by Scott Fennessy
8/19/1905
New York, NY
The Cubs face the Giants in the series finale and go for the all-important sweep. This is the one game I feel the Cubs can overpower the league leaders as “Big-Ed” Reulbach an A&C starter faces George Wiltse, a curve ball specialist and a B pitcher who has frustrated the Cubs a couple of times this year.
Both pitchers look to be in top form today as Wiltse gets a perfect first inning, and while Reulbach walks Sam Mertes, who was on second with two out and Reulbach completely fooled McGann with an 0-2 changeup and the Giants first baseman pops up harmlessly to Jim Casey in foul territory and the inning was over.
The Cubs make their move in the second inning when Frank Chance draws another walk. Frank is third in the NL in this category and his talented eye has helped win more than one game this year. In an attempt to get Casey out of his hitting doldrums Chance is off with the pitch and steals second just ahead of Mertes tag. Wiltse then tries a curve to finish off Casey, but he’s ready and sends a single up the middle and Chance scores the first run of the game. Wiltse settles down and gets the next three in order and the visitors have a 1 run lead.
Little did either team realize that would be the extent of the scoring today. Wiltse pitched a game that would be a winner almost every other day, but this was Reulbach’s day to serve notice to the league that he is back on track and that the Cubs will be a force to reckon with the rest of the way. It was his 8th shutout of the year, and a three hitter to boot. Despite missing about two months with injuries he is now 18-4 with a 2.91 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP !
The Cubs and their fielding one defense came up big again and kept a couple of rallies from starting. I cannot believe about two weeks ago I was certain the Cubs were finished and had all but handed the Giants the championship. There is still a lot of season left, but the Cubs have now closed the gap to just one game, and head across town to Brooklyn to face the lowly Dodgers, and attempt to avenge their poor showing against the bums in Chicago recently.
Meanwhile in Philadelphia that sound you hear was about 15,000 jaws hitting the ground as light hitting William Gleason gets his first career home run. Having only a 0-2 0-1 card it was quite the shock. It came in his 901st career at bat and he is hitting only .227 for the season.
Giants 68 28 .708
Cubs 68 30 .694
