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Yankees win World Series on Walk Off Wild Pitch

On October 8, 1927 — In the bottom of the ninth of Game 4, Pirates right-hander Johnny Miljus loads the bases with no out, but gets Lou Gehrig to strike out swinging and strikes out Bob Meusel looking. The 32 year-old Pittsburgh hurler, facing Tony Lazzeri with two outs and a 0-1 count, throws a wild pitch, and Earle Combs races home with the winning run to give the Yankees the Fall Classic sweep of the Bucs and the team’s second world championship.

On October 8, 1927 at Yankee Stadium the Pittsburgh Pirates came into game 4, down 0-3 to the Yankees. New York was looking to become the manager of the first American League club to sweep a World Series in four straight games, Miller Huggins sent Wilcy Moore to the mound against the Pirates’ Carmen Hill for Game 4.

Lloyd Waner led off the game with a drive off Moore’s glove and beat it out for a hit. Mark Koenig threw out Clyde Barnhart, sending Little Poison to second. Glenn Wright singled to right, scoring Waner. The Yankees tied the game at one in the bottom of the first when the first three hitters, Earl Combs scored on a Babe Ruth, to tie it at 1.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Combs singled to short center. Koenig struck out swinging but Ruth hit his second home run of the Series, to deep center. The Yankees led 3–1.

In the top of the seventh inning, Smith would have grounded out third to first base, but Moore dropped Gehrig’s toss for an error. Pitcher Emil Yde ran for Smith, and Fred Brickell batted for Hill. Lazzeri, in his haste to make a double play on Brickell’s grounder, bobbled the ball and both runners reached, Yde taking second and Brickell making it to first. Lloyd Waner’s sacrifice bunt moved them up. Barnhart’s single over second scored Yde and sent Brickell to third. Paul Waner’s sacrifice fly to center scored Brickell, tying the score at three apiece.

There was a new battery for the Pirates in the bottom of the seventh, 32 year old Johnny Miljus and catcher Johnny Gooch. The score remained tied through the seventh, the eighth and the top of the ninth, bringing the Yanks up in their half of the ninth with a chance to win the game and the series. Miljus opened with a walk to Combs. Koenig beat out a bunt down the third base line for a single, bringing Ruth up. Miljus’ wild pitch sent Combs to third and Koenig to second, and manager Bush ordered Miljus to walk Ruth, loading the bases for Gehrig, who struck out swinging as did Bob Meusel looking. Lazzeri fouled deep into the left field bleachers for strike one, but on the next pitch Miljus uncorked another wild pitch. Combs raced home with the winning run, and the Series was over with the Yankees winning 4–3. To date, this is the only World Series to end with a runner scoring on a wild pitch.

 

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World Series Game 4 Played on Saturday, October 8, 1927 (D) at Yankee Stadium I

PIT N    1  0  0    0  0  0    2  0  0  -   3 10  1
NY  A    1  0  0    0  2  0    0  0  1  -   4 12  2
BOX+PBP
WP: Moore (1-0)
LP: Miljus (0-1)
HR: Ruth (2)

Play by Play

PIRATES 1ST: L. Waner singled to pitcher; Barnhart grounded out
(shortstop to first) [L. Waner to second]; P. Waner grounded out
(third to first); Wright singled to right [L. Waner scored,
Wright to second (on throw to home)]; Traynor reached on a
fielder's choice [Wright out at third (third unassisted)]; 1 R,
2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Yankees 0.

YANKEES 1ST: Combs singled to right; Koenig singled to right
[Combs to second]; Ruth singled to right [Combs scored, Koenig
to third]; Gehrig struck out; Ruth stole second; Meusel was
called out on strikes; Lazzeri struck out; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.
 Pirates 1, Yankees 1.

PIRATES 2ND: On a bunt Grantham grounded out (third to first);
Harris singled to shortstop; Smith lined to right; Hill walked
[Harris to second]; L. Waner singled to pitcher [Harris to
third, Hill to second]; Barnhart forced L. Waner (second
unassisted); 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Pirates 1, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 2ND: Dugan grounded out (shortstop to first); Collins
doubled to left; Moore grounded out (shortstop to first); Combs
grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. 
Pirates 1, Yankees 1.

PIRATES 3RD: P. Waner singled to left; Wright grounded into a
double play (second to first) [P. Waner out at second]; Traynor
flied to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 3RD: Koenig grounded out (second to first); Ruth
grounded out (first unassisted); Gehrig grounded out (second to
first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Yankees 1.

PIRATES 4TH: Grantham grounded out (first unassisted); Harris
singled to right; Smith forced Harris (shortstop to second);
Hill grounded out (catcher to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. 
Pirates 1, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 4TH: Meusel grounded out (third to first); Lazzeri
grounded out (third to first); Dugan singled to left; Collins
singled to center [Dugan to third (error by L. Waner)]; Moore
struck out; 0 R, 2 H, 1 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 1, Yankees 1.

PIRATES 5TH: L. Waner singled to center; Barnhart grounded into
a double play (third to second to first) [L. Waner out at
second]; P. Waner grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0
E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Yankees 1.

YANKEES 5TH: Combs singled to center; Koenig struck out; Ruth
homered [Combs scored]; Gehrig grounded out (shortstop to
first); Meusel grounded out (shortstop to first); 2 R, 2 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Pirates 1, Yankees 3.

PIRATES 6TH: Wright grounded out (pitcher to first); Traynor
struck out; Grantham singled to first; Harris lined to center; 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 1, Yankees 3.

YANKEES 6TH: Lazzeri struck out; Dugan popped to third in foul
territory; Collins walked; Moore singled to right [Collins to
third]; Combs flied to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 1,
Yankees 3.

PIRATES 7TH: Smith reached on an error by Moore (assist by
Gehrig) [Smith to first]; YDE RAN FOR SMITH; BRICKELL BATTED FOR
HILL; Brickell reached on an error by Lazzeri [Yde to second,
Brickell to first]; L. Waner out on a sacrifice bunt (first to
second) [Yde to third, Brickell to second]; Barnhart singled to
center [Yde scored (unearned), Brickell to third]; P. Waner out
on a sacrifice fly (center unassisted) [Brickell scored
(unearned)]; Wright grounded out (pitcher to first); 2 R (0 ER),
1 H, 2 E, 1 LOB.  Pirates 3, Yankees 3.

YANKEES 7TH: GOOCH REPLACED YDE (PLAYING C ); MILJUS REPLACED
BRICKELL (PITCHING); Koenig singled; Ruth grounded into a double
play (third to shortstop to first) [Koenig out at second];
Gehrig flied to left; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Yankees
3.

PIRATES 8TH: Traynor grounded out (third to first); Grantham
singled to right; Harris grounded out (second to first)
[Grantham to second]; Gooch was walked intentionally; Miljus
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 3, Yankees 3.

YANKEES 8TH: Meusel grounded out (third to first); Lazzeri
walked; Dugan popped to first; Collins singled to center
[Lazzeri to third]; Moore struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. 
Pirates 3, Yankees 3.

PIRATES 9TH: L. Waner grounded out (second to first); Barnhart
flied out to left; P. Waner grounded out (pitcher to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Pirates 3, Yankees 3.

YANKEES 9TH: Combs walked; On a bunt Koenig singled [Combs to
second]; Miljus threw a wild pitch [Combs to third, Koenig to
second]; Ruth was walked intentionally; Gehrig struck out;
Meusel struck out; Miljus threw a wild pitch [Combs scored]; 1
R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Pirates 3, Yankees 4.

Final Totals      R   H   E  LOB
 Pirates          3  10   1    9
 Yankees          4  12   2   11