lead en route to a 10-5 Chicago victory. Frank McCormick continued his hot streak for Cincy, driving in 2 runs for the Reds with a 1st inning single and adding another RBI in the 3rd. McCormick is hitting .522 with 10 RBI so far in the tournament. The Reds loaded the bases with no out in the 4th against Bill Lee, but a Lee Gamble Sac Fly was all they would show for it. In the bottom of the inning, Walters walked the bases loaded before Freddie Lindstrom cleared the bases with a triple. Lindstrom later scored thanks to Lonny Frey’s misplay of an easy grounder that tied the game. Billy Herman broke the tie in the 6th with a 3-run homer over the ivy in left. Billy Myers’ error in the 8th opened the door for 3 unearned runs for Chicago off reliever Johnny Vander Meer. Overall, Walters walked 6 in 7 innings, allowing 6 earned runs. The Reds weren’t quite as efficient on offense. Lee allowed 12 hits in 7 innings for the Reds, who could only plate 5. Herman finished 3 for 4. The Reds hope to rebound in tomorrow’s game, while Chicago will try to put them on the brink of a trip to the loser’s bracket.

’39 Reds @ ’35 Cubs – 9/8/23

Philadelphia ace Lefty Grove took a 3-hit shutout into the 8th, but the Detroit Tigers finally broke out, topping the Athletics 4-2 to take the 1st game of the series between the two teams. Mule Haas and Bing Miller led the Philly offense, each going 3 for 4. Haas had a triple and scored the 1st Athletics run in the 1st inning. The A’s lead 2-0 heading into the 8th. Grove struck out Gee Walker to lead off the 8th, his 6th K of the game. But Jo-jo White and Marv Owen hit back-to-back singles to get the rally started. Leadoff man Pete Fox followed with a game-tying double, and Mickey Cochrane singled to chase Grove. Eddie Rommel relieved but didn’t fare much better, allowing RBI singles to Charlie Gehringer and Hank Greenberg. Haas gunned down Gehringer going for 3rd on the Greenberg single before heavy rain delayed the game for 17 minutes. Rommel returned after the delay to escape the inning. Tommy Bridges scattered 10 hits and escaped some trouble, allowing just those 2 runs in 8 innings. The A’s chased Bridges in the 9th when Miller doubled, and Jimmy Dykes drew a walk. Roxie Lawson shut down the threat, retiring 3 straight for the save. The start of the game had been delayed by heavy rain for an hour.

’35 Tigers @ ’31 Athletics – 9/8/23

After needing a Game 5 win yesterday just to advance, the 1933 Washington Nationals came into the series with the 1939 New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium as heavy underdogs. A rare showing of power and some good pitching by General Crowder gave Washington an early series lead. Crowder allowed 3 runs on 8 hits while striking out 6 in his complete-game victory. Two of his allowed runs came when the Yankees put together 4 straight hits in the 4th inning. The Yankees Red Ruffing allowed just 5 hits, but walked 6 Nationals. But 2 of those hits were key home runs. Ossie Blueage hit a 2-run homer in the 7th to tie the game, and Joe Kuhel added a solo shot in the 9th for the go-ahead run. It was the 1st two home runs of the tournament for the Nationals. Jack Russell pitched a scoreless 9th to give Washington the 4-3 victory. Joe DiMaggio was hitless in 4 at-bats. DiMaggio struck out and grounded into a double play in his 1st game.

’33 Nationals @ ’39 Yankees – 9/8/23

It wasn’t pretty, but Washington’s Earl Whitehill pitched out of trouble several times to lead the Nationals to a 6-2 victory over the 1939 Boston Red Sox to advance in the Baseball Maelstrom Best of the 30s Tournament. It started early as Boston loaded the bases with one out in the 1st. But Joe Cronin struck out for the 1st of 3 times in the game, and Lou Finney popped up to Ossie Blueage. The Red Sox would have runners on in every inning that Whitehill pitched, but they couldn’t seem to do anything with them. Meanwhile, Lefty Grove allowed just 7 hits and struck out 7 in his 7 innings of work, but bad timing doomed him and Boston’s hopes. Grove allowed 6 straight baserunners in the 3rd inning, including 3 of his 4 walks to allow Washington to open up a 3-0 lead. Boston finally got to Whitehill in the 7th with back-to-back triples from Doc Cramer and Jimmie Foxx to cut the lead to 3-2. But in the 8th, the Nationals strung together 3 straight hits with 2 outs to score 3 more runs off reliever Emerson Dickman. Alex McColl pitched a perfect 9th to give Washington the win. As the Red Sox head home, the Nationals advance to play the 1939 New York Yankees in the real 1st round of the Tournament. The game was a rematch of the Game 1 starters with the same result.

’39 Red Sox @ ’33 Nationals – 9/7/23

Billy Werber was 3 for 4 with a walk, a home run, and 2 RBI, and Frank McCormick had a bases-loaded triple to lead the Cincinnati Reds over the Pittsburgh Pirates to advance to the next round of the Baseball Maelstrom Best of the 30s Tournament. The teams traded runs early against starters Lee Grissom and Bob Klinger before the 7th. That’s when Klinger walked 3 Reds to load the bases. Klinger struck out Ival Goodman, but Frank McCormick followed with the bases-clearing triple to give Cincinnati the 6-2 lead and eventual victory. Grissom finished with just two earned runs on 7 hits in 7 innings for the Reds. The loss eliminates the 1938 Pittsburgh Pirates from the tournament. The Reds will advance to play the top-seeded 1935 Chicago Cubs. Werber increased his average to .471 in the Tournament, while McCormick is batting .556. Lloyd Waner finished the Tournament with a disappointing .062 average.

’39 Reds @ ’38 Pirates – 9/5/23