Yankees ace Red Ruffing allowed just 1 run on 5 hits in a complete game victory over the 1935 Detroit Tigers. The real story was the Yankees offense. New York came into the 1st game of this elimination bracket series with the lowest batting average in the American League, after being swept by the Washington Nationals in 3 games. Today, the Yankees hitters waited for their pitches, and the patience paid off. Detroit’s Elden Auker walked the bases loaded in the 3rd, and Joe DiMaggio hit a triple to put the 1st 3 runs on the board for New York. In the 5th, the Yankees scored 3 more on a Charlie Keller 3-run homer that took advantage of the short rightfield line. The next inning, George Selkirk got in on the action, capping another 3-run inning with a 2-run shot of his own. Hank Greenberg’s 8th inning sacrifice fly was the lone Tiger run. DiMaggio has been slumping to start the tournament, but went 2 for 4. Ruffing has now allowed just 5 hits in each of his 1st two complete game starts. Yankees fans are hoping that this is just the start as the team tries to work their way back up in the Tournament.

’35 Tigers @ ’39 Yankees – 9/15/23

Burleigh Grimes earned his 1st win of the tournament, as the 1931 St. Louis Cardinals battered the 1935 Chicago Cubs 11-4 at Wrigley Field to hand them their 1st loss. The Cubs had swept the 1939 Cincinnati Reds in the 1st round. Grimes allowed just a run in the 1st 6 innings to give St. Louis a chance to build a lead. Pepper Martin got the scoring going against Bill Lee, hitting a solo home run to lead off the 4th. The Cardinals built a 5-1 lead, scoring 2 runs in the 5th and 6th innings. Billy Jurges made a costly error in the 8th that lead to two more St. Louis runs. Phil Cavaretta hit a 2-run single to cut the lead to 7-4, but that’s as close as Chicago would get, as reliever Hugh Casey allowed 4 hits and walked 3 in a 4-run 9th. Jimmie Wilson went 3 for 5 and drove in 3 RBI for the Cardinals.

’31 Cardinals @ ’35 Cubs – 9/15/23

Roy Mahaffey allowed just 3 hits in 6 1/3 innings as the 1931 Philadelphia Athletics topped the 1933 Washington Nationals 6-2 to take the 1st game of their series. Mahaffey walked 6 and hit two batters, but the only run he allowed was unearned, as the Philadelphia defense helped him by turning four double plays. Washington lead-off hitter, Buddy Myer was the 2nd hit-by-pitch victim. This one, in the 7th with one out, led to both benches clearing. When order was restored, Myer and Mahaffey were ejected. Earl Whitehill allowed 4 hits and walked one with 3 outs in the 3rd as the Athletics scored 3 of their runs to take a lead they wouldn’t give up. Al Simmons was an offensive standout, going 3 for 3 with a walk. Mule Haas was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI.

’33 Senators @ ’31 Athletics – 9/15/23

A deciding Game 5 between the New York Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals, billed as a matchup of aces Carl Hubbell and Bill Hallahan, turned into an offensive show. Mel Ott hit his tournament-leading 5th home run, and the Giants took a 4-0 lead into the 4th. Pepper Martin led off a 3-run inning for the Cardinals with a solo homer and added a game-tying RBI double in the next inning. The teams traded runs over the next few innings. In the 8th, for the 2nd time in the game, Martin gunned down a Giants runner at the plate, this time to end the inning. Cardinals reliever Jim Lindsey pitched out of a jam in the 9th to keep the game tied at 6. Chick Hafey led off the bottom half with a single, and Jim Bottomley hit a walk-off double in the gap to take the series for the Cardinals. They’ll face the 1935 Chicago Cubs tomorrow, while the Giants will face the 1939 Reds in the Loser’s Bracket. Lefty O’Doul was injured running to 1st in the 5th inning. His replacement Johnny Vergez hit a solo shot in his 1st at-bat.

’34 Giants @ ’31 Cardinals – 9/14/23