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Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY, September 9, 1928 – Yankees Earle Combs leads off with base hit against the Philadelphia A’s in key game in AL pennant race

 

In the first game of a key doubleheader between the Athletics and Yankees, New York’s Earle Combs leads off the bottom of the first inning with base hit off Philadelphia’s starter Jack Quinn. Going into todays twin bill the Yankees were a half game behind the A’s in the standings as the pennant race is starting to heat up, evidenced by the record crowd of 85,265 in the Bronx, and according to one newspaper clipping an additional 100,000 fans were turned away.

Combs would be left stranded on the bases and the game would continue to go scoreless as Quinn and Yanks starter George Pipgras would both be at the top of their game, but in the sixth inning New York would break the game open with three runs and they would add two more in the eighth inning for a 5-0 lead. From there Pipgras would shut the door down throwing a complete game shutout and the easy win would put the Yankees in first place by a half a game.

The Yanks, led by a Bob Meusel grand slam, would increase their lead over the A’s in the standings to 1.5 games by taking the second game of the Sunday doubleheader 7-3. Meusel’s slam off the Athletics reliever Eddie Rommel in the eighth inning broke a 3-3 tie and Hall of Fame pitcher Waite Hoyt, who came in to relieve Wilcy Moore in the eighth inning would get the win improving his season record to 19-5.

Coming off the sweep, the Yankees would never relinquish their lead in the standings and would clinch their third consecutive American League pennant finishing 2.5 games ahead of Connie Mack’s A’s. From there they would sweep the St Louis Cardinals in the World Series for their first back-to-back World Series titles. In that series Lou Gehrig was an absolute beast hitting .545 with four home runs and nine RBIs.

Also in this photo is Athletics catcher Mickey Cochrane, home plate umpire Bill McGowan and in the background you can see Yankees third base coach Art Fletcher.

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