In 1935 he was 22–13 for the 68–85 Reds, and was named to the All-Star team for the first of six times. On May 24 of that season, he started the first night game in major league history, beating the Philadelphia Phillies 2–1; President Franklin D. Roosevelt turned on the stadium lights from the White House. Seasons of 19–19 and 10–14 followed, on clubs which did not come close to contending, before he hit his peak from 1938 to 1940. In 1936 he set a team record with 51 appearances, breaking Rube Benton's 1912 mark of 50; his record was broken by Harry Gumbert, with 61 games in 1948.