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September 25, 1938
With three last-inning victories, some outstanding hitting performances, and a no-hitter to boot, the 1938 League Championship Series offered baseball fans plenty of thrills.
The Washington Senators and San Diego Padres each won their series in five games, and will advance to the World Series.
The Senators won Game One, 6-5, when 3B Billy Sullivan singled home Willie Wells in the bottom of the ninth. Sullivan had five hits in the game, all singles.
The Giants duplicated this feat in Game Three, as Mule Haas whacked a ninth-inning double to score Luke Appling and complete a 6-5 victory.
Otherwise, the Senators' hitting feats brought back memories of the "Capital Punishers," as their sluggers wore out Giants pitching. Young Bob Feller, who was so dominant during the regular season, was roughed up by the Nats during the postseason and lost two games.
C Bob McBryde (.400) and OF Bob Fothergill (.455) excelled at bat for the Senators, but the National League champs' most valuable hitter was Charlie Gehringer, who batted .524 with a homer and eight RBI.
The Padres' Roy Weir made history in Game Three of the ALCS, when he fired a no-hitter against the Cubs and won 5-0. Weir's teammate, Cliff Melton, won two games, including a dramatic deciding Game Five in which the Padres scored twice in the top of the 10th inning. The Cubs, with their season down to three outs, rallied to score a run, but Padres closer Frank Gabler stranded the Cubs' Ace Parker on second to save Melton's victory.
3B Buddy Lewis hit .429 and homered twice for the victorious San Diegans, and first baseman Jack Cummings hit .450.
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