The Reds led 4-2 heading into the top of the ninth in their desperate push to avoid being swept by the mighty American League champions. Cincy ace Bucky Walters, 27-11 during the season, tried to complete a two-inning save for starter Paul Derringer (25-7) in an age when starting pitchers were expected to go the distance. But in a win-or-go-home game, Reds manager Bill McKechnie pulled out all stops. Bucky set the Yanks down in order in the 8th.

But in the 9th, three singles and a crucial error by SS Billy Myers, who dropped the throw from the second baseman on a potential double play grounder, allowed the Bronx Bombers to tie the score. It was Cincinnati's first error of the Series but not their last.

When NY's ace reliever Johnny Murphy retired the Reds in the bottom of the inning, the game went into extra innings.

In a strategy that is unheard of today, McKechnie let Walters bat for himself in the bot­tom of 9th. So the 30-year-old righthander starts his third inning of relief.

SS Frankie Crosetti draws a leadoff walk and is sacrificed to second by 3B Red Rolfe. Then poor Myers boots a potential double-play grounder off the bat of RF Charlie Keller to put runners on first and third.

That sets up one of the craziest plays in World Series history, a play in which three runs score on a single.

Joe DiMaggio slaps a single into right field. Crosetti scores easily and, when RF Ival Goodman lets the ball get away from him, Keller is waved around third. As the belated but perfect throw comes in, Lombardi grabs the ball in front of the plate, whirls and lunges back and down to apply the tag on the sliding Keller. Charlie's slide knocks the ball loose and Lombardi ends up sprawled on the ground with the baseball less than 6' away behind the plate. In the meantime, DiMaggio, one of the fastest players in the big leagues, has rounded second. He hesitates momentarily but, seeing the ball get away from Lombardi with Walters not backing up the plate, roars around third and heads home. Ernie awakes from his three-second snooze, retrieves the ball, and puts a tag to the sliding DiMaggio a split second too late. Just like that, the Yankees lead 7-4.

The Reds got two singles to start the bottom of the 10th, but Murphy retired the next three hitters. The Yankees thus swept a World Series for the fifth time in their last seven appearances, a streak that will likely never be repeated.

Lombardi never revealed what caused his "snooze." The explanation that prevailed is that Keller accidentally kneed Ernie in the groin when he slid into home.

Reds P Johnny VanderMeer said, "The throw from the outfield came in a short hop and hit Lom in the cup. He wasn't able to move. It was ridiculous to blame Lom." But the video referenced above as well as the picture on the right above show that was not the case. The throw came to Ernie on one full hop. Instead you see Keller's left leg sliding between Lom­bardi's legs.

VanderMeer pointed to P Bucky Walters as responsible for DiMaggio's run. "They would have gotten DiMaggio if the pitcher had been backing up the catcher, like he should, but he was on the mound. If anyone took a snooze, like they said Lom did, it was Bucky standing on the mound instead of backing up the throw."