BROWNS OUTLAST TRIBE IN 15-INNNING MARATHON
Starters Combine for 24 Shutout Innings

CLEVELAND, Apr. 19 (AP) - Sam West's two-out single in the top of the 15th inning scored Harland Clift with what proved to be the winning run as the St. Louis Browns squeaked past the Cleveland Indians 1-0 at League Park.  Both teams failed to capitalize on numerous scoring opportunities earlier in the contest.  The two starting pitchers--Ed Wells of the Browns and Mel Harder of the Indians--combined to throw 24 innings of shutout ball but neither was involved in the decision.

After Jack Burns singled with two outs in the top of the first inning, Harder retired 15 consecutive batters before Clift reached on an error with two outs in the sixth.  Harder then retired four more Browns in order before walking Frank Grube with one out in the eighth.  After the free pass--the first of the game issued by Harder--Alan Strange banged out the first St. Louis hit since the opening frame, advancing Grube to second.  Wells sacrificed the runners to second and third but Harder got Clift on a fly to right to end the threat.

Wells surrendered his first hit in the fourth.  Dutch Holland led off with a double and Frankie Pytlak tried to sacrifice the runner to third but first baseman Burns threw Holland out at third and from there the scoring chance unraveled.  That began a string of 12 consecutive batters retired by Wells.

In the bottom of the eighth, Cleveland appeared poised to take the lead.  Hal Trosky broke the spell cast by Wells, leading off the inning with a triple into the right field corner.  With the infield in, however, Wells induced Willie Kamm to roll harmlessly to first for out number one.  Odell Hale pinch hit for Eddie Moore but grounded to a pulled-in Alan Strange at short for the second out.  Bill Knickerbocker was walked intentionally and Wells retired Harder on a grounder to third to end the inning with the game still scoreless.

The Indians advanced Pytlak to third with two outs in the bottom of the ninth but Joe Vosmik lined out to right to end that threat.

In the top of the 11th, Clift drew a lead-off walk and moved to second when catcher Pytlak misplayed West's sacrifice attempt.  Burns then moved the runners to second and third with one out with a successful bunt.  But Harder struck out George Puccinelli and retired Bruce Campbell on a pop to second to escape damage.

In the bottom of the 11th, Knickerbocker reached second to open the frame when Strange threw wildly to first on a ground ball.  Harder struck out trying to bunt the runner along but, on an 0-2 pitch, Holland singled to left.  Knickerbocker tried to score but Puccinelli gunned him down at the plate to prolong the game.  Pytlak walked but Averill grounded out to end the inning.

In the top of the 12th, Grube drew a one-out walk and Strange followed by dropping a single into right field, chasing Grube to third.  With the go-ahead run just 90 feet from home plate, Debs Garms was called upon to pinch hit for Wells.  But, once again, Harder rose to the occasion, inducing Garms to pop to third.  Clift then flied to center to end the threat.

Reliever Jack Knott of the Browns was on the mound for his second inning of work in the bottom of the 13th and yielded a lead-off single to Knickerbocker.  Sam Rice pinch hit for Harder, who had completed 13 shutout innings, but flied to left and any attempt to rally fizzled.

In the bottom of the 14th, Averill led off with a base hit to left and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Vosmik.  Knott walked Trosky intentionally to put runners on first and second with one out.  Kamm grounded out, with both runners moving up 90 feet and Hale walked to load the bases.  But Knickerbocker rolled to second and the Tribe had stranded the bases loaded.

In the top of the 15th, Belve Bean began his second inning of relief by retiring Strange on a fly ball and pinch hitter Earl Clark on a liner to short.  But Clift doubled off the base of the left field wall, putting the go-ahead run in scoring position.  West then lined a single over Kamm's head, scoring Clift to give the Browns a 1-0 lead.

Clark had pinch hit for Knott in the top of the inning so Bobo Newsom came on to pitch the bottom of the 15th and immediately yielded a single to pinch hitter Ralph Winegarner.  But following a first pitch strike to Holland, Grube fired a throw to Burns and caught Winegarner flat-footed, picking him off first base.  Holland ultimately struck out but Pytlak kept Cleveland's hopes alive by drawing a four-pitch walk.  Averill then lined a 2-0 offering to center but West caught it in his tracks to end the game.

Despite issuing nine free passes, the Browns had emerged victorious in the longest game thus far in the young major league season.

4/19/1934, SLA34-Cle34, League Park
 
                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 10 11 12
1934 Browns            0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0
1934 Indians           0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0
 
                      13 14 15     R  H  E   LOB DP
1934 Browns            0  0  1     1  7  1    12  2
1934 Indians           0  0  0     0  6  3    12  0
 
Browns               AB  R  H BI   AVG    Indians              AB  R  H BI   AVG
Clift             3b  6  1  1  0  .455    Holland           rf  7  0  2  0  .375
West              cf  6  0  1  1  .412    Pytlak            c   4  0  0  0  .167
Burns             1b  6  0  1  0  .235    Averill           cf  7  0  1  0  .412
Puccinelli        lf  7  0  1  0  .077    Vosmik            lf  3  0  0  0  .385
Campbell          rf  6  0  0  0  .133    Trosky            1b  4  0  1  0  .571
Melillo           2b  6  0  1  0  .071    Kamm              3b  6  0  0  0  .133
Grube             c   4  0  0  0  .286    Moore,Ed          2b  2  0  0  0  .091
Strange           ss  6  0  2  0  .385     Hale             ph  3  0  0  0  .400
Wells             p   3  0  0  0  .000    Knickerbocker     ss  5  0  1  0  .333
 Garms            ph  1  0  0  0  .333    Harder            p   4  0  0  0  .000
 Knott            p   0  0  0  0  .000     Rice             ph  1  0  0  0  .417
 Clark,E          ph  1  0  0  0  .000     Bean             p   0  0  0  0  .000
 Newsom           p   0  0  0  0 1.000     Winegarner       ph  1  0  1  0 1.000
                     52  1  7  1                               47  0  6  0
 
Browns                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Wells                           11.0  3  0  0  5  1 132  73  0.00
Knott            W 1-0           3.0  2  0  0  3  1  45  24  0.00
Newsom           S 1             1.0  1  0  0  1  1  17   8  8.44
                                15.0  6  0  0  9  3 194 105
 
Indians                          INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA
Harder                          13.0  5  0  0  3  4 154  97  0.00
Bean             L 0-1           2.0  2  1  1  0  1  32  20  4.50
                                15.0  7  1  1  3  5 186 117
 
SLA: Garms batted for Wells in the 12th
     Clark,E batted for Knott in the 15th
Cle: Hale batted for Moore,Ed in the 8th
     Hale moved to 2b in the 9th
     Rice batted for Harder in the 13th
     Winegarner batted for Bean in the 15th
 
E-Strange, Pytlak, Harder, Bean. 2B-Clift(3), Holland(2). 3B-Trosky(1).
RBI-West(6). SB-Pytlak(1). K-Clift, Puccinelli 3, Wells, Holland 2, Harder.
BB-Clift, Grube 2, Pytlak 3, Vosmik 2, Trosky 2, Knickerbocker, Hale.
SH-West, Burns, Wells, Vosmik.
GWRBI: West
Temperature: 62, Sky: cloudy, Wind: in from left at 9 MPH.
Attendance: 3,212
Game Time: 3:07