1926 World Series – Game Five
October 7, 1926 at Sportsman’s Park
Yankees 3, Cardinals 2 Yankees Lead Best of Seven Series 3-2
The Yankees came to within one game of winning their second World Series in the past four years in a ten inning win over the Cardinals. The game definitely had it’s drama and it centered around a ten inning pitching dual between Bill Sherdel and Herb Pennock.
Billy Southworth tried to get things going early all by himself. In the first inning, he reached on an error by Mark Koenig, stole second and then moved to third on a passed ball. Unfortunately, back to back groundouts by Rogers Hornsby and Jim Bottomley stranded him at third base.
Sherdel got out of a big jam in the second when he got Joe Dugan to ground into a double play with runners on first and third. After that second inning, he didn’t give up a hit until the sixth.
The Cardinals got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Bottomley doubled with one out and he scored on Les Bell’s single. The inning ended when Bell was caught stealing second base.
The Yankees finally struck in the sixth inning. Pennock helped out his own cause with a lead off double. He was almost picked off second base and the only thing that kept him there was a fielding error by Tommy Thevenow. Earle Combs then walked and then Pennock scored on Koenig’s RBI single. Babe Ruth struck out and then Bob Meusel moved Combs to third with a sac. fly before Tony Lazzeri flew out to right to end the inning. The game was tied, but it could have been a lot worse.
In the seventh inning, the Cardinals answered. Bell led off with a double and then he scored on a one out single by Bob O’Farrell. The Yankees went down quietly in the eighth and the game entered the ninth inning with the Cardinals up 2-1.
It didn’t take long for the Yankees to tie it up in the ninth. Lou Gehrig led off with a double and he moved to third on Lazzeri’s bunt single. Ben Paschal then drove home Gehrig with a pinch hit single and the game was tied still with nobody out and two men on. Hank Severeid tried to bunt everyone over but Lazzeri was gunned down at third by Bob O’Farrell. Two groundouts later, the inning was over but the game was tied.
The Cardinals went down in order in the bottom of the ninth so the game went into extra frames. In the top of the tenth, Koenig led off with a single and then he moved to second on Sherdel’s wild pitch. Babe Ruth walked and then Meusel moved both runners over with a bunt. Lou Gehrig was given an intentional pass but then Tony Lazzeri hit a fly ball deep enough to left to score Koenig to give the Yankees their first and only lead of the game. Sherdel actually loaded up the bases again when he hit Mike Gazella but he got Severeid to pop up to end the inning.
The Cardinals got a man on in the bottom of the tenth but he was stranded at first base. Now the Cardinals had to back to New York and they had to win the final two games.
