Indians vs. Yankees

On Friday, August 27, 1948, the Cleveland Indians arrived in New York to start a three-game series against the Yankees. With the season about to enter the home stretch, these two teams and the Boston Red Sox were all within one game of each other for the lead in the American League standings. For this replay, I used the lineup from the series opener with Bob Feller starting for the Indians and Vic Raschi starting for the Yankees.

Both pitchers were sharp out of the gate, each allowing only one hit and zero runs over the first three frames. Feller even struck out the side in the third. In the top of the fourth, Cleveland shortstop (and manager) Lou Boudreau connected for a solo homer into the left field seats. In the bottom of the frame, Yankee first baseman Tommy Henrich singled with one out. Joe DiMaggio followed with a double down the left field line to tie the game.

Tension mounted over the following innings as neither offense could break through with the go-ahead run. With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Charlie Keller and Phil Rizzuto delivered back-to-back singles. Feller then walked catcher Gus Niarhos to load the bases. Yankee skipper Bucky Harris summoned Johnny Lindell to pinch hit for Raschi. With the game on the line, Raschi slapped a grounder to first. Eddie Robinson fielded it and threw home to force out the runner and keep the game tied. Feller then retired Snuffy Stirnweiss to end the threat.

The game remained tied heading into the ninth. With one out in the top of the frame, Cleveland centerfielder Larry Doby lifted a fly ball to right that would not have cleared the wall in most ballparks. But it found the front row of the short right field porch at Yankee Stadium to give the Indians the lead. With Feller starting to tire, Boudreau called on Satchel Paige for the bottom of the ninth. The move looked like it might backfire when Berra led off with a single, but Paige rebounded to strike out Keller and Rizzuto. Harris then brought in lefty-batting George McQuinn to pinch hit for Niarhos. The veteran Paige retired McQuinn on a grounder to first to save the Cleveland victory. Feller picked up the win with seven strikeouts and only six hits allowed in his eight innings.

Cleveland 2, New York 1

Historical Note: Cleveland won the real game that Feller and Raschi started 8-1. It was actually the first game of a doubleheader and the Yankees won the second game 7-2.