Dombrov Baseball '11

[TDalton]

Yanks Homer Twice, Rally to Tie Series

Yankees 5, Pirates 3

The Pirates scored three times in the top half of the first inning as Paul Waner singled home Matty Alou then scored on Roberto Clemente’s two run homer. The Yankees drew to within one, scoring two in the second on back to back homers by Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio. The Bombers tied it in the third after Gehrig doubled home Babe Ruth, who had doubled to lead off the inning. That’s the way things stayed until the seventh. The Bucs brought in Roy Face to pitch, but Red Rolfe, Joe Gordon and Ruth hit successive doubles to tally two more runs. Eddie Lopat and Waite Hoyt pitched scoreless relief over the final two innings as New York evened the Series at two games apiece.

Clemente’s homer was the first of the Series for Pittsburgh. Face made his third relief appearance of the Series and took the loss. Ruth had three hits and is now batting .467 for the Yankees. After giving up the three runs in the first, Allie Reynolds allowed only three hits over the next six innings of work. Game 5 will see Jack Chesbro take the mound for New York. In a surprising move, the Pirates will send Deacon Phillippe to the hill, who pitched primarily in relief (42 games, 1 start) during the regular season.

Lineups for Game 5:

NL CHAMPION PITTSBURGH PIRATES
1. Matty Alou, CF - .277, 1, 17
2. Honus Wagner, 3B - .313, 6, 65
3. Ralph Kiner, 1B - .229, 17, 61
4. Willie Stargell, LF - .269, 20, 61
5. Paul Waner, RF - . 251, 3, 49
6. Arky Vaughan, SS - .320, 6, 57
7. George Grantham, 2B - .245, 15, 58
8. Manny Sanguillen, C - .254, 4, 25
9. Deacon Phillippe, P – 4-0, 3.01

AL CHAMPION NEW YORK YANKEES
1. Red Rolfe, 3B - .229, 4, 31
2. Tony Lazzeri, 2B - .242, 10. 48
3. Babe Ruth, RF - .261, 54, 127
4. Mickey Mantle, LF - .270, 30, 80
5. Lou Gehrig, 1B - .265, 24, 84
6. Joe DiMaggio, CF - .283, 24, 88
7. Yogi Berra, C - .264, 13, 60
8. Phil Rizzuto, SS - .219, 3, 29
9. Jack Chesbro, P – 11-9, 3.45

[TTX]

Really cool matchup so far.

[TDalton]

Ruth, Chesbro Power Yanks to Series Lead

Yankees 3, Pirates 0

Babe Ruth homered twice, driving in all three New York runs while Jack Chesbro dominated the Pirates, allowing only one hit as the Yankees took a 3-2 Series lead.

The curious choice by Pittsburgh to start Deacon Phillippe, who was used primarily as a reliever during the year, seemed to be working through five. Phillippe had held the Bombers scoreless until Red Rolfe led off the sixth with a double and went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Tony Lazzeri. Ruth followed with his first home run of the night, giving New York the lead. That was all the help Chesbro would need. Paul Waner led off the fifth with a single, and it would be the only hit of the evening for the Bucs. Chesbro walked two and struck out one, facing only two batters over the minimum en route to a classic performance. Both starters went the distance, with Phillippe allowing only six hits in his eight innings, including another solo blast by Ruth in the eighth.

The Series moves back to the Steel City, where the Pirates will need to come up big at Forbes Field. Game 1 starters Whitey Ford and Wilbur Cooper take the mound once again. Ford stymied the Bucs in Game 1, pitching a shutout while Cooper lasted only three innings, surrendering five runs.

Lineups for Game 6:

AL CHAMPION NEW YORK YANKEES
1. Joe Gordon, 2B - .215, 9, 20
2. Gil McDougald, 3B - .277, 5, 22
3. Babe Ruth, RF - .261, 54, 127
4. Mickey Mantle, LF - .270, 30, 80
5. Lou Gehrig, 1B - .265, 24, 84
6. Joe DiMaggio, CF - .283, 24, 88
7. Yogi Berra, C - .264, 13, 60
8. Phil Rizzuto, SS - .219, 3, 29
9. Whitey Ford, P – 12-16, 3.36

NL CHAMPION PITTSBURGH PIRATES
1. George Grantham, 2B - .245, 15, 58
2. Roberto Clemente, RF - .289, 13, 67
3. Honus Wagner, 1B - .313, 6, 65
4. Ralph Kiner, LF - .229, 17, 61
5. Pie Traynor, 3B - .256, 0, 26
6. Manny Sanguillen, C - . 254, 4, 25
7. Arky Vaughan, SS - .320, 6, 57
8. Lloyd Waner, CF - .262, 1, 27
9. Wilbur Cooper, P – 20-16, 2.81

[floydthebarber]

I'm really enjoying your recaps. Downloaded the demo about a week ago after reading the first couple and started playing with the White Sox. Right now I'm neck and neck with New York through 26 games. I hope you don't mind if I share my results should I make it to the World Series?

I also play an '06 version of 'Baseball Mogul' from time to time, as I enjoy the team building aspect of that sim. Still, I'm really enjoying playing out the games one by one and being more hands on with in game decisions.

Thanks for sharing.

[TTX]

Chesbro was quite the pitcher till he lost faith in his spitter.

[TDalton]

Yankees Win Series on Ruth Homer in 11th

Yankees 2, Pirates 1 (11 innings)

Wilbur Cooper of the Pirates and Whitey Ford of the Yankees engaged in a great pitchers duel in Game 6. Through six innings, the game was scoreless with the Bucs only scratching out two hits while the Yankees had five. In the top of the seventh, Yogi Berra hit a two-out solo home run to give the Yankees the lead. Pittsburgh came back in the bottom half of the inning, scoring without the benefit of a hit. Third baseman Pie Traynor reached on an error by Lou Gehrig, stole second, went to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch. There was no more scoring in the eighth or ninth, so we had some free baseball.

Cooper stayed in and stranded pinch hitter Bob Meusel on first after a two-out single in the tenth. Bob Shawkey came on for New York and retired all three men he faced in the bottom of the inning. The Pirates brought in relief ace Roy Face to pitch the eleventh. After striking out Red Rolfe, Face gave up a long home run to Babe Ruth (his third in two games) before retiring Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio. Lefty Eddie Lopat then pitched the eleventh for New York, retiring George Grantham, Roberto Clemente and the Bucs regular season MVP Honus Wagner.

Ruth was names MVP of the Series, going 11 for 24 (.458) with 7 extra base hits including 3 home runs. He edged out teammate Ford, who pitched 18 innings and allowed only one run.

[TTX]

I think if you ran things around a 1,000 times, the Yankees would win at least half of them simply because of the guys they've had over the years. Great matchup though.