The Pirates jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings, only to fall behind 5-4 after the top of the ninth. But Pittsburgh staged an epic two-out rally and won Game 1 on a walk-off base hit by Ralph Kiner.
The Pirates scored three runs in the bottom of the first. With two outs, Arky Vaughan singled and Kiner walked. Paul Waner followed with a two-run double, and Lloyd Waner added an RBI single. In the second inning, Johnny Gooch doubled and scored on Honus Wagner’s single. Cleveland starter Bob Feller would settle down from there, however, and wouldn’t give up another run in his eight innings of work.
It was still 4-0 after four innings, but Cleveland began to chip away at the lead. Steve O’Neill helped plate the first run in the fifth inning with an RBI triple. Hal Trosky had a run-scoring triple in the sixth inning, and he scored on Al Rosen’s sacrifice fly, cutting the deficit to 4-3. Cleveland then tied it in the top of the eighth on a Trosky RBI double.
Both teams went to their closers in the ninth inning. Pittsburgh’s Roy Face struck out the first two batters, but gave up a walk to Lou Boudreau and a run-scoring double by O’Neill as the Indians took their first lead of the game at 5-4.
Cleveland’s Don Mossi took the mound in the bottom of the ninth and got the first two outs via flyout. Back at the top of the order, Wagner singled and stole second base. Pie Traynor followed with a game-tying single. A shaken Mossi then walked Vaughan to put runners on first and second base. Kiner then lined a shot off the left-center-field wall, scoring Traynor and giving the Pirates a 1-0 series lead.
Wagner had three hits for the Pirates, and Nap Lajoie did the same for the Indians.
Pre-Expansion Greats Tournament
00 CLEVELAND INDIANS (5) AT 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES (6) 00 CLEVELAND INDIANS AB R H BI 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATE AB R H BI Joe Jackson 5 0 0 0 Honus Wagner 5 1 3 1 Nap Lajoie 4 2 3 0 Pie Traynor 5 1 2 1 Tris Speaker 4 0 0 0 Arky Vaughan 4 1 1 0 Hal Trosky 4 1 2 2 Ralph Kiner 3 1 1 1 Al Rosen 3 0 0 1 Paul Waner 4 1 1 2 Rocky Colavito 4 0 0 0 Lloyd Waner 4 0 1 1 Larry Doby 3 1 0 0 Gus Suhr 4 0 0 0 Lou Boudreau 2 1 0 0 Johnny Gooch 4 1 1 0 Steve ONeill 4 0 2 2 Bill Mazeroski 3 0 0 0 TOTALS 33 5 7 5 TOTALS 36 6 10 6 00 CLEVELAND INDIANS 000 012 011 -- 5 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES 310 000 002 -- 6 LOB--00 CLEVELAND INDIANS 5, 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES 8. 2B--Hal Trosky, Steve ONeill, Paul Waner, Johnny Gooch, Honus Wagner. 3B--Hal Trosky, Steve ONeill. SACF--Al Rosen. SB--Nap Lajoie, Honus Wagner (2). 00 CLEVELAND INDIANS IP H R ER BB SO HR Bob Feller 8.00 7 4 4 3 4 0 Don Mossi [L] 0.67 3 2 2 1 0 0 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES Babe Adams 8.00 6 4 4 2 3 0 Roy Face [W] 1.00 1 1 1 1 2 0 SO--Rocky Colavito (2), Larry Doby, Steve ONeill (2), Paul Waner, Bill Mazeroski, Johnny Gooch, Honus Wagner. BB--Larry Doby, Lou Boudreau (2), Bill Mazeroski, Arky Vaughan, Ralph Kiner (2).
ROGER SPORTS & GAMES 