The 1940 Cincinnati Reds kept their pennant hopes alive by winning three of four games against the 1934 Detroit Tigers. They overcame a bad start to win the final three contests. At 16-12, the Reds will likely still be in fourth place when the final week of play begins, but they’ll at least have a chance.
The Reds didn’t hit particularly well, as Mike McCormick (.357, 5-for-14) was the only starter who hit better than .300. But they did pitch well, including reliever Joe Beggs, who improved to 3-0 with a game 2 extra-innings win and picked up his league-leading seventh save of the season in the finale.
The Tigers (9-19) hit decently, particularly Jo Jo White (.545, 6-for-11), but the pitchers gave up 17 runs in the final three games. White added two more stolen bases to give him a league-best 11.
Game #1: Detroit 6, Cincinnati 1
The Reds got off to a bad start as Jim Turner, who was one of the last three starting pitchers in the league without a loss, got shelled. Detroit’s Pete Fox got the scoring started with an RBI single in the second. In a three-run third inning, Charlie Gehringer had an RBI double and Hank Greenberg followed with a two-run homer. Marv Owen had an RBI triple in the fifth and Gehringer had his second RBI double in the sixth. The Reds broke up the shutout in the ninth when Lonny Frey led off with a triple and scored on a groundout.
1934 DETROIT TIGERS AB R H BI 1940 CINCINNATI REDS AB R H BI
Jo Jo White 4 2 2 0 Billy Werber 4 0 2 0
Charlie Gehringer 5 1 3 2 Lonny Frey 4 1 1 0
Hank Greenberg 5 1 1 2 Frank McCormick 4 0 0 1
Goose Goslin 5 1 2 0 Ernie Lombardi 4 0 0 0
Billy Rogell 5 0 2 0 Mike McCormick 3 0 0 0
Mickey Cochrane 4 1 1 0 Ival Goodman 3 0 1 0
Marv Owen 4 0 2 1 Harry Craft 3 0 0 0
Pete Fox 4 0 1 1 Billy Myers 3 0 0 0
Schoolboy Rowe BXYZ 4 0 0 0 Jim Turner BZ 1 0 0 0
Eddie Joost 1 0 0 0
Morrie Arnovich 1 0 1 0
TOTALS 40 6 14 6 TOTALS 31 1 5 1
1934 DETROIT TIGERS 013 011 000 -- 6
1940 CINCINNATI REDS 000 000 001 -- 1
LOB--1934 DETROIT TIGERS 9, 1940 CINCINNATI REDS 4.
2B--Mickey Cochrane, Billy Rogell, Charlie Gehringer (2).
3B--Marv Owen, Lonny Frey. HR--Hank Greenberg. SB--Jo Jo
White.
1934 DETROIT TIGERS IP H R ER BB SO HR
Schoolboy Rowe BXYZ [W] 9.00 5 1 1 1 7 0
1940 CINCINNATI REDS
Jim Turner BZ [L] 6.00 13 6 6 0 1 1
Whitey Moore CXW 2.00 0 0 0 2 2 0
Johnny Vander Meer C 1.00 1 0 0 0 0 0
Game #2: Cincinnati 5, Detroit 4 (12 inn.)
The lead changed hands several times in this one, and nine innings wasn’t enough. The Reds’ Ival Goodman hit a solo homer in the fourth inning to tie the game at three. Detroit went back in front in the top of the eighth inning on Marv Owen’s sacrifice fly, but the Reds countered with a sacrifice fly of their own by Mike McCormick in the bottom of the eighth. In the bottom of the 12th, Lonny Frey had a two-out double, and he scored on Frank McCormick’s walk-off hit. Cincinnati reliever Joe Beggs pitched three perfect innings for the win.
1934 DETROIT TIGERS AB R H BI 1940 CINCINNATI REDS AB R H BI
Jo Jo White 3 0 2 0 Billy Werber 5 1 0 0
Gee Walker 2 0 0 0 Lonny Frey 5 1 3 1
Charlie Gehringer 6 0 0 0 Frank McCormick 5 1 2 2
Hank Greenberg 4 1 1 0 Ernie Lombardi 5 0 2 0
Goose Goslin 4 1 2 0 Mike McCormick 4 0 1 1
Billy Rogell 5 2 2 0 Ival Goodman 5 1 1 1
Mickey Cochrane 5 0 3 3 Harry Craft 5 0 0 0
Marv Owen 3 0 0 1 Billy Myers 5 1 1 0
Pete Fox 5 0 0 0 Paul Derringer BYZ 2 0 1 0
Vic Sorrell CZ 3 0 0 0 Morrie Arnovich 0 0 0 0
Ray Hayworth 2 0 0 0 Joe Beggs BZ 1 0 0 0
TOTALS 42 4 10 4 TOTALS 42 5 11 5
1934 DETROIT TIGERS 010 200 010 000 -- 4
1940 CINCINNATI REDS 002 100 010 001 -- 5
LOB--1934 DETROIT TIGERS 7, 1940 CINCINNATI REDS 9.
ERR--Marv Owen, Lonny Frey. 2B--Goose Goslin, Billy Myers,
Ernie Lombardi, Paul Derringer BYZ, Lonny Frey, Frank
McCormick. 3B--Lonny Frey. HR--Ival Goodman. HBP--Goose
Goslin. SACF--Marv Owen, Mike McCormick, Lonny Frey.
SACB--Morrie Arnovich, Paul Derringer BYZ. SB--Billy Rogell
(2), Jo Jo White.
1934 DETROIT TIGERS IP H R ER BB SO HR
Vic Sorrell CZ 8.00 8 4 4 2 1 1
Firpo Marberry CYZ [L] 3.33 3 1 1 0 2 0
1940 CINCINNATI REDS
Paul Derringer BYZ 9.00 10 4 4 3 8 0
Joe Beggs BZ [W] 3.00 0 0 0 0 2 0
Game #3: Cincinnati 10, Detroit 4
The Reds built an 8-0 lead, which included a five-run fifth inning. Mike McCormick had a two-run single, Ivan Goodman had a sacrifice fly, Harry Craft had an RBI double and Billy Myers had an RBI single. Detroit cut the lead in half, which included a two-run triple from Mickey Cochrane in the sixth inning. Craft hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning, giving him four RBI for the game, to extend the Reds’ lead in the seventh.
1940 CINCINNATI REDS AB R H BI 1934 DETROIT TIGERS AB R H BI
Billy Werber 5 0 1 0 Gee Walker 4 0 1 0
Lonny Frey 3 1 0 0 Charlie Gehringer 4 0 2 0
Frank McCormick 4 2 0 0 Hank Greenberg 4 1 2 0
Ernie Lombardi 3 1 1 0 Goose Goslin 2 1 0 0
Mike McCormick 4 2 2 2 Billy Rogell 4 0 0 0
Ival Goodman 3 1 1 2 Mickey Cochrane 3 1 1 2
Harry Craft 5 2 3 4 Marv Owen 3 0 0 1
Billy Myers 4 1 2 2 Pete Fox 4 1 2 0
Bucky Walters BY 2 0 0 0 Tommy Bridges BXY 1 0 0 0
Morrie Arnovich 1 0 0 0 Ray Hayworth 1 0 1 1
Frank Doljack 1 0 0 0
Herman Clifton 1 0 0 0
TOTALS 34 10 10 10 TOTALS 32 4 9 4
1940 CINCINNATI REDS 110 150 200 -- 10
1934 DETROIT TIGERS 000 013 000 -- 4
LOB--1940 CINCINNATI REDS 6, 1934 DETROIT TIGERS 5.
2B--Harry Craft, Billy Werber, Pete Fox, Charlie Gehringer.
3B--Mickey Cochrane. HR--Billy Myers, Harry Craft.
SACF--Ival Goodman, Marv Owen. SACB--Bucky Walters BY.
SB--Mike McCormick, Ival Goodman, Pete Fox.
1940 CINCINNATI REDS IP H R ER BB SO HR
Bucky Walters BY [W] 6.00 8 4 4 3 3 0
Whitey Moore CXW 1.00 1 0 0 0 0 0
Johnny Hutchings C 2.00 0 0 0 0 2 0
1934 DETROIT TIGERS
Tommy Bridges BXY [L] 4.33 5 8 8 7 2 1
General Crowder DYZ 0.67 1 0 0 0 0 0
Chief Hogsett CY 2.00 2 2 2 0 0 1
Carl Fischer CY 1.00 1 0 0 0 0 0
Luke Hamlin DYW 1.00 1 0 0 0 2 0
Game #4: Cincinnati 2, Detroit 1
The Tigers’ Jo Jo White led off the bottom of the first with a double, went to third on a groundout and scored on Hank Greenberg’s sacrifice fly. That would be the only run of the game for Detroit. In the top of the fourth, Frank McCormick and Ernie Lombardi had back-to-back doubles to tie it, and Mike McCormick followed with an RBI single to put the Reds ahead. Both teams had multiple opportunities with runners in scoring position in the later innings, but it stayed 2-1 to the end.
1940 CINCINNATI REDS AB R H BI 1934 DETROIT TIGERS AB R H BI
Billy Werber 4 0 1 0 Jo Jo White 4 1 2 0
Lonny Frey 4 0 0 0 Charlie Gehringer 4 0 0 0
Frank McCormick 4 1 2 0 Hank Greenberg 3 0 1 1
Ernie Lombardi 4 1 1 1 Goose Goslin 4 0 1 0
Mike McCormick 3 0 2 1 Billy Rogell 3 0 1 0
Ival Goodman 3 0 0 0 Mickey Cochrane 1 0 0 0
Harry Craft 4 0 0 0 Marv Owen 4 0 0 0
Billy Myers 3 0 1 0 Pete Fox 4 0 0 0
Gene Thompson BX 1 0 0 0 Elden Auker BYZ 3 0 0 0
Morrie Arnovich 1 0 0 0
TOTALS 31 2 7 2 TOTALS 30 1 5 1
1940 CINCINNATI REDS 000 200 000 -- 2
1934 DETROIT TIGERS 100 000 000 -- 1
LOB--1940 CINCINNATI REDS 8, 1934 DETROIT TIGERS 7.
ERR--Marv Owen. 2B--Ernie Lombardi, Frank McCormick (2), Jo
Jo White, Hank Greenberg. SACF--Hank Greenberg. SACB--Gene
Thompson BX (2). SB--Billy Rogell (2).
1940 CINCINNATI REDS IP H R ER BB SO HR
Gene Thompson BX [W] 8.00 5 1 1 3 4 0
Joe Beggs BZ [S] 1.00 0 0 0 1 0 0
1934 DETROIT TIGERS
Elden Auker BYZ [L] 9.00 7 2 2 4 4 0
ROGER SPORTS & GAMES 