1934 Cardinals vs. 1948 Indians Game 5

With his team still in a deep hole, Lou Boudreau called on his star rookie southpaw Gene Bearden to start Game 5. Frankie Frisch gave the ball to Dizzy Dean, who had thus far in the tournament allowed only one earned run in 23 innings. The Cardinals were confident they could wrap up the series with their 30-game winner on the mound.

This optimism increased when Pepper Martin led off the game with a double and later scored on a Ripper Collins groundout. The Indians, however, had other plans. In the bottom of the first they tagged Ol' Diz for five runs, with Boudreau and Keltner contributing RBI doubles and Gordon belting a two-run homer. St. Louis garnered an unearned run in the second, but Cleveland soon answered when Larry Doby scored on a wild pitch.

The Cardinals roughed up Bearden with four straight hits in the top of the sixth to cut the deficit to 6-5. Dale Mitchell pushed the lead back to two in the bottom of the frame with an RBI double. Rothrock delivered an RBI single for the visitors in the seventh, but a Keltner home run and Hegan sac fly plated two more for the Indians. In the top of the eighth, Cleveland reliever Steve Gromek allowed two hits and three walks, which the Redbirds converted into two runs. With the home team again clinging to a one-run lead, Boudreau stuck with Gromek in the ninth. The right-hander rebounded to send the Cardinals down in order and preserve the win.

The momentum has shifted as the series moves back to St. Louis for Game 6.

Cleveland 9, St. Louis 8

1934 Cardinals vs. 1948 Indians Game 4

With their backs to the wall, the Indians turned to Bob Feller to stave off elimination. With a three-game lead in the series, St. Louis decided to save Dizzy Dean and start Tex Carleton (16-11, 4.26 ERA) in Game 4. What followed was an offensive explosion in which both teams combined for 28 hits.

The Cardinals struck early with an RBI double from Frankie Frisch and an RBI single from Joe Medwick in the top of the first. Cleveland claimed the lead in the bottom of the first when Ken Keltner belted a three-run homer. Leo Durocher drilled a solo shot in the top of the fourth to tie the game. With Carleton removed for a pinch hitter, Bill Hallahan came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth. The St. Louis lefty stepped into a nightmare inning that began with a Ripper Collins error that allowed Wally Judnich to reach. Eddie Robinson followed with a home run. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases for Boudreau, who drew a walk to drive in another. Keltner popped out, but Joe Gorden blasted a grand slam into the left field seats to put Cleveland up by seven.

Durocher singled in a run in the top of the fifth to chip away at the lead, but another Collins error and two sac flies allowed Cleveland to answer in the bottom of the frame. Cleveland added another run in the sixth on a Boudreau RBI single. Pepper Martin homered in the top of the eighth for the Cards, but the Indians plated two runs off Jim Mooney in the bottom of that frame to complete the drubbing of the visitors.

The Indians hitters hope to continue their momentum in Game 5 at Municipal Stadium. The Redbirds hope to wrap things up with Dizzy Dean ready to go.

Cleveland 14, St. Louis 5

1934 Cardinals vs. 1948 Indians Game 3

Looking to get his team back on track, Lou Boudreau called on 20-game winner Bob Lemon to start Game 3. Frankie Frisch gave the ball to his effective southpaw Bill Walker (12-4, 3.12 ERA).

Cleveland jumped out to an early lead when Joe Gordon lined a double into the left-center field gap to drive in two in the bottom of the first. Two innings later, Ken Keltner belted a solo homer to increase the home team's lead to three. In the top of the fourth, back-to-back-to-back hits from Ripper Collins, Joe Medwick, and Bill DeLancey plated two runs for the Redbirds. Following a groundout and a dropped foul pop by Indians catcher Joe Tipton, Jack Rothrock sliced a double down the left field line to drive in the tying run.

The game remained knotted at three into the eighth inning. In the top of that frame, singles by Frisch and Medwick and a double from DeLancey gave St. Louis the lead. Satchel Paige came on to relieve Lemon, but Orsatti greeted him with a double that scored two more for the Cards. Cleveland narrowed the deficit in the bottom of the eighth when Eddie Robinson singled to drive in Keltner. But Medwick tagged Paige for a two-run homer to right in the top of the ninth to increase the Redbird lead to four. Jesse "Pop" Haines retired the Indians in order in the ninth to close out the victory.

The series returns to Municipal Stadium for Game 4 with the Cardinals up three games to none.

St. Louis 8, Cleveland 4

1934 Cardinals vs. 1948 Indians Game 2

The second game of the championship series featured a matchup of star rookie pitchers: Gene Bearden (20-7, 2.43 ERA) vs. Paul Dean (19-11, 3.43 ERA). Both young hurlers were up to the challenge.

In the top of the third, Cleveland catcher Jim Hegan led off with a double and advanced to third on Bearden's sacrifice bunt. But Dale Mitchell lined into a double play to end the threat. In the bottom of the fifth, St. Louis loaded the bases with two outs but could not score. An inning later, singles by Medwick and Rothrock put Cardinals at the corners with just one out. Cleveland pulled the infield in, a move that proved wise after Eddie Robinson fielded an Orsatti grounder and gunned down Medwick at the plate. Bearden looked like he would escape the frame unscathed, but Spud Davis followed with a two-out double to drive in two runs for the home team. That was all Dean needed as he allowed only two hits in a masterful complete-game shutout.

After the game, Dizzy Dean (who gave up only one run in winning Game 1) told his brother Paul, "If I'd have known you was gonna throw a shutout, I'd have thrown one too!" The series moves to Cleveland for Game 3 with the Cardinals up two games to none.

St. Louis 2, Cleveland 0

1934 Cardinals vs. 1948 Indians Game 1

As the higher seed, the 1934 Cardinals will host the first two games of the best-of-seven championship series at Sportsman's Park. The next three games (if Game 5 is necessary) will be played in Cleveland and the final two games, if needed, will be in St. Louis again. The opening game featured a matchup of Hall of Fame fireballers, Dizzy Dean vs. Bob Feller.

The Cardinals jumped out to an early lead when Ripper Collins doubled with two outs in the bottom of the first. Catcher Bill Delancey then launched a drive that just cleared the right field screen to put St. Louis up 2-0. Feller settled down after that and did not allow another run through his five innings. Cleveland reliever Bob Muncrief followed with three scoreless frames to keep the game close.

Dean continued his mound dominance, taking a no-hitter into the seventh when Lou Boudreau beat out an infield single. Ol' Diz did not allow a run through eight innings, marking 22 scoreless frames thus far in the tournament. In the top of the ninth, Wally Judnich (pinch hitting for Jim Hegan) led off with a double. Hank Edwards (pinch hitting for Muncrief) followed with a single to put men at the corners with nobody out. Dale Mitchell then hit a sacrifice fly to right that scored Cleveland's first run. Larry Doby came to the plate representing the go-ahead run, but grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the game.

The Indians will look to even the series in Game 2.

St. Louis 2, Cleveland 1

Yankees vs. Indians Game 3

The Yankees-Indians semifinal matchup moved back to Yankee Stadium in 1927 for the deciding game of the best-of-three series. The visitors started Hall of Famer Bob Lemon (20-14, 2.82 ERA), while the home team countered with Urban Shocker (18-6, 2.84 ERA). 

Cleveland's MVP player-manager Lou Boudreau opened the scoring with a solo shot into the left field seats in the top of the first. An Earle Combs walk and Mark Koenig double gave New York men at second and third with nobody out in the bottom of the first. But Lemon struck out Babe Ruth and (after a walk to Gehrig) retired Meusel on a shallow fly and Lazzeri on a groundout to end the threat. In the top of the second, Cleveland scored three more when Gordon doubled, Robinson singled, Hegan reached on an error, and Lemon doubled.

Yankee fans grew restless as the visitors held their 4-0 advantage into the sixth. In the bottom of that frame, Ruth walked and Gehrig singled. Meusel then ripped a double into the gap in left-center to plate two runs for the Bombers. But in the top of the seventh, Ken Keltner doubled home Larry Doby to push the Cleveland lead back to three. Bob Lemon remained in command, but after he surrendered a double to Lazzeri to start the bottom of the ninth, Boudreau summoned Russ Christopher from the bullpen. After allowing a single to Dugan, Christopher retired the next two Yankee batters. Combs then singled to cut the deficit to two and put the tying run on base. But Christopher retired Koenig on a fly to center to end the game with Ruth in the on-deck circle.

Cleveland completes the surprising upset of Murderers' Row to advance to the tournament finals against the Gas House Gang.

1948 Indians 5, 1927 Yankees 3

Up next, Game 1 of the championship round!

Cardinals vs. Stars Game 2

Shibe Park in Philadelphia hosted Game 2 of the Cardinals-Stars semifinal matchup. After the marathon pitchers' duel in the series opener, batters were happy that Slim Jones and Dizzy Dean would not be playing in this game. But Philadelphia deployed another excellent southpaw hurler in Lefty Jones and St. Louis started another Dean on the mound: Dizzy's brother Paul.

Pepper Martin opened the game with a single and Frankie Frisch followed by drawing a walk. Ripper Collins then lifted a slicing fly ball to right that bounded off Jake Dunn's glove and rolled into the corner, allowing two runs to score. Following a sacrifice bunt, Jack Rothrock singled to give St. Louis an early 3-0 lead. In the second, Leo Durocher doubled, advanced to third on Dean's sac bunt, and scored on a Pepper Martin grounder to short.

Philadelphia got on the board in the third after Dick Seay walked and came around on a double by Holmes. Two batters later, Chaney White doubled to plate Holmes and cut the deficit to two. Paul Dean, however, was lights out the rest of the way. The young Cardinal hurler allowed only two singles after the third inning to pick up the complete-game victory.

The Gas House Gang sweeps the best two-of-three series and advances to the finals of the Tournament of Champions.

1934 Cardinals 4, 1934 Stars 2

Next up, the deciding Game 3 between the 1927 Yankees and 1948 Indians.