Tigers clinch AL Flag with split vs 2nd place Bombers

The first place Tigers entered the final series of the season against the second place Yankees needing one win to clinch first place.  Manager Tom davis welcomed Virgil "Fire" Trucks back to the team, Virgil having been released from the Navy just a few days ago.  In 1945, Virgil was released from the Navy, came to the Tigers and clinched the pennant with his one start of the season.  Looking to repeat history and having always wanted to to use the T-N-T combination about which his father spoke so often, Manager Davis decided that the first three starters would be Trucks, Newhouser and Trout

September 27  Buch Wensloff vs Virgil Trucks

Trucks was obviously rusty as he gave up three first inning singles Roy Weatherly, Bob Johnson and Ken Sears; Sears' single driving home two runs.  The Tigers came back with 5 runs in the bottom of the third.  Walks to Trucks, Eddie Mayo and Hank Greenberg loaded the bases.  Rudy York singled home two and Roy Cullenbine hit his fifth homer of the season to give Virgil a three run lead.  In the fourth, Trucks gave up a single to Sears and then Nick Etten drove him home with a double.  A walk and a single loaded the bases and then Trucks walked Snuffy Sternweiss to tie the game.  Weatherly hit a short fly to center and Doc Cramer threw the Yankee runner out at the plate to get the double play and preserve a one run lead.  But that would be all for Trucks.  The Tigers pushed across a run in the 7th on a Mayo single.  But the Yanks weren't done and they got two in the 8th off Al Benton.  A walk to Joe Gordon, a triple by Johnny Lindell and a pinch hit single by Bud Metheny and the game was tied.  Billy Pierce issued three straight walks after retiring the first batter he faced in the 9th.  George Caster came on and after getting the pinchhitter to pop out on the infield, walked Sternweiss with what would become the winning run.  Johnny Murphy came in to shut the Tigers down in the 9th and earn his 5th save.  Yankees 7  Tigers 6

September 28  Hank Borowy vs Hal Newhouser.

With Prince Hal on the mound, the Tigers looked to close out the season.  And when they put up 5 runs in the second, highlighted by Newhouser's two run double, they looked poised to open the champagne.  Adding two more in the 4th on a Rudy York double just made things rosier.  But then Newhouser, who has lead the league in era all season collapsed.  The fifth inning saw him load the bases.  Two strikeouts made it look like he would pitch out of trouble. But Joe Gordon drew a walk to force in a run.  Bill Dickey singled home a run and Nick Etten drove home two more with a double.  A  passed ball scored another and Lindell's single made the score 7-6.  In the seventh, walks to Gordon and Dickey were followed by a two run Etten double.  Etten added a homer in the 9th to give Murphy a comfortable two run lead.  The Tigers pushed across one in the bottom of the frame but it wasnt enough.  Yankees 9  Tigers 8

September 29.  Spud Chandler vs Dizzy Trout

The three game lead the Tigers had started the series with was now one.  But Dizzy Trout was taking the mound.  "Gimme me one."  He told his manager and teammates before the game.  It took the Tigers until the 6th as Chandler had a very good outing.  Roy Cullenbine singled and two groundouts moved him to third where he scored on a Jimmy Outlaw single.  Dizzy was as good as his word as he shut out the Yankees, pitching out of trouble consistently as he surrendered 7 hits and four walks.  But  he rose to every challenge to win his 8th of the season and lower his era to a sparkling 2.06.  In the clubhouse later, Hank Greenberg who has been slumping terribly of late, was laughing as champagne coursed down his face and into his eyes.  "Dizzy is the man!  Just like Dean, he says what he means and means what he says.  Ain't never seen a gutsier pitching performance."  The Tigers clinch the American League pennant 1-0 

September 30.  Marv Breuer vs Stubby Overmire

The Yankees needed this game to clinch a playoff spot but the previous day's shutout played in their mind.  They simply couldn't get up for this one.  The Tigers, meanwhile played loose and relaxed, taking advantage of every missed pitch.  Overmire went the distance, allowing two runs.  The Tiger bats meanwhile cleaned up on Yankee pitching.  Roy Cullenbine hit homers from both sides of the plate, his sixth and seventh and drove home 7.  Eddie Mayo drove home 3 as did Doc Cramer.  Spud Webb went 0 for 5 but scored three times and drove in four.  Tommy Byrne walked 6, including three with the bases loaded, in just 2.1 innings.  19 hits and 8 walks were turned into 24 runs.  Tigers 24  Yankees 2

--submitted by Tom "Crash" Davis--