[abell1198]

Eight games on the schedule today, with four in each league. Let's look at the American League first, where the teams are playing Game 2 of their series. We're in New York first to see if the 1989 Oakland A's can repeat their Game 1 success against the 1927 New York Yankees. Dave Stewart (1-1, 3.71) is on the mound for Oakland. George Pipgras (2-0, 0.53) gets the start for New York. No scoring until the bottom of the 3rd, when Lou Gehrig takes a ball deep into right field for a home run, giving the Yankees a 1-0 lead. The score would remain until the top of the 7th, when Tony Phillips would homer over the left field wall to tie the game 1-1. Bob Shawkey (0-0, 2.25, 3 Sv, 4 G, 4 IP) is brought in to pitch the top of the 9th for the Yankees. Dave Henderson manages a base hit into right center to start the inning off. Phillips comes to the plate, but pops the ball up to Shawkey on a bunt attempt for the easy out. Luis Polonia then gets a single to put two men on. Mike Gallego comes up and flies out to right for the second out, but Henderson manages to tag up and advance to third. So, with two out and men on the corners, Rickey Henderson comes to the plate and delivers a two RBI double to give the A's the lead. Shawkey is pulled for Dutch Ruether (0-0, 2.70, 3 G, 3.1 IP), but Ruether gives up a triple to Carney Lansford, scoring Rickey. Jose Canseco pops out to end the inning. Oakland brings in Dennis Eckersley (0-0, 7.36, 3 G 3.2 IP, 1 Sv) to preserve their 4-1 lead. Eck is classic Eck, getting Gehrig to ground out 3-1, followed up with a strikeout of Babe Ruth on three pitches. Bob Meusel also goes down swinging. Unbelievable!! I thought for sure the Yankees would sweep this series, but now they're back on their heels as we head to Oakland for Game 3.

1989 Oakland A's 4 1927 New York Yankees 1 '89 A's lead series 2-0

To Baltimore we go, as the 1953 New York Yankees are trying to add to their series lead against the 1969 Baltimore Orioles. Johnny Sain (1-0, 1.17) is on the hill for the Yankees. Jim Palmer (1-0, 3.38) gets the start for the Orioles. This game was all Baltimore. Paul Blair would score a run in the bottom of the 2nd for an early 1-0 Orioles lead. Baltimore would break things open in the bottom of the 3rd, scoring five runs on six hits, highlighted by Brooks Robinson's two run shot to left. Merv Rettenmund would hit a solo shot to left center in the bottom of the 7th. Palmer pitches 8.1 innings, allowing six hits. He struck out 11 and walked two.

1969 Baltimore Orioles 7 1953 New York Yankees 0 Series tied 1-1

Back to New York for the match up between the 1936 New York Yankees and the 1939 New York Yankees. The '36 team leads the series 1-0. Monte Pearson (0-1, 5.54) gets the nod for the '36 Yankees, while Red Ruffing (2-0, 3.38) goes to the mound for the '39 team. Quite the pitcher's duel, as there was no scoring until the 5th inning, when Joe Gordon would hit a two run home run over the left field wall to give his '39 Yankees the 2-0 lead. The score would be the same as we go into the 9th. Johnny Murphy (0-0, 0.00, 1 Sv, 3 G, 3 IP) is in to preserve the win. Murphy gets Ben Chapman to fly out to left, but then issues three straight walks to Red Rolfe, Bill Dickey and Lou Gehrig. Joe DiMaggio manages to hit the ball deep to right for a sac fly that scores Rolfe. But George Selkirk can't find a way to put the ball in play and goes down swinging. Ruffing finishes the game with 8 IP, 3 H, 8 K, 1 BB.

1939 New York Yankees 2 1936 New York Yankees 1 Series tied 1-1

Our final game in the American League is in Philadelphia, where the 1932 New York Yankees lead the series against the 1913 Philadelphia Athletics 1-0. Johnny Allen (0-0, 6.75) is on the mound for the Yankees. Chief Bender (1-1, 2.84) gets the start for the Athletics. Scoring starts in the top of the 2nd. Tony Lazzeri singles and scores on Bill Dickey's double. Dickey would then come home on Samuel Byrd's base hit, giving the Yankees a 2-0 lead. The lead wouldn't last long, however, as the Athletics would come back in the bottom half of the inning. Jimmy Walsh hits an RBI single and Philly scores two more runs compliments of three walks and a wild pitch. Athletics lead 3-2. Philly would add to their lead in the bottom of the 6th, when Walsh would hit an RBI double to make it 4-2. Amos Strunk adds an RBI single in the bottom of the 8th.

1913 Philadelphia Athletics 5 1932 New York Yankees 2 Series tied 1-1

To the National League we go. First, to Cincinnati, where the 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers are facing off against the 1976 Cincinnati Reds. Sandy Koufax (1-0, 1.13) is on the mound for the Dodgers, while Pat Zachary (1-0, 1.13) gets the start for the Reds. No team would score until the bottom of the 4th, when the Reds would take a 1-0 lead on a Cesar Geronimo RBI single. Los Angeles would tie the game in the top of the 7th, when Jim Lefebvre would deliver an RBI single. The Reds are quick to answer, though, doing so in the bottom of the 7th. Dave Concepcion singles and steals second. He moves to third on a sac bunt, then scores on Tony Perez's sac fly. Zachary pitched eight, holding the Dodgers to three hits after not allowing a hit for the first 6 1/3 innings. He struck out nine and walked none. Rawly Eastwick picked up his fourth save of the postseason.

1976 Cincinnati Reds 2 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers 1 '76 Reds lead series 1-0

We travel to St. Louis next to see the 1975 Cincinnati Reds face the 1944 St. Louis Cardinals. Pat Darcy (1-0, 2.57) goes to the hill for the Reds, while Harry Brecheen (1-0, 0.00) is on the rubber for the Cardinals. The pitcher's duel is on, with no one scoring until the 6th inning, when Ray Sanders would hit a two run home run to right center to give the Cardinals a 2-0 advantage. Brecheen would pitch a complete game shutout, holding the Reds to two hits. He also struck out eight and walked two.

1944 St. Louis Cardinals 2 1975 Cincinnati Reds 0 '44 Cardinals lead series 1-0

Next, we go to Chicago, where the 1969 New York Mets are playing the 1906 Chicago Cubs. Jim McAndrew (0-1, 9.64) is on the mound for New York, while Orval Overall (0-0, 5.40) gets the start for Chicago. Scoring would start in the bottom of the 1st, when Johnny Kling would double and score on Frank Schulte's base hit, giving the Cubs a 1-0 lead. Ken Boswell would deliver an RBI single in the top of the 4th for the Mets, tying the game 1-1. But the Cubs would respond, with Solly Hofman hitting a solo shot to left in the bottom of the 4th to give Chicago the 2-1 lead. The Cubs would add a run in the 5th and another in the 6th to pad their lead. Overall pitches eight innings, allowing six runs, while striking out 10 and walking two. Bob Wicker earns his third save of the postseason.

1906 Chicago Cubs 4 1969 New York Mets 1 1906 Cubs lead series 1-0

Our final game of the day is also in Chicago, where the 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates are challenging the 1910 Chicago Cubs. Howie Camnitz (1-0, 0.00) is pitching for the Pirates against the Cubs' Mordecai Brown (2-0, 1.17). The Cubs would strike early, scoring two runs in the bottom of the 1st behind Jimmy Sheckard's triple and Johnny Kling's single. Pittsburgh would respond in the top of the 3rd, tying the game on Dots Miller's two RBI double. Miller would strike again for the Pirates in the top of the 5th, giving Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead on another RBI double. The Cubs would answer in the bottom of the 5th, however, as Brown doubles and scores on Solly Hofman's triple. Game tied 3-3. It would stay tied as we go to the 9th. Lew Richie (0-0, 0.00, 1 Sv, 2 G, 2 IP) is on the mound for Chicago. He gives up a single to pinch hitter Jap Barbeau (.275, 0 HR, 19 RBI, 167 AB), who later scores on Bill Abstein's base hit. The Pirates would score two more times, as Chick Brandom picks up his third save of the postseason.

1909 Pittsburgh Pirates 6 1910 Chicago Cubs 3 1909 Pirates lead series 1-0

Next time, we look at Game 2's for the National League, as the American League teams are traveling.