1935 World Series – Game 6
October 7, 1935 Tigers 4, Cubs 3 Tigers Win Best of Seven Series 4-2
With Tommy Bridges on the mound, the Tigers were attempting for the second game to lock up their first World Series. The big difference today was that they’d be playing in front of a home crowd. What wasn’t different was they still were without Hank Greenberg.
The Tigers got on the board first. In the bottom of the first, Mickey Cochrane and Charlie Gehringer put up back to back singles with one out. Goose Goslin popped to the shortstop and then Pete Fox came up big with a one run, two out double. Starter Larry French eventually got out of the jam, but the Tigers had a 1-0 lead.
The Cubs wouldn’t take too long to answer. In the top of the third, Tommy Bridges was touched up for three hits and a run.
The Tigers took their second lead of the game in the fourth. Gee Walker and Billy Rogell led off the inning with singles. Marv Owen laid down a bunt, and while he was able to move Walker to third, Rogell was forced out at second base. Tommy Bridges then hit into a fielders choice at second base, but Gee Walker was able to score as the Tigers took a 2-1 lead. Flea Clifton grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning. Oddly all three outs in the inning were made on fielder’s choices.
The Cubs answered in the next half inning. French singled with one out and then Bridges struck out Augie Galan for out number two. Billy Herman then hit a huge two run homer that gave the Cubs the lead for the first time in the game.
The Tigers went down quietly in the fifth, but in the bottom of the sixth, they put together a nice two out rally. Billy Rogell doubled, then scored on a Marv Owen single. The game was tied 3-3.
Neither team really threatened in the seventh or eighth innings. Things looked grim for the Tigers in the ninth when Bridges gave up a lead off triple to Stan Hack. Bridges then struck out Billy Jurges, got French to ground out to him for out number two and then Augie Galan flew out to end the inning.
Flea Clifton struck out to lead off the bottom of the ninth. Mickey Cochrane singled and then moved to second on Charlie Gerhinger’s ground out to first base. Goose Goslin then became the hero of the game by driving home Cochrane with a walk off RBI single.
Tommy Bridges gave up twelve hits and three runs, but he struck out seven as he improved to 2-0 in a series. I’d imagine that without a real hitting star in the series, Bridges would have walked away with the World Series MVP.
The Tigers were World Champions for the first time. It might have been a season too late for Tiger fans, but they finally did it.
1935 World Series – Game 5
October 6, 1935 Cubs 3, Tigers 1 Tigers Lead Best of Seven Series 3-2
Still without Hank Greenberg who was nursing an injured wrist, Schoolboy Rowe took the mound for his second start of the series. He was solid in his eight innings of work as he gave up three runs on eight hits with three strikeouts. His only blemishes were a two run homer in the bottom of the third and an RBI double in the bottom of the seventh.
The Tigers once again gave Rowe little run support. They were held to four hits through the first eight innings before finally breaking through in the ninth. Charlie Gehringer, Goose Goslin and Pete Fox led off the inning with consecutive singles as the Tigers finally got on the board. With the tying run at first base, Billy Rogell flew out to center. Mickey Cochrane let Gee Walker pinch hit for Marv Owen and while he grounded out, he was able to move the runners over. Then with the tying run at second base, Flea Clifton fouled out to first to end the game and give the Cubs new life.
1935 World Series – Game 4
October 5, 1935 Tigers 2, Cubs 1 Tigers Lead Best of Seven Series 3-1
General Crowder got the start for the Tigers as they once again took the field without their best hitter, Hank Greenberg. Crowder got into trouble early and he gave up a leadoff solo homerun in the second inning as the Cubs scored first for the third time in four games.
The Tigers answered in the top of the third. Crowder helped out his own cause by leading off with a single. Jo Jo White singled and moved Crowder over to third, but he was gunned down at second trying to stretch it into a double. Mickey Cochrane walked to put me at the corners and then Charlie Gehringer tied up the game with an RBI double. With runners at second and third and only one out, starter Tex Carleton was able to get out of the inning without any further damage.
Crowder really went on a roll and through five innings had only given up two hits. In the top of the sixth and with two outs, Flea Clifton reached on an error by Augie Galan and moved to second base in the process. Crowder then reached on an error by Billy Jurges and Clifton scored to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.
Crowder continued to throw well but he finally got into a jam in the bottom of the ninth inning. With one out, he gave up back to back singles to put runners at first and second before getting Stan Hack to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.
The Tigers had won their third World Series game in a row and were only one game away from their first World Championship.
1935 World Series – Game 3
October 4, 1935 Tigers 6 , Cubs 5 (11 innings) Tigers Lead Best of Seven Series 2-1
By far the most exciting game of the series, game three saw the Tigers mount a massive comeback without their best hitter (Hank Greenberg injured his wrist in game two), which gave them a two run lead. They then gave that lead up in the bottom of the ninth and the game went into extra frames only to have the Tigers win it in eleven innings.
The Cubs got on the board first. In the bottom of the second, the Cubs scored two runs on a Frank Demaree solo homer and an RBI groundout by starter Bill Lee off of Elden Auker. The Cubs added another run in the fifth on an RBI single by Augie Galan.
The Tigers finally scored a run in the sixth. With one out, Goose Goslin singled and then scored on Pete Fox’s triple. Fox was then picked off at third by catcher Gabby Hartnett to essentially end the threat.
Auker left the game after six innings of work down 3-1 and was relieved by Chief Hogsett, who walked one and hit a batter in the bottom of the seventh.
With the game winding down, the Tigers came up huge in the eighth inning. Jo Jo White led off the inning with a walk. Mickey Cochrane popped out for the first out and then Charlie Gerhinger doubled to put two men in scoring position. Goose Goslin then tied the game with a two run single. Lon Warneke replaced Bill Lee on the mound, but the pen couldn’t stop the Tigers bats. Pete Fox singled and this was followed up by a Billy Rogell single that scored Goslin. Rogell was caught stealing second for the second out of the inning, but Pete Fox scored on the double steal to make it 5-3. Marv Owen then lined out to end the inning.
Schoolboy Rowe came in to pitch a perfect eighth inning but ran into trouble in the ninth. He gave up three consecutive singles as the lead was to a single run, then Augie Galan hit a fly ball to center deep enough to score the tying run. The game was tied and we were headed to extra innings.
Both teams threatened in the tenth by getting doubles, but both times the teams’ respective pitchers (Rowe and French) got out of the inning. In the top of the eleventh, Billy Rogell singled. Marv Owen then failed to move Rogell over with a bunt and hit into what was effectiely a fielder’s choice. Flea Clifton then reached on an error by thirdbasemen Freddie Lindstrom. Schoolboy Rowe struck out to make it two outs and then Jo Jo White came up with a huge one run single to give the Tigers lead. Mickey Cochrane popped out and stranded two runners in scoring position, but the Tigers had the lead.
Rowe had an easy time in the bottom half of the eleventh to secure the victory. He got Stan Hack to ground out and then he struck out the final two batters to walk away with the win.
1935 World Series – Game 2
October 3, 1935 Tigers 8, Cubs 3 Best of Seven Series Tied 1-1
The Tigers had just as many hits and four more runs in the first inning then they had the entire first game of the series. Jo Jo White led off the game with a single and scored on Mickey Cochrane’s double. Charlie Gehringer then drove in Cochrane with a single. Hank Greenberg then capped off the offensive onslaught with a two run homerun. Cubs starter Charlie Root left the game with four runs on the board and nobody out in the game. Reliever Roy Henshaw walked Goose Goslin to make five consecutive Tigers reaching base, but he got out of the inning when Pete Fox lined into a double play followed with a Billy Rogell ground out.
The Tigers added three more runs in the fourth inning to open the game up to a 7-0 score. All three runs were scored with two outs. Pete Fox popped out to third and Billy Rogell struck out before Marv Owen was hit by Henshaw. Tommy Bridges singled and Jo Jo White walked to load up the bases. Then Henshaw threw a wild pitch that scored Owen and moved the runners to second and third. Mickey Cochrane walked to load up the bases again before Charlie Gerhinger came through with a two run single. Henshaw left the game with two men on, but reliever Fabian Kowalik was able to get Hank Greenberg out to end the inning.
The Cubs finally put a run on the board in the fifth and added two runs in the seventh but they came nowhere close to mounting an effective comeback. Pete Fox drove in Charlie Gehringer with a single in the seventh to add another run that ended up not being needed.
Tommy Bridges held the Cubs in check, holding them to three runs (two earned) on six hits and four walks. He struck out two. Hank Greenberg struggled in the field and made two errors, bringing his series total to three.
The Tigers may have won the game, but they may have lost their best hitter. Hank Greenberg injured his wrist trying to score and it was uncertain what his status would be for the rest of the series.
1935 World Series – Game 1
October 2, 1935 Cubs 3, Tigers 0 Cubs Lead Best of Seven Series 1-0
The Tigers league leading offense came out flat as Cubs starter Lon Warneke held the Tigers to a mere four hits. Schoolboy Rowe threw a nice game but walked away with the loss. He gave up only three runs (two earned) on seven hits while striking out eight.
Pete Fox had two of the Tigers’ four hits. Of particular concern was the Tigers made three errors and one of those, a throwing error by Rowe was a key to the Cubs jumping out in front 2-0 in the top of the first inning.
September 29, 1935 White Sox 3, Tigers 2 (93-57)
General Crowder pitched eight solid innings before Mickey Cochrane went to the bullpen in the ninth. Chief Hogsett then gave a bottom of the ninth run as he took the loss.
Pete Fox, Charlie Gehringer and Ray Hayworth all had two hits in the loss. Gee Walker tripled.
September 29, 1935 White Sox 14, Tigers 2 (93-58)
While it was nice to see Elden Auker back on the mound after being hit by a line drive last week, it wasn’t nice to see him get shelled. By the bottom of the second, the White Sox had eight runs and Joe Sullivan was in relief of Auker. Sullivan couldn’t stem the tide as he was tagged for six more runs and by the bottom of the third inning, the Tigers were down 14-2.
Jo Jo White and Mickey Cochrane drove in the two Tiger’s runs, and the game was called after five and a half innings so the Tigers could catch their train.
September 28, 1935 White Sox 6, Tigers 3 (92-56)
Tommy Bridges was cruising along with a shutout through five innings, but the White Sox tagged him for two runs in the sixth, then four in the eighth as the White Sox beat the Tigers in the front end of their doubleheader. Bridges struck out three and gave up only seven hits, but the White Sox made them count.
Charlie Gehringer, Pete Fox and Marv Owen all had two hits in the game. The Tigers had three errors in the game, but were actually outpaced in that department by the White Sox, who had four.
September 25, 1935 Tigers 8, White Sox 3 (93-56)
Schoolboy Rowe threw a nice game and the Tigers’ bats ran up the score in the second game of the doubleheader. Prior to the first game, manager Mickey Cochrane said that whoever threw better between Bridges and Rowe in the doubleheader would get the nod in game one of the World Series.
The Tigers ran up the score and by the top of the fourth inning, they had a 6-0 lead. Charlie Gehringer had a huge day, going three for five with a homerun, two runs and three RBIs. Pete Fox also hit the ball as he went two for four with a homer, three runs and an RBI.
September 25, 1935 Indians 3, Tigers 2 (92-55)
Chief Hogsett did all he could to win the game in relief of Elden Auker. Auker was hit on the wrist by a come backer in the first inning. While no bones were broken, the World Series was coming up and the Tigers needed all their good arms ready to play the Chicago Cubs.
Hogsett homered to drive in one of the Tigers’ runs and Billy Rogell drove in the other with an RBI single in the second inning.
September 24, 1935 Indians 14, Tigers 7 (92-54)
Mickey Cochrane was absent from the Tigers bench in this game because he went to New York to watch the Joe Louis/Max Baer title bout. The game was actually close through six innings, but General Crowder, and then Roxie Lawson fell apart to give up a total of eight runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
In Cochrane’s abscence, backup catcher Ray Hayworth went two for four with three RBIs. Hank Greenberg was two for three with two runs and both Pete Fox and Billy Rogell scored twice.
September 22, 1935 Browns 1, Tigers 0 (92-53)
Normally, a one run, four hit performance by Schoolboy Rowe would garner a win. Unfortunately, St. Louis Browns starter Earl Caldwell held the Tigers to three hits and zero runs.
Hank Greenberg doubled. That’s the extent of the hitting highlights.
September 21, 1935 Tigers 6, Browns 2 (91-52)
The Tigers won the first game of their double header with the St. Louis Browns behind a strong performance by Tommy Bridges. He won his 21st game of the season and he held the Browns to two runs on seven hits.
The Browns actually jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but the Tigers answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Hank Greenberg and Charlie Gehringer both tripled and scored two runs and Marv Owen and Goose Goslin had two hits.
September 21, 1935 Tigers 2, Browns 0 (92-52)
Elden Auker threw a gem as the Tigers clinched their second straight American League pennant. Auker threw a six hit shutout and he struck out four batters.
Charlie Gehringer had two hits and one of the Tigers two RBIs. Pete Fox scored both runs and Gee Walker was one for four with an RBI.
The Tigers were headed to their fifth World Series in franchise history and it still wasn’t certain who they’d be playing. The Chicago Cubs, who were on a tear in the month of September, led the St. Louis Cardinals by 3 1/2 games. The Cubs had won 17 in a row and were 19-1 in the month of September.
September 19, 1935 Red Sox 4, Tigers 1 (90-52)
Once again, the Tigers league leading offense didn’t show up as the Tigers lost their third straight game. General Crowder was solid, but a three run eighth inning gave the Red Sox all they’d need. On the other side, Lefty Grove held the Tigers, giving up only one run on eights hits.
The lone Tiger run came when Goose Goslin grounded out in the ninth, scoring Hank Greenberg. Greenberg has tripled earlier in the inning.
September 18, 1935 Red Sox 4, Tigers 3 (90-51)
The Tiger outhit the Red Sox 13-8, but they came up a run short on the score board as they were edged by the Red Sox. Schoolboy Rowe’s solid start went to waste and the game winning run scored in the bottom of the ninth on a bases loaded single by Wes Ferrell.
Pete Fox and Rowe were the hitting stars as they both had two hits. And while the Yankees picked up a half game in the standings because of they split their doubleheader, the loss meant the Tigers were a little bit closer to locking up the pennant.
September 17, 1935 Red Sox 5, Tigers 4 (90-50)
The Tigers failed to get any closer to their second straight pennant as they dropped a close game to the Red Sox. The Tigers took a 4-3 lead into the seventh inning only to have Elden Auker give up two runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Hank Greenberg hit his 38th homerun of the season. Charlie Gehringer scored on the two run shot and Greenberg ended the day one for five, but he scored twice.
Auker took the loss as he gave up 14 hits through seven innings of work. The Yankees beat the Browns, so the Tigers still led the Yankees by 9 1/2 games.
September 16, 1935 Tigers 5, Red Sox 3
Tommy Bridges had a nice start as he held the Red Sox to three runs on ten hits as he won his 20th game of the season. He got all of his help in the fourth inning when the Tigers scored five runs.
Gee Walker and Billy Rogell both drove in two runs, had two two hits and scored a run. Charlie Gehringer was two for four with a run.
With the win, the Tigers extended their lead to 9 1/2 games. It was only a matter of time now before the Tigers clinched the pennant.
September 15, 1935 Yankees 8, Tigers 7 (89-49)
It may have been too little, too late for the Yankees as they edged the Tigers in the fifth and final game of their series. Joe Sullivan got the start and had a five run lead in the through three innings before getting hit hard. He was pulled in the fifth and reliever Chief Hogsett didn’t fair much better as he gave up the lead and took the loss.
Billy Rogell homered and drove in four runs while Goose Goslin had two doubles and two runs. The loss shaved the Tigers lead over the Yankees to 8 1/2 games, but the Yankees would pretty much need a miracle to catch the Yankees at this stage of the season.
September 14, 1935 Yankees 2, Tigers 1 (88-48)
The Tigers were held to three hits and single run as they lost the first game of the twin billing with the Yankees. A two run, six hit performance by General Crowder went to waste, and the only run of the game came on a solo homerun by Goose Goslin.
September 14, 1935 Tigers 5, Yankees 1 (89-48)
The Yankees struck first in this game with a single run in the opening inning off of starter Roxie Lawson. The Tigers didn’t wait too long to take the lead though, as they rattled off four runs in the second and never looked back.
Jo Jo White went two for four with a triple and two RBIs and Charlie Gehringer had two hits and a run. Roxie Lawson went the distance and gave up only the one run on nine hits, while striking out three.
With fourteen games remaining the Tigers had a 9 1/2 game lead. Their second straight American League pennant appeared pretty much locked up.
September 13, 1935 Tigers 13, Yankees 5 (88-47)
The Tigers hadn’t quite clinched their second straight pennant, but by dismantling the Yankees, they pretty much took any chance of the Yankees making a September run to catch Detroit. With the game tied after four innings, the Tigers scored four runs in the fifth and then five in the seventh to bust the game open.
Hank Greenberg had a three run homer and ended the day with four RBIs. Five different Tigers had two runs as they pummelled Hall of Famer Lefty Gomez.
Schoolboy Rowe went the distance, and besides giving up two homeruns to Lou Gehrig, was in command of the game. The win put the Tigers up 9 1/2 games with only 16 games to play.
September 12, 1935 Tigers 8, Yankees 5 (87-47)
It was do or die time for the Yankees as they faced off with the Tigers in game one of their final series of the season. With a Saturday (9/14) doubleheader, it was a five game series and the Tigers really only needed to win the series to put the pennant out of reach. The Yankees needed at least four wins to make any kind of dent in the Tigers’ lead.
The Tigers were down 4-1 but Elden Auker settled down and the Tiger’s bats came alive. They scored three runs in the eighth to take the lead only to see the Yankees tie it in the bottom half of the inning. Fortunately, they hammered out three more runs in the ninth to put the game away.
Elden Auker went the distance and gave up five runs on nine hits. Goose Goslin and Jo Jo White both homered and drove in two runs while Charlie Gehringer had two hits and two runs.