Today in Tribe History: July 12, 1938

Cleveland second baseman Odell Hale hits for the cycle as the Indians fall to the Washington Senators, 9-8, at Griffith Stadium.

Batting third in the lineup, Hale got to work right away, scoring Jeff Heath on a single to make it a 2-0 game after just three batters. After the Senators tied the game with two in the bottom of the first, Hale came up with Heath on third and two runners already in and knocked Heath home with a two-out triple to give Cleveland a 5-2 lead.

In the fourth inning in a now 5-5 game, Hale stepped to the plate with runners on the corners, including Heath once again, this time at first. Hale doubled both runners in to give Cleveland a 7-5 lead.

With a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth, the Senators took an 8-7 lead. Hale popped out in the fourth at bat in the top of the seventh, but with the Indians down to their final out in the top of the ninth, he homered off of Chief Hogsett to tie the game at 8-8.

The game, however, would be decided five batters later, as the Indians’ pitchers Bill Zuber and Johnny Humphries combined to load the bases on two walks sandwiched around a bunt single. After getting Buddy Lewis to strike out, a sacrifice fly by Sam West scored the winning run.

The cycle by Hale was the third in Indians history and their first in nearly five years. Bill Bradley notched the first recorded on September 24, 1903. Almost 30 years later, Hale’s teammate Earl Averill hit his own on August 17, 1933.

It will be almost 14 years before Larry Doby adds his name to the list.

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