Philly Tops St. Louis in Extras, One Win Away

Eric McNair had two key hits, and both starters turned in great performances, but a 10th-inning mental mistake sealed a 3-2 Philadelphia Athletics victory, putting them up 3-1 and just a win away from a World Series victory over the 1931 St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals struck first with a 1st inning RBI single from Frankie Frisch against Roy Mahaffey. McNair, hitting just .149 in the Tournament, had RBI singles off Syl Johnson in the 5th and 7th to give Philadelphia a 2-1 lead. Chick Hafey came through to tie things in the 8th with his 1st hit of the game, driving in Jim Bottomley who had tripled. Mahaffey finished allowing just 2 runs while scattering 11 hits in 7 1/3 innings. Johnson allowed just 8 hits and 2 runs in 7 innings for St. Louis. Cardinals reliever Allyn Stout loaded the bases with back-to-back two-out walks in the 9th, but got Jimmy Dykes to ground out to end the inning. Mickey Cochrane led off the 10th with a double off Stout. Al Simmons singled Cochrane to 3rd, and Jimmy Foxx hit a flyball to left to score him. Foxx finished 0 for 3 and is hitting just .229 in the Tournament. Lew Krausse entered his 3rd inning of relief, retiring Frisch and Bottomley. But Hafey hit a double, putting the tying run on 2nd. Hafey took a wide lead at 2nd in hopes of scoring on a base hit, but Krausse threw behind him to catch him off the base, ending the game and stunning Cardinals fans. The Cardinals will need to beat Lefty Grove tomorrow, in a rematch of the Game 1 starters.

’31 Athletics @ ’31 Cardinals – 10/19/23

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