1935 World Series – Game 6

October 7, 1935 Tigers 4, Cubs 3 Tigers Win Best of Seven Series 4-2

With Tommy Bridges on the mound, the Tigers were attempting for the second game to lock up their first World Series. The big difference today was that they’d be playing in front of a home crowd. What wasn’t different was they still were without Hank Greenberg.

The Tigers got on the board first. In the bottom of the first, Mickey Cochrane and Charlie Gehringer put up back to back singles with one out. Goose Goslin popped to the shortstop and then Pete Fox came up big with a one run, two out double. Starter Larry French eventually got out of the jam, but the Tigers had a 1-0 lead.

The Cubs wouldn’t take too long to answer. In the top of the third, Tommy Bridges was touched up for three hits and a run.

The Tigers took their second lead of the game in the fourth. Gee Walker and Billy Rogell led off the inning with singles. Marv Owen laid down a bunt, and while he was able to move Walker to third, Rogell was forced out at second base. Tommy Bridges then hit into a fielders choice at second base, but Gee Walker was able to score as the Tigers took a 2-1 lead. Flea Clifton grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning. Oddly all three outs in the inning were made on fielder’s choices.

The Cubs answered in the next half inning. French singled with one out and then Bridges struck out Augie Galan for out number two. Billy Herman then hit a huge two run homer that gave the Cubs the lead for the first time in the game.

The Tigers went down quietly in the fifth, but in the bottom of the sixth, they put together a nice two out rally. Billy Rogell doubled, then scored on a Marv Owen single. The game was tied 3-3.

Neither team really threatened in the seventh or eighth innings. Things looked grim for the Tigers in the ninth when Bridges gave up a lead off triple to Stan Hack. Bridges then struck out Billy Jurges, got French to ground out to him for out number two and then Augie Galan flew out to end the inning.

Flea Clifton struck out to lead off the bottom of the ninth. Mickey Cochrane singled and then moved to second on Charlie Gerhinger’s ground out to first base. Goose Goslin then became the hero of the game by driving home Cochrane with a walk off RBI single.

Tommy Bridges gave up twelve hits and three runs, but he struck out seven as he improved to 2-0 in a series. I’d imagine that without a real hitting star in the series, Bridges would have walked away with the World Series MVP.

The Tigers were World Champions for the first time. It might have been a season too late for Tiger fans, but they finally did it.

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