A Look Back At This Date In Cleveland Indians Playoff History; Oct. 10

October 10

1920 World Series Game 5, Dunn Field: Indians 8, Robins 1

After tying up the series the previous day, The Indians sent Jim Bagby back out in a rematch of game two against Burleigh Grimes. The Robins tried small ball in the first. Ivy Olson singled to left and Jack Sheehan bunted him over. Tommy Griffith grounded to first and Zach Wheat flew out. In the bottom half after doing almost nothing against Grimes previously, Charlie Jamieson opened with a single. Bill Wambsganss also singled. Tris Speaker laid down a perfect bunt and the bases were juiced. Elmer Smith came to the plate and homered to deep right, the first grand slam in World Series history.

Bagby and Grimes each tossed a perfect second inning. The Robins strung three singles together in the third, Otto Miller, Ivy Olson and Sheehan. Luckily Grimes bounced into a double play after Miller so damage was averted. In the bottom half, Smith tripled to center with two outs, but was stranded. In the fourth, a one out single by Hi Myers and a wild pitch got him to second, but Steve O'Neill caught him stealing third. In the bottom of the fourth, Doc Johnston singled to center and went to second on a passed ball. Joe Sewell's grounder moved him to third and O'Neill was intentionally passed to get to Bagby. Bagby promptly cranked one to deep center, the first home run by a pitcher in World Series history. Another single by Jamieson and Grimes was pulled in favor of Clarence Mitchell.

In the fifth, Pete Kilduff singled to left center and Miller did likewise. Up stepped Mitchell, who hit a liner near second base. Wambsganss caught the liner, stepped on the bag to get Kilduff, and tagged Miller, the first and only unassisted triple play in World Series history. So in the span of five innings, the 26,884 fans in attendance witnessed three firsts, a grand slam, a pitcher going deep, and the rarest of baseball feats, an unassisted triple play.

The Indians netted one more run in the fifth when Speaker was safe on Sheehan's error and came around on singles by Smith and Lee Gardner. They ended up leaving the bases loaded as well. With an eight run lead, the only suspense left was whether one more rarity would occur, the cycle. Smith had homered, tripled and singled in first three plate appearances. He grounded into a force ending the sixth. The Indians would need to get some baserunners in order to turn over the lineup one more time, but only managed a walk in the seventh and a single in the eighth and Smith was left in the hole. Bagby completed what he started, but finally surrendered a run in the ninth on back to back to back singles by Wheat, Myers and Ed Konetchy. But the Tribe prevailed 8-1 and now led the series three games to two.

1948 World Series Game 5, Cleveland Stadium: Braves 11, Indians 5

With a 3-1 lead in the series, Boudreau sent out ace Bob Feller to take on the Braves. But Billy Southworth decided on not Warren Spahn, but Nels Potter instead. Feller got off to a shaky start. Tommy Holmes and Al Dark both led off with singles, and after Earl Torgeson flew out, Bob Elliott cranked one to deep right, doubling the Braves series output, and their largest lead of the series, 3-0. Dale Mitchell got one back with a leadoff shot in the bottom half, but Ken Keltner and Wally Judnich both stranded Lou Boudreau and Joe Gordon.

Elliott obviously was not afraid of Feller's stuff, because he cranked his second home run in two tries in the third, pushing the lead to 4-1. In the fourth, Gordon led off with a single and moved to second on Keltner's walk. Judnich singled in Gordon with Keltner taking third. Eddie Robinson popped out, but Jim Hegan crushed one to deep left, and the Tribe had their first lead, 5-4. This was also the end of Potter's day as Spahn came in to relieve him. Staked to a lead, Feller had a 1-2-3 fifth but Bill Salkeld tied it up in the sixth with his solo shot.

Feller came back out for the seventh but maybe shouldn't have. Tommy Holmes singled and went to second on Dark's bunt. Torgeson singled to center, breaking the tie and bringing on Ed Klieman. He walked Elliott and Marv Rickert scored two with a single. After Salkeld walked as well, Boudreau called on Russ Christopher. Back to back RBI singles by Mike McCormick and Eddie Stanky ended his day rather quickly. Finally, Negro League legend Satchel Paige came in. A sacrifice fly by Spahn netted the eleventh run. And after balking Stanky to second, Holmes grounded out to end the disastrous inning.

Spahn was spectacular in relief earning the win. He walked Mitchell in the fourth after relieving Potter, but the only other baserunner that afternoon was a leadoff double by Boudreau in the eight. He struck out seven and the teams headed back to Boston with the Braves needing to win both.

1995 ALCS Game 1, Kingdome: Mariners 3, Indians 2

After one of the most dominant regular seasons in history, and knocking off the Red Sox in three straight games in the ALDS, the Indians squared off against the Seattle Mariners, who had just finished off the Yankees. The Mariners had won the AL West by just one game over the California Angels and actually had a half game worse record than the Yankees and 21.5 games worse than the Tribe.

Bob Wolcott was the surprise game one starter for the Mariners. He seemed to be just as surprised as he walked Kenny Lofton, Omar Vizquel and Carlos Baerga to start the game. But he struck out Albert Belle, got Eddie Murray to pop foul to third and Jim Thome to ground out, escaping without a single run scoring. Dennis Martinez walked Ken Griffey Jr. with two out, but Sandy Alomar gunned him down at second. Wolcott continued his magic act, working around a Paul Sorrento double and Lofton walk in the second.

Martinez wasn't as lucky in the second, walking Jay Buhner with two out and Mike Blowers putting one over the fence for a 2-0 lead. The Tribe got one back in the third. Baerga singled and Belle walked. After Murray lined out, Thome drove in Baerga with a single. Ramirez singled to load the bases, but Sorrento hit into an inning ending double play. After three innings, the Tribe had left seven on base. Martinez got into his groove after that, only allowing a two out double by Joey Cora in the third until the sixth. Cora and Griffey Jr. singled in the sixth, but Edgar Martinez hit into a double play.

Meanwhile, the Indians continued to strand runners, a one out single by Lofton in the fourth, a two out single in the fifth, and a two out triple by Lofton in the sixth. They finally tied the game in the seventh when Belle homered with one out. In the bottom half, Buhner hit a one out ground rule double and Blowers made it to first on Thome's bad throw on a grounder. Luis Sojo doubled to left, scoring Buhner with Blowers holding at third. Julian Tavarez got Dan Wilson to ground back to the box and struck out Vince Coleman to keep the score 3-2.

The Tribe threatened in the eighth with two outs. A single by Alomar off Jeff Nelson brought on Norm Charlton to face Lofton. Lofton kept his perfect night intact by singling to left, moving pinch runner Ruben Amaro to second. But Omar flew out leaving two more on base. Tavarez worked himself into trouble in the eighth as well. Griffey Jr. doubled with one out and then Edgar Martinez was walked. Paul Assenmacher came in to face Tino Martinez, but he worked a walk, loading the bases. In came Eric Plunk who struck out Buhner and got Blowers to hit into a force. Charlton had an easy ninth, striking out Baerga and Belle, with Murray grounding out to short. That put the Mariners in a 1-0 series lead.

1998 ALCS Game 4, Jacobs Field: Yankees 4, Indians 0

After taking the series lead, Mike Hargrove sent out Dwight Gooden to start game four against Orlando Hernandez. On paper this was a mismatch, and in the end, so was the result. Paul O'Neill wasted no time in greeting Gooden with a two out solo shot in the first. A single by Omar Vizquel, a stolen base, and a walk to Manny Ramirez put runners at first and second, but both were left there. Gooden worked around a Tino Martinez walk in the second and had a perfect third.

It was the fourth that was Gooden's undoing. He walked O'Neill who stole second. Bernie Williams also walked. Chili Davis doubled to left, scoring O'Neill with Williams stopping at third. Williams scored on a sacrifice fly to Lofton, who misplayed it, allowing Martinez to reach base. Gooden got Jorge Posada to fly out and Chad Curtis to hit into a 6-4-3 double play, keeping the lead at 3-0. From the second through the fourth, the Indians managed a one out double by Lofton in the third and nothing else.

Gooden allowed a leadoff single, but retired the next two batters before being lifted for Jim Poole to face Paul O'Neill, who he struck out. The Indian's sixth was probably their best chance. Omar had a one out single and moved over when David Jusitce was hit by a pitch. After Manny struck out, Vizquel stole third, but Jim Thome also fanned, ending the uprising. Dave Burba pitched well in relief from the sixth through eighth innings, issuing just two walks. After El Duque walked Enrique Wilson to lead off the eighth, Joe Torre called on Mike Stanton. He retired Lofton on a strikeout, Omar singled, but was erased himself on a 4-6-3 double play.

Burba gave up his first hit in the ninth, a double to Martinez to lead things of. Jorge Posada lined out, and after wild pitching pinch runner Homer Bush to third, Burba walked Chad Curtis. Paul Shuey came in and Scott Brosius hit a deep enough fly to score Bush. The Indians went quietly in the ninth, nary a baserunner. The Yankees had tied the series at two and ensured themselves a trip back home.

1999 ALDS Game 4, Fenway Park: Red Sox 23, Indians 7

After the pen lost game three, Mike Hargrove sent out ace Bartolo Colon to face Kent Mercker. This was essentially a do or die game as rumors persisted that Pedro Martinez might pitch game five back in Cleveland. A little bit of small ball got the Tribe a quick 1-0 lead. Kenny Lofton doubled and Omar Vizquel bunted him over. He scored on a Robbie Alomar grounder. With two out, Manny Ramirez walked and Wil Cordero singled. But Richie Sexson struck out to end the inning. Colon was not sharp out of the gate, walking Jose Offerman and then John Valentin crushed one to make it a 2-1 Red Sox lead.

Mercker was struggling as well. He walked Jim Thome to start the second. Travis Fryman singled and both moved up a base on a passed ball. Thome scored on Sandy Alomar's flyout. Lofton also flew out but Omar walked. Rich Garces replaced Mercker and Robbie grounded out, leaving two more runners on base. Colon would not retire another batter. In the second, Mike Stanley, Jason Varitek and Darren Lewis all singled. Trot Nixon doubled home two and Offerman homered, making it a 7-2 Sox lead. Steve Karsay relieved and got out of the inning but not before two more runners reached base.

It was all downhill from there. The Sox scored three more in the third, two on a Valentin homer off Karsay. They put five up in the fourth off Steve Reed, three from a double from Valentin. They got three more in the fifth off Reed, on an RBI triple by Stanley and two run shot by Varitek. The seventh added three more, this time off Paul Assenmacher. And in the eight, two runs off Paul Shuey. The only Indian hurler that went unscathed was Sean DePaula in the sixth, who struck out two in a 1-2-3 inning. Why he was lifted so quickly, I have no idea.

The Tribe got four runs of their own in the fifth on RBI singles by Cordero and Sexson, a sac fly by Fryman and a bases loaded walk by Lofton. But that only made the score 15-6. Cordero added a solo shot in the ninth off Tom Gordon. This is obviously the Indians worst postseason loss. And worse still, no day off before game 5 and a potential Pedro sighting.