GAME 1 - Ebbets Field - BKN 4, CUB 3
Charley Root vs Ralph Branca
Player Manager Charlie Grimm doubled home Johnny Moore in the top of the 2nd to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead. Brooklyn would answer right back with a 3 run explosion in the bottom of the frame which helped hasten Charley Root's departure. With 1 out Spider Jorgensen singled home "the People's Cherse" Dixie Walker to tie the score at 1-1. Two batters later Ralph Branca hit a dibbler between first and second for a seeing eyed single to score Carl Furillo. Pee Wee Reese's RBI double made it 3-1. A 2 run homer by backstop Gabby Hartnett momentarily tied the game at 3-3 in the 6th, but the Dodgers would score a solo run thanks to another RBI single by Jorgensen to go back up by 1. Branca would protect his 1 run lead by fanning 8 and going the distance to close out the game. Jorgensen was the hitting star going 3 for 4 with 2 RBI's.
The Dodgers lead the series 1-0
GAME 2 - Ebbets Field - BKN 5, CUB 0
Lon Warneke vs Joe Hatten
Don't for second let the final score confuse you into
thinking that this was a one sided blow out in favor of the Boys of Summer. In fact the fans on Bedford Ave were treated to a scoreless pitcher's duel for 6 1/2 innings of play until the Dodgers plated 2 runs in the bottom of the 7th off of Lon Warneke, who was victimized by bad fielding from right fielder Kiki Cuyler. With runners on 1st (Edwards) & 2nd (Walker) Spider Jorgensen singled to right. Walker made a mad dash coming around third and drew an ill advised throw from Cuyler which skipped passed Hartnett and allowed Walker to score and Jorgensen to sneak into 3rd where he would score on a ground out by "the Brat" Eddie Stanky. A 3 run homer by Gene Hermanski off of Bob Smith in the bottom of the 8th sealed the deal. Joe Hatten, who was pitching shutout ball, was replaced by Hugh Casey in the 9th even thought Brooklyn's lefty starter felt he deserved the right to finish up and defend his 5 run lead.
The Dodgers lead the series 2-0
GAME 3 - West Side Grounds - CUB 9, BKN 0
Vic Lombardi vs Pat Malone
With the Chicago Bears hosting an NFL contest over at Wrigley the game was held in the dilapidated West Side Grounds. What the old park doesn't offer in amenities it does offer in karma, since that is the place the Cubs last won a World Championship. The story on the day was short and simple. Pat Malone dominated Brooklyn by going the distance and tossing a neat 3 hitter with 8 k's. Case closed nothing else to really say. With the score 6-0 Cubs after 5 the only thing really on the line was the shutout. When Pee Wee Reese led off the top of the 9th with a single there was a slight chance Brooklyn could get on the scoreboard. Jackie Robinson's around the horn 5-4-3 DP erased all hope and Dixie Walker's grounder to short closed the book. Hitting star for Chicago was Johnny Moore, who went 3 for 4 with 4 RBI's and 3 run homer in the 8th.
The Dodgers lead the series 2-1
GAME 4 - Wrigley Field - CUB 14, BKN 7
Harry Taylor vs Guy Bush
Moving north to Wrigley in no way shape of form hurt the
Cubbies who banged out 16 hits and scored 14 runs. Chicago actually trailed 4-3, but unloaded for 4 runs in the bottom of the 4th to make it 7-4 and they never looked back. Johnny Moore once again paced the offense going 3 for 4 with 4 runs scored and 4 RBI's. Moore also had a homer and a double. Player-manager Charlie Grimm was 3 for 5 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored. Grimm's 2 run double in the bottom of the first narrowly missed being a homer. Cub starter Guy Bush was less than spectacular with 6 runs allowed in 5 innings of work. Thankfully his offense came to do damage and bombarded Dodger starter Harry Taylor and reliever Clyde King. The "People's Ch-er-ce" Dixie Walker had his 4 for 5 day go to waste as Brooklyn had no arms. Judging by the score one would think the winds were blowing out, but that really wasn't the case with a slight 5mph breeze going from right to left.
Series tied 2-2
GAME 5 - Ebbets Field - BKN 6, CUB 1
Charley Root vs Ralph Branca
Cub manager Jim Walden was more than shocked to be taking the train into Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan. After his charges went down 2-0 he figured he'd be one and done and heading home for dinner. After shellacking Brooklyn in the Windy City the Cubs headed east with a lot of bravado. The Dodgers on the other hand were a bit nervous and a lot apprehensive about facing another post season collapse. Fans who walked 3 avenues from the IRT on Eastern Parkway were cheered up almost immediately when Spider Jorgensen slammed a two run homer over the fence into the middle of Bedford Avenue. Thanks to a Billy Herman error at second Jackie Robinson took full advantage and immediately stole second and was singled home by the "Little Colonel" Pee Wee Reese to make it 3-0. Kiki Cuyler would lead off the the 6th with a blast off of Ralph Branca to make it 3-1 as things began to tighten as time began running short. Brooklyn blew the game open with 3 runs off of reliever Jakie May in the bottom of the 8th. Reese led the inning off with a single and moved to second when Dixie Walker did the same. A wild pitch left first base open, so Furillo
was issued an intentional pass. Another WP allowed Reese to score easily. Bruce Edwards fanned for the first out, but not before Spider Jorgensen single pushed the runners up further. A passed ball charged to the normally sure handed Gabby Hartnet allowed another run to score. Branca had a huge safety net heading into the 9th, so nobody worried when Moore had himself a 1 out single. Grimm and Koenig would each make infield outs to end the game and the series.
The Dodgers win the series 3-2
