After winning the first two contests, the 1937 New York Yankees had a chance to take firm hold of first place in the standings, but let the next two games slip away and had to settle for a series split with the 1940 Cincinnati Reds.
The Yankees (17-11) fell to third place in winning percentage, but are even with the Cubs and Dodgers in the games behind category. New York has only four games left to add to their win total, however, while Chicago and Brooklyn (15-9) still have eight to play.
New York struggled at the plate, batting .205. Joe DiMaggio was the only Yankee to hit better than .300, going 5-for-15 (.333). He hit two home runs and now leads the league with 11. Cincinnati (13-11) had both Frank McCormick and Mike McCormick bat .375 (6-for-16).
Game #1: New York 4, Cincinnati 2
The Yankees went up 2-1 in the bottom of the first after an RBI single by Lou Gehrig and a bases-loaded walk to Frank Crosetti. Tony Lazzeri drove in two with a double in the sixth inning to make it 4-1. The Reds got a solo homer from Ernie Lombardi in the eighth inning. They brought the tying run to plate in the ninth inning, but the Yankees got three straight fly-ball outs to end it.
1940 CINCINNATI REDS AB R H BI 1937 NEW YORK YANKEE AB R H BI
Billy Werber 4 0 0 0 Jake Powell 3 0 0 0
Lonny Frey 2 1 1 0 Red Rolfe 4 1 1 0
Frank McCormick 4 0 2 0 Joe DiMaggio 3 0 1 0
Ernie Lombardi 4 1 1 1 George Selkirk 1 0 0 0
Mike McCormick 4 0 2 1 Lou Gehrig 4 1 2 1
Ival Goodman 4 0 2 0 Bill Dickey 4 1 1 0
Harry Craft 4 0 1 0 Myril Hoag 3 1 2 0
Billy Myers 4 0 0 0 Frank Crosetti 3 0 0 1
Gene Thompson BX 2 0 0 0 Tony Lazzeri 4 0 1 2
Eddie Joost 1 0 1 0 Lefty Gomez AKZ 3 0 0 0
Morrie Arnovich 1 0 0 0
TOTALS 34 2 10 2 TOTALS 32 4 8 4
1940 CINCINNATI REDS 100 000 010 -- 2
1937 NEW YORK YANKEES 200 002 00x -- 4
LOB--1940 CINCINNATI REDS 7, 1937 NEW YORK YANKEES 7.
ERR--Billy Werber. 2B--Lonny Frey, Harry Craft, Ival
Goodman, Tony Lazzeri, Myril Hoag (2), Lou Gehrig, Red
Rolfe. HR--Ernie Lombardi. SB--Eddie Joost, Ival Goodman.
1940 CINCINNATI REDS IP H R ER BB SO HR
Gene Thompson BX [L] 6.00 7 4 3 3 4 0
Whitey Moore CXW 2.00 1 0 0 0 2 0
1937 NEW YORK YANKEES
Lefty Gomez AKZ [W] 9.00 10 2 2 2 5 1
Game #2: New York 6, Cincinnati 1
Red Rolfe hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first to give the Yankees an early lead. The Reds’ only run came in the second inning on Harry Craft’s RBI single. New York tacked on four runs in the sixth inning, all with two outs. Myril Hoag had an RBI single and pinch-hitter George Selkirk delivered a bases-loaded triple.
1940 CINCINNATI REDS AB R H BI 1937 NEW YORK YANKEE AB R H BI
Billy Werber 4 0 0 0 Jake Powell 4 1 1 0
Lonny Frey 3 0 0 0 Red Rolfe 4 1 2 2
Frank McCormick 4 0 0 0 Joe DiMaggio 4 0 1 0
Ernie Lombardi 2 0 0 0 Lou Gehrig 4 0 0 0
Mike McCormick 4 1 1 0 Bill Dickey 4 1 1 0
Ival Goodman 3 0 1 0 Myril Hoag 4 1 1 1
Harry Craft 3 0 2 1 Frank Crosetti 3 1 0 0
Billy Myers 4 0 1 0 Tony Lazzeri 3 1 1 0
Paul Derringer BYZ 3 0 0 0 Bump Hadley CY 2 0 0 0
Eddie Joost 1 0 0 0 George Selkirk 1 0 1 3
TOTALS 31 1 5 1 TOTALS 33 6 8 6
1940 CINCINNATI REDS 010 000 000 -- 1
1937 NEW YORK YANKEES 200 004 00x -- 6
LOB--1940 CINCINNATI REDS 9, 1937 NEW YORK YANKEES 5.
ERR--Billy Myers. 2B--Billy Myers, Bill Dickey, Red Rolfe.
3B--George Selkirk. HR--Red Rolfe.
1940 CINCINNATI REDS IP H R ER BB SO HR
Paul Derringer BYZ [L] 8.00 8 6 6 2 5 1
1937 NEW YORK YANKEES
Bump Hadley CY [W] 6.00 5 1 1 6 6 0
Ivy Andrews CZ [S] 3.00 0 0 0 0 0 0
Game #3: Cincinnati 3, New York 2
Lou Gehrig hit a two-run homer in the first inning, but that was it for the Yankees. In the fifth, Ival Goodman led off with a triple and scored on Harry Craft’s sacrifice fly. The Reds tied it in the sixth on Goodman’s sacrifice fly. Billy Werber hit a solo home run in the seventh to put Cincinnati ahead. Reds starter Jim Turner didn’t give up a hit after the fourth inning and improved to 5-0.
1937 NEW YORK YANKEE AB R H BI 1940 CINCINNATI REDS AB R H BI
Jake Powell 4 0 0 0 Billy Werber 4 1 1 1
Red Rolfe 3 0 1 0 Lonny Frey 4 1 1 0
Joe DiMaggio 4 1 1 0 Frank McCormick 4 0 2 0
Lou Gehrig 3 1 1 2 Ernie Lombardi 4 0 0 0
Bill Dickey 4 0 1 0 Mike McCormick 4 0 1 0
Myril Hoag 4 0 0 0 Ival Goodman 2 1 1 1
Frank Crosetti 3 0 0 0 Harry Craft 2 0 0 1
Tony Lazzeri 2 0 0 0 Billy Myers 3 0 0 0
Red Ruffing BXZ 3 0 0 0 Jim Turner BZ 3 0 0 0
TOTALS 30 2 4 2 TOTALS 30 3 6 3
1937 NEW YORK YANKEES 200 000 000 -- 2
1940 CINCINNATI REDS 000 011 10x -- 3
LOB--1937 NEW YORK YANKEES 4, 1940 CINCINNATI REDS 5.
ERR--Tony Lazzeri, Red Rolfe, Billy Myers. 3B--Ival Goodman.
HR--Lou Gehrig, Billy Werber. SACF--Harry Craft, Ival
Goodman.
1937 NEW YORK YANKEES IP H R ER BB SO HR
Red Ruffing BXZ [L] 8.00 6 3 3 0 6 1
1940 CINCINNATI REDS
Jim Turner BZ [W] 9.00 4 2 2 3 1 1
Game #4: Cincinnati 3, New York 2
Joe DiMaggio homered twice for the Yankees, hitting solo shots in the first and eighth innings. Billy Werber hit a solo homer in the fifth inning for the Reds, his second in two games. New York led 2-1 going to the bottom of the ninth. Ernie Lombardi led off with a single, and Mike McCormick hit a double. An intentional walk loaded the bases. Harry Craft followed with a two-run single to give the Reds the walk-off victory.
1937 NEW YORK YANKEE AB R H BI 1940 CINCINNATI REDS AB R H BI
Jake Powell 4 0 1 0 Billy Werber 3 1 1 1
Red Rolfe 3 0 0 0 Lonny Frey 4 0 0 0
Joe DiMaggio 4 2 2 2 Frank McCormick 4 0 2 0
Lou Gehrig 4 0 0 0 Ernie Lombardi 4 1 1 0
Bill Dickey 4 0 1 0 Mike McCormick 4 1 2 0
Myril Hoag 4 0 1 0 Ival Goodman 3 0 0 0
Frank Crosetti 4 0 1 0 Harry Craft 4 0 1 2
Tony Lazzeri 2 0 0 0 Billy Myers 2 0 0 0
Monte Pearson BX 3 0 0 0 Bucky Walters BY 3 0 0 0
TOTALS 32 2 6 2 TOTALS 31 3 7 3
1937 NEW YORK YANKEES 100 000 010 -- 2
1940 CINCINNATI REDS 000 010 002 -- 3
LOB--1937 NEW YORK YANKEES 5, 1940 CINCINNATI REDS 7.
ERR--Red Rolfe. 2B--Jake Powell, Mike McCormick. HR--Joe
DiMaggio (2), Billy Werber. HBP--Billy Myers.
1937 NEW YORK YANKEES IP H R ER BB SO HR
Monte Pearson BX 8.00 4 1 1 1 6 1
Spud Chandler BYZ [L] 0.00 3 2 2 1 0 0
1940 CINCINNATI REDS
Bucky Walters BY 8.00 6 2 2 2 2 2
Joe Beggs BZ [W] 1.00 0 0 0 0 1 0
ROGER SPORTS & GAMES 