Dem Bums split with Redbirds in STL

9/6 - Sportsman's Park
Greg vs M.Cooper
Dodgers 10, Cardinals 3

After being swept in Brooklyn a few weeks back the Dodgers realized that they would have to play above their heads against this machine from St. Louis.  Brooklyn jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the top of the first and just kept piling on the runs.  Mort Cooper did not have his best day on the bump.  His team made 3 errors that led to 3 unearned runs as well.  The "People's Cherce", Dixie Walker (a man with 2 nicknames) was 4 for 5 with 3 runs scored and 2 runs knocked in.  Augie Galan was 3 for 5 with 3 runs knocked in as Dem Bums did a great job supporting Hal Gregg (3-1, 2.15), who went 8 innings and gave up 3 runs on 11 hits.


9/7
C.Davis vs Wilks
Dodgers 9, Cardinals 6

Curt Davis was brilliant for 8 innings giving up just 2 runs on 6 hits before handing the ball off to Lee Pfund, who did his best to blow the lead.  After scoring 3 runs in the 8th and 5 runs in the 9th the Dodgers were in the cat-bird seat, as amply described by one Red Barber calling the game.  Brooklyn's manager got a little cute and thought he could get away with subbing in Lee Pfund to finish out the game with a 7 run lead.  Pfund struggled to get two outs, while giving up 4 runs, before he was replaced by Cy Buker, who walked 2 before finally getting Kurowski to line out to left.  Kurowski represented the winning run at the plate.  Lost in the frenzy created by St. Louis' near miss comeback was a 4 for 5 day by Dodger centerfielder Goody Rosen, who knocked in 5 of Brooklyn's 9 runs.  Rosen's 3 run homer in the 8th started a tidal wave of runs that the Dodgers would eventually need as they hung on for dear life in the 9th.

9/8
Lombardi vs Lanier
Cardinals 4, Dodgers 2

Break up the Dodgers !  After taking the first 2 games of the series the fans back home reading the Brooklyn Eagle and listening to Red Barber on WMCA radio were ecstatic.  "We beat dem Cad-inals real good", was a direct quote from Hilda Chester, who run the Dodger Syn-Phony.  Unfortunately for Hilda and the rest of the Brooklyn faithful the Dodgers fortunes would come back to reality real quick.  Max Lanier and the Cardinal pen combined to limited the Brooks to just 2 runs on 10 hits.  The Dodgers left 9 runners on base.  Vic Lombardi (0-5) was once again the loser.  In fairness his final line wasn't all that terrible and his season ERA (3.69) doesn't evidence an 0-5 record, but he does consistently come out on the short end of the stick.  The 9 walks that he issued today did not help his cause.  3 of those walks were issued to Musial, but who could blame Lombardi for not wanting to pitch to St. Louis' "Wunder kind".  With the game tied 2-2 the Cardinals took the lead for good when Lombardi bobbled a comebacker to allow Marty Marion to dash home from third.  A Sac Fly by Marion (1-2 with a double) in the 7th gave the Redbirds an insurance run that they would not really need.

9/9
Herring vs Brecheen
Cardinals 6, Dodgers 0

Brooklyn's return to reality came with a huge thud as the Cardinals set the tone early with 4 big runs in the the bottom of the second and a fifth run in the bottom of the 3rd, which chased Art Herring from the hill.  Ben Chapman did an admirably job in relief allowing just 1 run on 3 hits in 4 1/3 innings.  Harry Brecheen (3-1, 2.63) was the real pitching story today.  St. Louis' righthander tossed a nifty 4 hit shutout that required just 96 pitches.  Everyone in the Cardinal lineup got a hit, except Brecheen, who didn't care one bit.  RBI's by Johnny Hopp (2), Kurowski (1), Marion (1) and Verban (1) were more than enough for a dominant Mr. Brecheen.  Brooklyn left the series happy to have the split, but wanting more.  St. Louis left the series feeling confident that their dominance is back on track.