1926 World Series – Game Three
October 5, 1926 at Sportsman’s Park
Cardinals 4, Yankees 0 Cardinals Lead Best of Seven Series 2-1
Jesse Haines held the Yankees to five hits in a complete game shutout over the Yankees that put the Cardinals up by a game in their best of seven series. It was the first ever home World Series win for the Cardinals.
The Cardinals got two men on in the third but Yankees starter Dutch Ruether ended the threat with no damage. With on out and a man on in the Yankees’ fourth, the game was postponed for around a half hour because of rain. When things commenced, Haines got Lou Gehrig to pop out and Tony Lazzeri to ground out to end the inning.
The Cardinals’ big inning was the fourth. Les Bell singled and he moved to second on Chick Hafey’s bunt. Bob O’Farrell walked and Tommy Thevenow grounded out in what appeared to be an inning ending double play but Yankees shortstop Mark Koenig threw the ball away after getting O’Farrell out at second and that allowed Bell to score. Jesse Haines then made the Yankees pay for their error by hitting a two run homerun to help out his own cause and to give the Cardinals a 3-0 lead.
The Cardinals added a run in the fifth inning when Billy Southworth scored on Jim Bottomley’s ground out. Bottomely already had four RBIs in the series and one in each of the three World Series games.
Neither team did much after that fifth inning because Haines never allowed more the one hit in an inning. From the fifth inning on, no Yankee even reach second base.
