1940 World Series
And on August 3, Lombardi's backup, Willard Hershberger, committed suicide in Boston a day after a defensive lapse cost the Reds a game against the Bees.
With Lombardi hurting, Wilson did the bulk of the catching against Detroit and hit .353 for the Series and recorded the team's only stolen base.
The Reds got on the board in the fourth when Ival Goodman hit a leadoff double and scored on Jimmy Ripple's single, but Campbell's two-run home run in the fifth off Whitey Moore extended the Tigers' lead to 7–1.
The Reds got another run in the eighth when Billy Werber doubled and scored on Goodman's single, but nothing else as Detroit took a 1–0 series lead.
Detroit struck first in Game 2 Bucky Walters allowed two leadoff walks in the first, then an RBI single to Charlie Gehringer and ground-ball RBI double-play to Hank Greenberg, but the Reds tied it in the second on four singles off Schoolboy Rowe, two of which by Eddie Joost and Billy Myers scoring a run each.
In Game 4, after a leadoff walk off Dizzy Trout, Ival Goodman's RBI double and Pinky Higgins's error on Jimmy Ripple's ground ball made it 2–0 Reds in the first.
The Tigers got on the board in the bottom half when Paul Derringer walked Barney McCosky, who moved to second on a groundout and scored on Hank Greenberg's RBI double, but the Reds got back that run in the fourth on Ival Goodman's sacrifice fly off Clay Smith after a leadoff walk and double.
Next inning, Billy Sullivan drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Dick Bartell's double.
He helped his own cause with an RBI fielder's choice in the sixth with the bases loaded off Johnny Gorsica and a solo home run in the eighth off Fred Hutchinson.
Schoolboy Rowe was knocked out after just 1⁄3 of an inning, allowing four hits, including RBI singles to Ival Goodman and Jimmy Ripple.
[9] Detroit and pitcher Bobo Newsom clung to a 1-0 lead, courtesy of Charlie Gehringer's third inning RBI single off Paul Derringer, until the seventh.
1940 World Series (4–3): Cincinnati Reds (NL) over Detroit Tigers (AL) Bucky Walters, converted to pitching only after a torn cartilage (not repairable in those days) had slowed him down as a runner, was the fourth National League pitcher to hit a home run during a World Series game.
