'40 Tribe Sweeps Pale Hose

The 40 Indians and 37 White Sox played a hard fought series, with two games going to extra innings. Although the White Sox outhit the Indians in two of the games and knocked around Bob Feller a bit, the Indians managed some late heroics to sweep the series and move to 13-4 on the season. Each game was a pitching gem:

Game One:  Cleveland's Mel Harder and Chicago's Vern Kennedy dueled at Comiskey, with Cleveland leading 1-0 going into the eighth on a Ben Chapman RBI triple. The Indians scraped together three more runs in the eighth to knock out Kennedy, all on singles and a key sac fly from Harder. Harder maintained the complete game shutout, moving to 4-0 on the season. Cleveland 4, White Sox 0.
Game Two: This go-round, it was Chicago's John Whitehead and Cleveland's Al Smith doing the dueling. Cleveland broke a scoreless tie with solitary runs in the seventh and eighth, but the White Sox mounted a comeback in the ninth, scoring two to tie it, the big blow a home run from Dixie Walker.  Chicago had a chance to go ahead in the top of the 11th, but Luke Appling was gunned down at the plate on a perfect throw from Chapman. Then, in the bottom of that inning,the Indians' all-or-nothing bopper Jeff Heath ended it with his third homer of the year. Cleveland 4, White Sox 2.
Game Three: Yet another scoreless duel as aces Bob Feller and Monty Stratton hurled zeros through nine. Stratton was particularly good, striking out nine Indians, while Feller allowed eight hits and only K'd four. Cleveland took the game in the bottom of the 11th again, as pitcher Al Smith, pinch hitting with men on first and second, stroked a single to center to score the only run. Cleveland 1, White Sox 0.

Regards,

Joe Pryweller