October 6 1937 World Series Game 1 New York Giants at New York Yankees
The Series opener was a battle of aces, as the Giants sent their “Mealticket”, screwballer Carl Hubbell, who had won 22 games during the season, to the mound against the Bombers’ Lefty Gomez, who had won 21. Hubbell and Gomez matched zeroes until the top of the fifth inning, when Jimmy Ripple singled, moved to third on another single by Johnny McCarthy, and scored the only Giant run of the game when Gus Mancuso hit into a double play.
Hubbell kept the Yankees at bay in the bottom half of the inning, but the wheels came off for him in the sixth. A walk and two singles loaded the bases with one out before Joe DiMaggio’s two-run single put the Yankees up 2–1. An intentional walk reloaded the bases before Bill Dickey’s RBI single increased the lead to 3-1, then George Selkirk’s two-run single following a force out at home chased King Carl. An error on Tony Lazzeri’s ground ball made it 6–1 Yankees, then Giant pitcher Dick Coffman issued two walks, including one to Red Rolfe that forced in a run before DiMaggio flew out to end the inning. Tony Lazzeri added a home run in the eighth inning off Al Smith, while Gomez stymied the Giants, holding them to one run and six hits in a complete game, 8–1 victory for a 1–0 Yankee lead in the Series.
