Cards Rout Cubs, Force Best of 7 Series

Facing an early deficit in the 3rd inning of a do-or-die game, Jim Bottomley hit a 3-run home run off 1935 Chicago Cubs starter Bill Lee to give the 1931 St. Louis Cardinals the lead. It was Bottomley’s 1st homer of the Tournament. It came after Cubs shortstop Billy Jurges bobbled a grounder that could have ended the inning. The game stayed close until the 7th, when the Cardinals piled on more runs. Cubs reliever Roy Henshaw couldn’t stop the bleeding as St. Louis scored 5 runs, 4 of them charged to Lee. A Billy Herman error in the 9th led to two more unearned runs, giving the Cardinals an 11-3 victory. Bottomley finished 2 for 5 with 4 RBI. Bill Hallahan went the distance for St. Louis, allowing 3 runs on 11 hits. The victory took the series for the Cardinals. Now, with both teams having one losing series, they’ll face off in a Best of Seven to see who advances to the World Series to face the 1931 Philadelphia Athletics.

Cardinals @ Cubs – 10/5/23