After the Cardinals won Game One 8-3 behind Dizzy Dean, Detroit needed to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole on their home field. Fortunately, the Tigers started their ace, Lyn­wood Thomas "Schoolboy" Rowe, who won 24 and lost only eight during the season.

The game did not start well for the Tigers. The Cards scored in the second when C Bill DeLancey singled, and CF Ernie Orsatti drove him home with a triple to deep left field.

The visitors doubled their lead in the third when 3B Pepper Martin led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by RF Jack Rothrock. After player-manager Frankie Frisch flied out, LF Joe Medwick slapped a two-out single to left. After that inning, Rowe didn't allow another run. His booming fastballs and sharp-breaking curves stopped the Cards with only one more hit.

The home team finally got to St. Louis southpaw starter Bill Hallahan in the fourth. With one out, 3B Billy Rogell hit a high fly into the strong wind. CF Ernie Orsatti mis­judged it, and Rogell ended up on second. After a groundout, RF Pete Fox doubled down the left-field line to score Rogell. The hit was so close to the foul line that all the Cardinals and half the reporters in the press box thought it was a foul ball. The Cards argued long and loud to no avail.

The score remained 2-1 Cards into the bottom of the ninth. In late 20th century base­ball, the Cardinals' closer would take the mound to get the final three outs and preserve the 2-1 victory. But in 1934, the starting pitcher was expected to "finish what he started."

Fox opened the ninth with a single to right field. Rowe, known as a "good-hitting pitch­er," sacrificed the tying run to second. Player-manager Mickey Cochrane selected Gerald "Gee" Walker to pinch hit for Jo-Jo White. It was a puzzling decision.

SABR's biography of Walker says he "was one of the most popular players in Detroit Tigers history, even though he often drove his managers crazy with his risk-averse ap­proach to baserunning." Walker had run-ins with Manager Bucky Harris, who suspended Gee twice in 1933 for insubordination.

When Cochrane took over in '34, he promised Walker a clean slate. Mickey said, "I like Walker as a player ... He can hit, and he is fast. ... They say he is temperamental, and I am inclined to think that is true to some extent."

However, Walker's relationship with Cochrane soured because Gee swung away when given a bunt sign and didn't play the outfield when told to do so. When Walker ended a June 30 rally with reckless baserunning, Cochrane wanted to cut him, and owner Frank Navin offered his support for whatever Mickey did. Cochrane decided to let the team vote on the matter. All 24 teammates voted to keep Walker. Mickey lived with the result but suspended Walker for ten days.

"I'm tired of arguing with him," said Cochrane. "I'm not going to let him wreck this ball­club. It's unfair to the other players, who are hustling all the time, straining every nerve to win."

Walker accepted the suspension. "I had it coming. What else is there to say?"

Now Walker was at the plate in a do-or-die situation for the Tigers. He swung at Halla­han's first pitch and popped a high fly halfway between home plate and first base. Rip Col­lins ran in from first, and Bill Delancey ran out from behind the plate. Hallahan also ran over from the pitcher's mound. Then all three stopped and let the ball hit the ground and roll foul. Given a second chance, Walker slammed a single to center that scored Fox with the tying run.

Frisch replaced Hallahan with Bill Walker, another southpaw, to face Cochrane. But first, pitcher Walker picked off runner Walker, who was caught in a rundown. "Iron Mike" was then caught looking to send the game into extra innings.

Neither team scored in the tenth although Walker had to work out of a jam in the after an error by Frisch and a walk to Rogell. But with a chance to send the home crowd into delirium, 3B Marv Owen lined out to center field.

After a scoreless 11th, Rowe stayed strong, setting down the Cards 1-2-3 in the top of the 12th.

Walker, who hit for himself in the top of the 11th, retired Cochrane to start the Tiger 12th. Then he walked both Gehringer and 1B Hank Greenberg. That brought up LF Goose Goslin, whose .305 batting average during the regular season, was just the sixth highest on the Detroit club. He smashed a screeching drive over second base, scoring Gehringer with the winning run to even the Series at one game apiece.