National Baseball League

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1937 League Championship Series

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🎙️ Mike & The Mad Dog — Yankees vs. Cleveland History Lesson

🎙️ Mike Francesa:
“Alright, so the Yankees finally get back to the ALCS. Ten-year drought. Big comeback against Tampa. Twenty runs in Game 5. The whole thing.
And who do they get?
Cleveland.
Of course.”
🗣️ Chris Russo:
“OF COURSE! You wait a decade to get back and who’s sittin’ there? The one team that’s given you agita for thirty years!”
🎙️ Mike:
“Let’s go through it calmly. Because when you look at the history, it’s not pretty.”
📜 The Playoff History
1904 ALDS — Yankees sweep Cleveland 3–0.
🗣️ Russo:
“Okay! Fine! Good start!”
1919 Wild Card — Cleveland sweeps Yankees 2–0.
🗣️ Russo:
“There it is. Here we go.”
1920 ALCS — Cleveland over Yankees 4–2.
1921 ALCS — Yankees sweep Cleveland 4–0.
🗣️ Russo:
“Alright! Back and forth! That’s competitive!”
1923 ALCS — Cleveland over Yankees 4–1.
1924 ALCS — Cleveland sweeps Yankees 4–0.
1925 ALCS — Cleveland over Yankees 4–1.
1926 ALCS — Cleveland over Yankees 4–3.
🎙️ Mike (pause):
“Chris… that’s five series wins for Cleveland in the 1920s alone.”
🗣️ Russo (losing it):
“THEY OWNED ‘EM! They OWNED ‘EM! After ’21 it’s basically one-way traffic! ’23, ’24 sweep, ’25, ’26 in seven games! The Yankees couldn’t get past ’em!”
🎙️ Mike:
“And the total series record?”
Yankees: 2 series wins
Cleveland: 6 series wins
“And most of Cleveland’s wins came in the ALCS.”
🗣️ Russo:
“And now you got a Cleveland team that just won 117 games! One hundred seventeen! That’s not some cute little wild card — that’s a monster!”
🎙️ Mike:
“But here’s the difference, Chris. This Yankee team hits like crazy. They just scored 20 in an elimination game. They hit eight home runs.”
🗣️ Russo:
“Yeah but Cleveland can hit too! They just won a 16–15 game! Nobody’s pitchin’ in this series! It’s gonna be 9–7 every night!”
🎙️ Mike:
“The Yankees have waited ten years to get back here. Cleveland has historically been their October problem.”
🗣️ Russo:
“It’s psychological, Mike! You see that uniform and you start thinkin’ about ’24! About ’25! About ’26 when you blew it in seven!”
🎙️ Mike (firm):
“Different era. Different roster. Doesn’t matter what happened in 1924.”
🗣️ Russo:
“It matters to the fans! The fans remember! Cleveland has been the gatekeeper!”
🎙️ Mike:
“And now the Yankees have to go through them again. One of the greatest regular season teams ever against the hottest offense in the playoffs.”
🗣️ Russo:
“You couldn’t script it better! Ten-year drought ends… and the ghost that’s waitin’ for you is Cleveland!”
🎙️ Mike (closing tone):
“This isn’t just a series. This is unfinished business that’s been sitting there for over a decade.”
And somewhere in Cleveland, they’re smiling.
Because history says one thing.
Now we find out if 1937 says something else.

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🎙️ Vin Scully
“It was a cool October afternoon in St. Louis… 57 degrees, a gentle wind drifting in from right field… and nearly 49,000 hopeful Cardinals fans settling into their seats at Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals, winners of 109 games… the top seed in the National League… a club that had done this before.
And for four innings, it looked rather routine.
St. Louis led 3–0. Casey Holton had homered. Alex Cruz had tripled and scored. The crowd was humming softly, like a cathedral choir.”
Pause.
“And then… the fifth inning arrived.”
Matt Croke singled. Ross Sikes followed. Mauro Polidori walked. The bases were full, and the murmuring grew uneasy.
Troy Fleming lifted a fly ball — a run scored.
And then Paul Joseph stepped in.
One swing… a high drive to right… and the cathedral fell silent.
A three-run homer.
Cincinnati 4. St. Louis 3.
“And you could feel it,” Vin would say gently, “the air had changed.”
But the Reds were not finished.
In the sixth inning, Polidori homered. Joseph walked and stole second. Irrizarry singled him home. John Dale delivered again. Bo Celauro doubled. Matt Croke singled.
Five more runs.
By the time John Dale hit a towering two-run homer in the eighth, it was no longer an upset brewing…
It was a statement.
Twelve runs. Fifteen hits. Five of them for extra bases. And a Game 1 that no one in St. Louis will soon forget.
“And that, my friends, is why we play the games.”

🎙️ Colin Cowherd
Alright.
Let’s zoom out.
St. Louis wins 109 games. Best record in the league. Deep lineup. Experience. The bye. The rest.
Cincinnati? Wild Card team. 86 wins. Good — not great.
And yet.
Game 1 ends 12–5.
Here’s the takeaway: momentum beats résumé in October.
The Cardinals built their season on consistency. But the Reds? They’re athletic. They steal bases. They hit home runs in bunches. They don’t play tight.
Paul Joseph hits the biggest swing of the game. John Dale goes 3-for-5, four RBIs. Polidori homers. They run on you. They pressure you.
And here’s the thing I love about Cincinnati — they didn’t panic down 3–0 on the road. A lot of Wild Card teams do.
Instead?
Five runs in the fifth. Five more in the sixth.
That’s not luck. That’s confidence.
Now, does this mean the Reds are better than the Cardinals?
No.
But it means St. Louis just got punched in the mouth. At home. In front of 48,000 people.
And October is not about who won 109 games.
It’s about who handles chaos.
Game 1? Cincinnati handled it.
Now the pressure flips.
And suddenly, the 109-win favorite is the team adjusting.

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🎙️ MIKE AND THE MAD DOG — WITH A SPECIAL GUEST, HARRY DOYLE

🎙️ Mike Francesa
Alright. Lemme tell ya something right now.
You score 18 runs in an ALCS game… at Yankee Stadium… in October… and you LOSE?
That’s not baseball. That’s a carnival.
Twenty to eighteen. Forty-one combined hits. Nine home runs by Cleveland. Eight by the Yankees. The wind’s blowing in at 13 miles an hour and the ball’s still flying out like it’s July in Texas.
And once again — once again — Cleveland walks into the Bronx and takes Game 1.
You cannot make this up.
🎙️ Chris “Mad Dog” Russo
Mike, I told ya! I TOLD YA! It’s psychological! It’s 1920! It’s 1924! It’s 1926! It’s all of it wrapped into one gigantic October nightmare!
The Yankees get back to the ALCS — finally! — and who’s waitin’ for ’em?!
CLEVELAND!
And what happens? Six runs in the first inning! Before the hot dog vendors are even settled!
Amero hits two home runs, a triple, a double — the guy’s hittin’ like he’s in batting practice! Six RBIs! Thirteen total bases!
Danny Alay hits THREE home runs!
Hewes hits TWO — including the dagger in the tenth!
It’s insanity!
🎙️ Mike
And let’s be fair. The Yankees hit too.
Culpepper — two homers, six RBIs.
Kassebaum — three home runs, six RBIs including the 478-foot missile in the ninth to tie it!
You’re down 18-15 in the ninth. You hit a three-run homer with two outs. You tie it.
The Stadium is shaking.
And then what happens?
Error by the pitcher in the tenth. Two-run homer by Hewes.
Game over.
🎙️ Russo
It’s the SAME MOVIE, Mike!
Every time these two play in October, Cleveland punches first and punches last!
The Yankees scored in the first! They scored in the second! They scored in the sixth! They scored in the ninth!
They left 24 men on base!
Twenty-four!
You cannot win a playoff game like that!
🎙️ Harry Doyle
Folks… I’ve been calling baseball a long time, and I’ve never seen anything like this.
If you like pitching, this was not your night.
Bob Soto had a Game Score of nine — and that might be generous.
Colby McNiff? Out after one inning.
Miguel Colon? Tagged.
Beam? Tagged.
Rice? Tagged.
This one had more pitching changes than a Little League all-star game.
And somehow, Tim Joslin comes in with the bases loaded in the tenth… and gets the final three outs.
That’s your hero.
🎙️ Mike
Here’s the problem for the Yankees.
This wasn’t a fluke 4-3 loss.
This was chaos.
And Cleveland thrives in chaos.
They’ve beaten you in ’20, ’23, ’24, ’25, ’26…
You thought 123 wins meant something?
Doesn’t matter tonight.
🎙️ Russo
And psychologically, Mike — psychologically! — the Indians walk outta there thinking, “We can win any game.”
They gave up 18 runs! EIGHTEEN! And they’re smiling on the plane!
That’s dangerous!
🎙️ Doyle
I’ll tell ya what’s dangerous, partner…
If this series keeps going like this, we’re gonna need oxygen tanks in the broadcast booth.
🎙️ Mike (closing)
Bottom line.
Yankees 123 wins.
Home field.
18 runs.
And they’re down 1-0.
Cleveland does it again.
And if you’re a Yankee fan tonight?
You’re not worried about talent.
You’re worried about history repeating itself.
Game 2 tomorrow.
And suddenly, it feels enormous.

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🎙️ Bob Costas
On a crisp October afternoon at Busch Stadium, beneath a Midwestern sky that hinted at autumn’s final act, the St. Louis Cardinals reminded us why postseason baseball so often defies tidy explanation.
The final score — 18–12 — reads more like a football contest than a National League Division Series game. Yet within that offensive avalanche was structure, sequence, and ultimately, separation.
Cincinnati struck first. And struck often. Troy Fleming homered twice. Mauro Polidori went deep. John Dale added another. The Reds produced 15 hits, scored in six different innings, and at one point, held the lead three separate times.
And yet, St. Louis never seemed rattled.
Alex Cruz set the tone in the very first inning — a 439-foot declaration to center field. By day’s end, he had authored one of the more imposing October performances in recent memory: three hits, two home runs, a triple, six runs batted in, eleven total bases. He was not merely productive — he was imposing.
When Cincinnati rallied to tie the game at 12 in the eighth, it felt as though we were headed toward one of those lingering, twilight affairs that stretch deep into the evening.
Instead, the Cardinals detonated.
Ricky Martinez’s triple down the line broke the tie. Then came patience. Then came traffic. Then came Cruz again — a bases-clearing triple that felt less like a swing and more like a statement.
Six runs in the inning.
Ballgame.
The series now sits at 1–1, shifting back to Cincinnati. And if this game revealed anything, it is that the Cardinals possess a kind of October elasticity — the ability to absorb a blow and return it with greater force.
In postseason baseball, that quality is often decisive.

🎙️ Colin Cowherd
Let me tell you what this game was really about.
It wasn’t just 18 runs.
It was identity.
Cincinnati is talented. They’ve got power. They’ve got energy. They’ve got guys who can light up a box score — Fleming, Polidori, Dale. When they get hot, it looks electric.
But St. Louis? That’s an organization.
That’s infrastructure.
You look at that eighth inning — intentional walks, aggressive baserunning, pressure on the defense, forcing mistakes. That’s not random. That’s culture.
Alex Cruz is the headline, sure. Six RBIs. Absolute monster day. But look deeper.
Five walks drawn.
Three stolen bases.
Reds commit key errors.
Cardinals capitalize every time.
That’s the difference between a team that scores… and a team that closes.
And here’s what matters long-term: St. Louis didn’t panic when they gave up four in the seventh. Lesser teams fold there. St. Louis responded with six.
That’s championship wiring.
The Reds can hit. Nobody disputes that. But if this series becomes about late-inning execution, bullpen composure, and situational baseball?
I’m taking the Cardinals.
Because in October, talent gets you invited.
Poise keeps you dancing.
And right now?
St. Louis looks like the steadier partner.

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🎙️ Mike and the Mad Dog
Mike: Alright, lemme start here. The Yankees had to win this game. HAD to win it. You go down 0-2 at home to Cleveland, you’re finished. Finished.
Dog: They’re dead! They’re on the slab! Toe tag! Over! You can’t go to Cleveland down two-zip against THAT lineup!
Mike: Instead, they win 16–13 in a game that had absolutely no pitching whatsoever. None. Zero.
Dog: Mike, it was batting practice! It was Home Run Derby! It was like they put a tee out there!
Mike: Corey Shipps… three home runs. THREE. He’s got 14 in the postseason now. That’s absurd.
Dog: He hit one 430 feet! He hit another 377! The guy’s living in the seats! He’s sending postcards from the bleachers!
Mike: But here’s the key — they answered. Every time Cleveland scored, New York answered. Down 5–1? They score five. Down 8–6? They score five. Down 13–11? They score four.
Dog: That’s guts! That’s Yankee Stadium! That’s October in the Bronx!
Mike: And give Campanelli credit. We’ve been on him. But the team didn’t quit.
Dog: I can’t believe I’m saying this… but they showed some character.
Mike: Series tied 1–1. Now we go to Cleveland. And I’ll tell you this — if Shipps stays this hot?
Dog: Look out!

🎙️ Harry Doyle
“Folks, if you stepped away to grab a hot dog in the third inning, you probably missed four home runs and a small parade.”
Corey Shipps — three homers, five RBIs, four runs scored. I haven’t seen that many fireworks in the Bronx since the Fourth of July — and that one ended safely.
Cleveland hit seven home runs themselves. Six! Holloway twice. Alay twice. Bernier twice, Hollander 1. And somehow… they lost by three.
That’s like scoring 13 runs at a bachelor party and still getting out-celebrated.
Pitching? Optional. Defense? Mostly decorative. But the Yankees did one thing beautifully — they never stopped swinging.
And when Jerry Morris closed the door in the ninth? That’s when this ballpark finally exhaled.
Series tied. Everybody’s breathing again.

🎙️ Colin Cowherd
This is why the Yankees are the Yankees.
Not because they’re perfect. They’re not. They gave up 13 runs. That’s a mess.
But they have overwhelming offensive force.
Cleveland punches first — Holloway, Alay — boom, 2-0. Yankees respond.
Cleveland explodes in the sixth — five runs, retake the lead 13-11. Lesser teams fold there. They panic. They tighten up.
New York? They counter with four in the bottom half.
That’s institutional confidence.
Corey Shipps is the story — three home runs, fifteen total bases. But zoom out.
They walked five times. They forced Cleveland into 164 pitches. They turned traffic into crooked numbers.
And Campanelli — new manager, big market, questions coming in — his club responded under pressure. That matters.
The Yankees didn’t just win.
They stabilized.
Now the series shifts to Cleveland tied 1–1. And instead of the Yankees being in crisis mode?
They’ve got momentum.
And momentum in October is dangerous.
Very dangerous.

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🎙️ Colin Cowherd
This is what October pressure does.
It doesn’t just expose weakness — it exposes identity.
St. Louis comes into Cincinnati tied 1–1. Game 3. Swing game. And what do they do?
They score six runs before fans finish their first sip of coffee.
That’s not hot. That’s assertive. That’s institutional confidence.
Austin Montes — 35 years old. In most organizations, that’s the “nice veteran presence.” In this one? Three home runs. Thirteen total bases. Five RBIs. And he’s stealing bags in the eighth inning.
That’s not nostalgia.
That’s dominance.
And here’s the bigger picture: Every time Cincinnati punched — and they punched hard — St. Louis answered. Reds tie it 6–6? Cardinals take it back. Reds cut it to 12–11? Cardinals stretch it again. There was no panic. No tightening.
That’s lineup depth.
Chris Smith, four hits. Jankowski, two bombs and six RBIs. Dominguez hitting rockets at 111 off the bat in the ninth. This wasn’t one guy getting hot.
This was structural.
Now flip it.
Cincinnati scored 12 runs. At home. In a League Championship game. And lost by six.
That’s a bullpen problem. That’s roster construction. That’s managerial sequencing — and Berkow admitted it afterward.
When you allow 18 in October, it’s not bad luck.
It’s exposure.
Cardinals up 2–1. And momentum isn’t subtle right now.
It’s loud.

🎙️ Bob Costas
If you love offense, this was operatic.
Before many in attendance had settled into their seats at Great American Ball Park, the Cardinals had posted six runs in the first inning — punctuated by Mike Jankowski’s three-run drive and then Austin Montes, who followed with a two-run homer of his own.
And just when it seemed St. Louis might cruise, Cincinnati offered a reminder that October has no script.
Four runs in the bottom half. A triple from John Dale. Another from Bo Celauro. The Reds were very much alive.
From there, the afternoon unfolded like a heavyweight bout — neither side retreating, each landing blows of considerable force.
But Montes — ah, Montes.
Three home runs. One in the first. A majestic two-run shot in the sixth. And then, almost poetically, a solo drive in the seventh that felt less like insurance and more like punctuation.
At 35, he may no longer be in what we call his “prime,” but on this day he was unmistakably transcendent.
The Cardinals scored 18 runs on 19 hits, yet what may matter most is their resilience. Twice Cincinnati closed the gap to a single run. Twice St. Louis widened it again.
When a club can withstand that kind of counterpunch in hostile territory, it suggests something sturdier than a hot afternoon at the plate.
The series now tilts in the Cardinals’ favor, two games to one.
And if this contest is any indication, we are in for a League Championship Series remembered not for subtlety — but for spectacle.

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🎙️ Mike and the Mad Dog
Mike: I mean, Dog, what was this? Nineteen–sixteen? In an LCS game?! This isn’t the Polo Grounds in July, this is October baseball!
Dog: Mike, it was RIDICULOUS. Every other pitch was in the seats! I’m sittin’ there lookin’ at the box score, I need a calculator! Mortensen hits THREE homers, Kassebaum hits a grand slam, Shipps hits two, Bernier hits three for Cleveland — THREE!
Mike: And here’s the thing — Cleveland scores sixteen runs and loses the game at home! You score sixteen in a playoff game, you should win by five!
Dog: They’re down 18–8 goin’ to the ninth and they still make it interesting! Mendez hits the three-run shot, Holloway triples with the bases loaded — I mean they’re one big swing from makin’ this the craziest comeback in league history!
Mike: But the Yankees? That’s the difference. Every time Cleveland scores, New York answers. Shipps in the first. Mortensen in the third. Then the FOUR-homer fourth inning. Then the Kassebaum grand slam in the seventh — that was the dagger.
Dog: And now it’s 2–1 Yankees. You finally get ‘em back in Cleveland, you finally get the big crowd, and you give up nineteen runs!
Mike: You can’t trust that Cleveland pitching right now. You just can’t.

🎙️ Colin Cowherd
This game wasn’t about pitching.
It was about ceiling.
The Yankees showed you what their absolute offensive ceiling looks like. And it’s terrifying.
Corbett Mortensen — three home runs. Thirteen total bases. Five RBIs. That’s not just a hot night. That’s a lineup centerpiece reminding you who he is.
Cory Kassebaum? Grand slam in the seventh when the game was still within shouting distance. That’s killer instinct.
And here’s the key: Cleveland actually played well offensively. Bernier hits three homers. Holloway triples twice. They score sixteen runs. At home. In a championship game.
And it doesn’t matter.
Because New York doesn’t rely on one guy. It’s Thomas. Culpepper. Shipps. Mortensen. Kassebaum. It’s waves.
The fourth inning told you everything. Four straight solo homers. That’s depth. That’s conditioning. That’s lineup construction.
Cleveland’s rally in the ninth? Impressive. Emotional. But it also exposed something.
The Yankees built such a cushion that even an eight-run inning didn’t beat them.
That’s power. That’s margin.
Series shifts 2–1. And psychologically? That felt bigger than one game.

🎙️ Bob Costas
If ever there were a game that defied convention, this was it.
Nineteen runs for New York. Sixteen for Cleveland. Eleven home runs combined. The air at Jacobs Field felt less like autumn and more like midsummer.
The Yankees announced their intentions early. Corey Shipps’ three-run homer in the first inning. Mortensen’s two-run drive in the third. And then that extraordinary fourth inning — Thomas, Culpepper, Kassebaum, and Shipps each homering in succession. It was less an inning than an exhibition.
Yet Cleveland would not vanish.
Preston Bernier matched Mortensen with three home runs of his own, tying a franchise postseason mark. Matt Holloway delivered two triples, including one in the ninth that briefly stirred visions of the improbable.
And indeed, the ninth inning nearly transformed this contest from remarkable to legendary. Eight runs. A roaring crowd sensing history.
But baseball, for all its drama, is often decided not by how loudly you rally — but by how deeply you are buried.
The Yankees’ six-run seventh inning, punctuated by Kassebaum’s grand slam, proved decisive.
So the series now stands at two games to one in favor of New York.
And while both clubs displayed thunderous bats, one suspects that before Game 4, both managers will be searching less for momentum — and more for pitching.

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COWHERD:
“Bob, this is why October is different. Thirteen to eleven. That’s not a baseball game — that’s a heavyweight fight with aluminum bats. St. Louis jumps out 8–0 in the third inning. EIGHT–NOTHING. In Cincinnati. On the road. And somehow… it still feels like they survived something.”
COSTAS:
“It was operatic, Colin. Sloppy at times, certainly — eleven combined runs in the ninth inning alone across both halves — but undeniably dramatic. The Cardinals hit seven home runs. Seven. That’s excess bordering on indulgence.”
COWHERD:
“And Alejandro Valdez just got ambushed. Five homers in two and a third innings? That’s not October pitching, that’s batting practice. Holton goes deep twice. Dominguez goes yard. Eckert with a two-run shot. And then Alex Cruz — the best player on the field — two home runs, eight total bases. That’s a franchise guy stepping on your throat.”
COSTAS:
“Cruz was the axis of the game. Two home runs, three runs scored, three driven in. When Cincinnati cut it to 8–4 in the third — after Celauro’s three-run homer and Croke’s blast — the stadium had life. Cruz extinguished it in the fourth with that two-run shot off Nickolite.”
COWHERD:
“But here’s what I love — and what I hate. St. Louis builds it to 12–4. Then 13–6. And they still make you sweat! Cincinnati puts up three in the ninth. Triples flying everywhere — Sikes, Fleming — Joseph doubles one home. If you’re a Cardinals fan, you’re gripping the armrest thinking, ‘How are we in a save situation after scoring thirteen?’”
COSTAS:
“Because Victor Lujan was erratic. Five walks in 4.1 innings. The bullpen wasn’t pristine either. Weitzel, Dickerson — traffic constantly. Cincinnati left eleven men on base. If one more ball drops…”
COWHERD:
“…we’re talking about the biggest collapse of the postseason! Instead, it’s 3–1 Cardinals in the series. And that’s the headline. You go into tomorrow at Great American Ball Park needing one win. One.”
COSTAS:
“And psychologically, this is crushing for Cincinnati. You score eleven runs. You collect fourteen hits. You hit three home runs. And you still lose by two.”
COWHERD:
“That’s the thing. The Reds didn’t play poorly offensively. Kendrick had three hits. Dale had two doubles. Fleming goes deep and triples. But when the other team hits seven home runs? You’re chasing the game from the second inning on.”
COSTAS:
“And the wind was blowing out to right at ten miles per hour. It became a launching pad. A crisp 54-degree afternoon turned into a long, punishing day for pitchers.”
COWHERD:
“So here’s the big-picture take: St. Louis doesn’t win pretty. Cruz even said it — ‘It wasn’t a pretty victory.’ No kidding. But championship teams win ugly in October. They survive the chaos.”
COSTAS:
“And now the Reds face elimination. Down three games to one. Historically, that’s a steep incline. Tomorrow becomes existential.”
COWHERD:
“You know what this felt like? One of those playoff football games where the team up 31–10 lets the other side back to 31–24 and you’re yelling at the television. But at the end of the day, the better roster — and tonight it was clearly St. Louis — makes just enough plays.”
COSTAS:
“Seven home runs. Thirteen runs. A 3–1 series lead. Not elegant — but emphatic.”

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��️ Mike and the Mad Dog
MIKE:
I mean, what are we doin’ here?! Twenty-nine to eighteen?! That’s a football score from the Polo Grounds in 1957! You score 29 runs in an ALCS game?! In October?!
MAD DOG:
Mike, I never seen anything like it! I mean Shipps hits THREE home runs! Kassebaum hits THREE home runs! Culpepper’s 6-for-7! SIX! In the postseason! I mean what are we doin’?!
MIKE:
Twenty-eight hits apiece! TWENTY-EIGHT! And the Yankees only left three men on base! Three! That means every time they hit the ball somebody’s scoring! It was batting practice!
MAD DOG:
And Cleveland scores 18! EIGHTEEN! In a playoff game! And you lose by eleven! That’s impossible! That’s mathematically impossible!
MIKE:
The Yankees score in the first seven innings. Four, three, four, seven — SEVEN in the fourth! It’s like they were mad about something!
MAD DOG:
And Culpepper in the ninth! Up 26-17 and he hits another three-run homer! That’s just disrespectful!

��️ Michael Kay
You know what this was? This was a statement.
The Yankees didn’t just win — they humiliated Cleveland’s pitching staff. Five different Cleveland pitchers gave up home runs. Five!
Tim Culpepper? Six hits. Seven RBIs. Six runs scored. That’s an all-time postseason performance. That’s Babe Ruth-level absurd.
And how about the depth? Shipps with seven RBIs. Kassebaum with four. Jimenez with four. It wasn’t one guy — it was the entire lineup.
This is what championship lineups do. They don’t let up. They bury you.

��️ Bob Costas
There are games that are memorable for tension. This was memorable for excess.
Twenty-three combined home runs. Fifty-seven total runs. Fifty-six hits.
Cleveland’s offense was extraordinary — Holloway with five hits, Mendez with five, Amero with three — and yet they were rendered almost irrelevant by the avalanche from New York.
Tim Culpepper’s performance will enter postseason folklore. Six hits in a League Championship game — that transcends the absurdity of the score itself.
This was not artistry. It was operatic chaos.

��️ Harry Doyle
Folks, if you like offense, you loved this one!
If you like pitching… well… tough luck.
I mean, I started keeping score and ran outta room by the fourth inning! The Yankees hit more balls outta Jacobs Field than the fans did!
Cleveland scores 18 runs and still needs more! That’s like bringing a bazooka to a tank fight!
And Culpepper? That kid was hotter than a $2 pistol. Six hits! Every time he stepped in the box I just started writing down “double” before the pitch!

��️ Colin Cowherd (“Coin Cowherd”)
Let me zoom out.
This wasn’t about runs. This was about psychology.
When a team scores 29 in your ballpark in October? That lingers.
Cleveland’s lineup proved they can hit. Eighteen runs, 28 hits — that’s not a fluke. But here’s the problem: New York’s ceiling is higher. Their stars are bigger. Their lineup is relentless.
Culpepper didn’t need that ninth-inning homer. He hit it because great teams step on your throat.
Now it’s 3-1 Yankees. And Cleveland’s pitching staff? It’s in shambles.

��️ Back to Mike and the Mad Dog
MIKE:
You score 29 in an ALCS game, you better win the pennant!
MAD DOG:
If they blow this series now, Mike, I’m not comin’ in Monday!
MIKE:
Cleveland’s gotta pitch a shutout tomorrow. That’s the only way!
MAD DOG:
And after this?! Good luck!

29–18.
No tension. No pitching. No mercy.
Just October insanity — and the Yankees one win from the pennant.

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St. Louis Cardinals: 1937 National League Champions (6th NL Pennant)
1908 1912 1915 1918 1933 1937

Bob Costas-style:
After dropping Game 1, the St. Louis Cardinals reminded everyone why they were the top seed. They methodically dismantled an upstart Cincinnati Reds team, winning four straight to capture the National League Pennant—St. Louis’ sixth in franchise history. In Friday’s clincher at Great American Ball Park, the Cardinals didn’t just win; they made a statement, 15-4, with Alex Cruz absolutely dominating. Cruz hit .440, belted six home runs, drove in 13 runs, and scored 14, earning the League Championship Series MVP award. It was an exhibition of precision, power, and patience at the plate. The Cardinals now await the winner of the Yankees–Indians series, with a chance to play for their third World Series title.

Colin Cowherd-style:
Look, this is exactly what a #1 seed is supposed to do. You lose Game 1? Fine. Then you go out and crush a Wild Card team like St. Louis did, four straight wins, 15-4 in the finale, and Alex Cruz makes it look easy—.440, six homers, 14 runs scored! This isn’t luck. This is dominance. The Cardinals aren’t just punching a ticket to the World Series—they’re sending a message: if you face them, you better bring everything you’ve got. And now? They wait on New York or Cleveland. Whoever comes next, they’re in for a storm.

The Takeaway:
This was a Cardinals team firing on all cylinders—offense, baserunning, and timely pitching from Kyle Mullins. Chris Smith tied an NL playoff record with three doubles, Dominguez, Martinez, Holton—all of them contributing to a 23-hit onslaught. The Reds just never got into rhythm. For St. Louis, this isn’t just a win; it’s a statement heading into the Fall Classic.

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New York Yankees: 1937 American League Champions (5th AL Pennant)
1909 1910 1912 1921 1937

Mike & the Mad Dog:
“Folks, pinch yourselves! The New York Yankees have DONE IT! They have finally vanquished their playoff nemesis, the Cleveland Indians, and they did it in style—4 games to 1 in the ALCS! I mean, I’ve seen a lot of playoff baseball, but this? This was a masterclass in relentless offense. Twenty-three runs today alone at Jacobs Field—TWENTY-THREE! Cleveland just couldn’t stop ‘em. Cory Kassebaum, the first baseman, lights it up, MVP of the series, and the Yankees? They’re heading to the World Series for the first time in 16 years! Can you believe it? Their fifth AL Pennant, and now they get a chance at a third World Series title. Unbelievable stuff!”

Michael Kay:
“Let’s break it down, folks. Every part of the Yankees’ lineup contributed. Josh Thomas going 5-for-7 with 5 RBIs, Cory Kassebaum with his trademark clutch hitting, Mortensen, Jimenez—they were unstoppable! It was like the bats were on fire. And what does it mean? It means New York is moving on to the World Series, a rematch of a classic from decades ago, the 1912 showdown—but make no mistake, this team is modern, they’re hungry, and they are here to win.”

Colin Cowherd:
“Here’s the thing—this isn’t just a team that scraped by. This is a team that dominates. Look at the numbers: 23 runs, 23 hits, and they made it look routine. This is the kind of offensive explosion that defines dynasties. And let’s give a nod to the Cleveland Indians—Mike Amero went ballistic with three home runs, eight RBIs—but even that couldn’t slow down the Bronx Bombers. The Yankees now have the momentum, the firepower, and the experience. I’d be shocked if the Cardinals can handle this juggernaut in the World Series.”

Bob Costas:
“From Jacobs Field today, we witnessed a historic postseason performance. The Yankees not only defeated Cleveland but did so in a fashion that will be remembered for decades. This series exemplified the very essence of postseason baseball: power, precision, and timing. Cory Kassebaum, named series MVP, epitomized that ethos, maintaining focus amid the pressure. And as we look ahead, we are reminded of the rich history between these franchises—the Yankees and the Cardinals—and the promise of a classic World Series matchup awaits. Baseball, as always, delivers moments that transcend statistics, and today was one of those moments.”

Game Snapshot:
Final Score: Yankees 23, Indians 16
Series: Yankees win ALCS 4-1
Player of the Game: Josh Thomas
MVP of the Series: Cory Kassebaum
Highlights: Multiple home runs, incredible RBI totals, relentless Yankee offense, historic AL Pennant

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1937 World Series

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🎙 Mike & The Mad Dog
Mike: Now listen, I’m gonna tell you right now — you give up four runs in the first inning of a World Series game at home? That’s a disaster. Bowden comes out, Cruz walks, Martinez hits a three-run homer, Jankowski goes back-to-back — it’s 4-0 before the hot dogs are warm!
Dog: It was bedlam! Absolute bedlam! The Cardinals are hittin’ balls into the monuments, Mike! I said, “Oh no, here we go, St. Louis is gonna run ‘em outta the building!”
Mike: But I’ll give the Yankees this — they didn’t blink. Mortensen homers in the second, Jimenez goes yard, Kassebaum goes yard — and then the fifth inning, that’s the game.
Dog: Carver! Stevie Carver! Three doubles and a homer! A 480-foot blast in the fifth! That ball might’ve landed in the Bronx River!
Mike: Seventeen runs. Twenty hits. And they left only three men on base. That’s efficient. That’s championship hitting.
Dog: But the Yankee pitching? Woof! They gave up 18 hits! If they do that again, this series is tied!

🎙 Michael Kay
You could not script a more dramatic opening to a Fall Classic.
The Cardinals punch first — and they punch hard. Four in the first. Then Austin Montes with a three-run homer in the third to make it 7-4. Yankee Stadium was stunned.
But this lineup? It answers.
Corbett Mortensen goes 4-for-5. Danny Jimenez hits two home runs. Cory Kassebaum hits two home runs. Corey Shipps adds another. That’s seven Yankee home runs.
And then there’s Steve Carver.
Four-for-five. Three doubles — tying the franchise playoff record — and that fifth-inning two-run homer that gave the Yankees breathing room at 9-7. That was the swing that flipped the emotional axis of the game.
Every time St. Louis scored, New York countered. That’s championship resilience.
The Yankees lead the series 1-0 — but if you’re pitching coach on either side, you’re not sleeping tonight.

🎙 Colin Cowherd
Let me zoom out.
The Cardinals came in hot, confident, explosive. And they proved something in the first inning — they can hit elite velocity. Three home runs off Bowden and Colon. Eighteen hits total.
But here’s what matters: composure.
The Yankees didn’t panic at 4-0. They didn’t panic at 7-4. They didn’t panic at 7-7.
They responded with power.
Nine extra-base hits. Seven home runs. Twenty hits. Zero walks drawn — they didn’t need them. They hunted early-count fastballs and punished mistakes.
And Steve Carver? That’s legacy stuff. Catcher. Leader. Four hits. Ten total bases. That’s alpha production on the biggest stage.
St. Louis showed firepower.
New York showed inevitability.
Big difference.

🎙 Bob Costas
There are games in October that feel like taut chess matches.
And then there are games like this — operatic, excessive, almost baroque in their abundance.
Eleven runs from St. Louis would win most World Series contests. Ricky Martinez homered and drove in four. Alex Cruz and Austin Montes added long balls of their own. They were relentless.
And yet, the Yankees were simply more so.
The fifth inning will be remembered — Mortensen’s single, Carver’s prodigious home run into the October air, Josh Thomas following with a three-run shot. A five-run uprising that turned a tie game into command.
Steve Carver’s performance — three doubles and a home run — joins a rare October lineage. Ten total bases. A Player of the Game distinction richly deserved.
The final: 17–11.
An avalanche of offense.
The Yankees take Game 1.
And if this is a preview of the series to come, historians may need extra ink.

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🎙 Mike & The Mad Dog
Mike: First inning! Four-nothing Cardinals! Cruz homers, Eckert hits a two-run shot, the place is stunned. I’m sayin’, “Oh no, here we go again!”
Dog: It was chaos! Absolute chaos! And Aragon’s out there givin’ up rockets! Smith’s hittin’ lasers all over the Bronx!
Mike: And let’s talk about Smith. Hits for the cycle. Scores five runs. Five! You hit for the cycle in the World Series and you lose? That’s gotta sting.
Dog: You can’t waste that, Mikey! You just can’t! The guy does everything but sell popcorn!
Mike: But I’ll tell you what changed the game — the fourth inning. Shipps walks, steals second, Kassebaum hits a two-run homer. Mortensen follows with a bomb. Bang-bang. Nine-six Yankees.
Dog: And Thomas! Two homers! Fifth inning, two-run shot! Seventh inning, they answer again after St. Louis cuts it close!
Mike: Here’s the thing — the Yankees hit seven home runs in Game 1, and then they hit six more tonight. That’s not small ball. That’s artillery.
Dog: But the pitching? Mike! They gave up twelve runs!
Mike: Doesn’t matter. You win the game. Thirteen-twelve. Two-nothing series. Now you go to Busch Stadium with all the pressure on the Cardinals.

🎙 Michael Kay
This was heavyweight offense.
The Cardinals scored twelve runs, hit five home runs, and got one of the most remarkable performances in World Series history — Chris Smith hitting for the cycle, scoring five times.
And they lost.
Because the Yankees simply would not stop answering.
Josh Thomas homered in the first to calm the building. Cory Kassebaum hit two home runs. Corbett Mortensen added one. Danny Jimenez went deep. Thomas added another in the fifth that felt enormous at the time.
Every time St. Louis punched, New York countered.
The key moment? The bottom of the fourth. After St. Louis tied it at six, the Yankees put up a three-spot — highlighted by Kassebaum’s two-run homer and Mortensen’s towering shot to center.
That was the pivot.
The Yankees survive a furious rally in the eighth — Jankowski’s three-run homer made it 13-12 — and Jerry Morris slams the door in the ninth.
Two games. Thirty runs scored by New York.
And they’re halfway home.

🎙 Colin Cowherd
Here’s what this tells me.
St. Louis is talented. They can mash. Chris Smith hits for the cycle. They put up twelve runs on the road. That’s elite production.
But this series? It’s about depth.
The Yankees had fourteen hits. Six homers. Production from Thomas, Kassebaum, Mortensen, Jimenez, Culpepper. That’s lineup depth one through nine.
And here’s the big thing — composure.
They give up four in the first. They don’t panic.
They get tied at six. They don’t panic.
St. Louis cuts it to one in the eighth. They don’t panic.
The Yankees feel inevitable right now. When you can give up twelve in a World Series game and still win, that’s psychological leverage.
You’re the Cardinals. You just had a historic individual performance. And you’re down 0-2.
That’s demoralizing.

🎙 Bob Costas
There are certain October evenings that feel almost excessive in their drama.
This was one.
Chris Smith authored a masterpiece — a home run in the third, a double in the fifth, a triple in the seventh, a single in the first. The cycle in a World Series game. Five runs scored. A performance for the ages.
And yet it will be remembered as a footnote.
Because the Yankees answered with power of their own.
Kassebaum’s two home runs in the third and fourth. Mortensen’s majestic blast to center. Thomas’ pair of home runs — the first a tone-setter, the second a dagger in the fifth.
The defining characteristic of this Yankees club is not simply power — it is timing. Their biggest swings have come immediately after St. Louis momentum.
The Cardinals scored four in the first. New York responded instantly.
St. Louis tied it at six. New York reclaimed control within minutes.
St. Louis closed to within one in the eighth. The Yankees held firm.
The final: 13–12.
Two games in the Bronx. Two track meets. And the Yankees carry a two-games-to-none advantage westward — where the series may well hinge on whether the Cardinals’ thunder can finally be matched by restraint.

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🎙 Mike & The Mad Dog
Mike: Twenty-six runs! Twenty-six! In a World Series game! What are we doin’ here?!
Dog: Mikey, it was a football score! I’m lookin’ at the crawl — I thought it was the Giants and the Bears!
Mike: Culpepper! Four home runs! Four! The guy’s 34 years old! They said he lost a step — he didn’t lose the bat!
Dog: He hit balls into the river! Into the next county! And Thomas — six hits! Five doubles! Who does that in October?!
Mike: And here’s the thing — they’re down 5-4 after one. Down 15-14 in the fifth! Smith hits the grand slam! Busch Stadium’s goin’ nuts!
Dog: It’s 15-14 Cardinals and you’re thinkin’, “Okay, St. Louis is back in this thing!”
Mike: And then — boom! Sixth inning! Carver two-run homer! Thomas two-run homer! Culpepper again!
Dog: Then the seventh! Shipps! Carver! Jimenez! LaFever! Culpepper AGAIN! It was batting practice!
Mike: You score 26 on the road in the World Series, you’re not losin’ this series. They’re up 3-0. Stick a fork in it.

🎙 Michael Kay
I have never seen anything quite like this.
Tim Culpepper — four home runs. Seven RBIs. Five runs scored. At age thirty-four.
Josh Thomas — six hits. Five doubles. Six runs scored.
The Yankees hit thirteen home runs. In Game Three. Of the World Series.
And what makes it remarkable is that this wasn’t a blowout from the start. It was a fight.
The Cardinals scored five in the first. They reclaimed the lead in the fifth on Chris Smith’s grand slam. Busch Stadium was electric.
But every time St. Louis surged, New York answered — immediately and emphatically.
The defining stretch? The top of the sixth and seventh.
With the Cardinals leading 15-14, the Yankees scored five in the sixth… and then seven in the seventh.
Seven.
That’s championship poise. That’s lineup depth. That’s relentlessness.
They are one win away from a title.

🎙 Colin Cowherd
Let me tell you what this is.
This is inevitability.
St. Louis scored nineteen runs. Nineteen! At home! In a World Series game!
And they lost by seven.
That’s demoralizing.
Culpepper — four home runs. That’s legacy stuff. But zoom out. Thomas at the top sets the tone every inning. Kassebaum. Shipps. Carver. It’s waves.
Here’s the psychological angle: the Cardinals emptied the emotional tank tonight. Grand slam in the fifth. Crowd roaring. They’re back in it.
And New York doesn’t flinch.
They answer with twelve runs over the next two innings.
When you’re facing a team that can hang 26 on you — and it’s 3-0 in the series — you’re not just losing games. You’re losing belief.

🎙 Bob Costas
There are nights in October that feel mythic.
And then there are nights that feel almost surreal.
This was the latter.
The Cardinals scored nineteen runs — a total that, in most contexts, guarantees victory. Chris Smith’s grand slam in the fifth gave St. Louis a 15-14 lead, and Busch Stadium trembled.
Yet the Yankees responded not with tension, but with thunder.
Tim Culpepper, at thirty-four, authored one of the great performances in World Series history — four home runs, each swing punctuating the Cardinals’ hope.
Josh Thomas delivered a statistical marvel: six hits, five of them doubles, six runs scored.
The Yankees scored ten runs in the first two innings. They scored five in the sixth. Seven in the seventh.
The cumulative effect was overwhelming.
Forty-five runs in a single game. A 26-19 final.
And now the Yankees stand one victory away from their third championship — having transformed the World Series into something resembling an offensive opera.
History will remember the numbers.
But those who witnessed it will remember the sensation — that no lead was safe, and that the Yankees, at this moment, seem unstoppable.