1905 Chicago Cubs replay update: Brown stymies Cardinals

by Scott Fennessy

The Cubs take the train to St. Louis to play their archrivals, the Cardinals.

6/24/1905, St. Louis, MO

Both teams have players returning from the DL today. Outfielder Mike Shannon returns after missing a game with a minor injury and Ed Reulbach the Cubs ace starter. For the Cardinals, who have made a ton of lineup changes, and while they have moved into 5th place, they are still miles behind the upper division. Former Cub Jack Taylor starts for the Redbirds while Mordecai Brown, coming off a terrific performance in Chicago against the Phillies goes for the bruins.

Billy Maloney leads off and on the very first pitch takes a drive deep to right center, it hits the top of the wall, and while Shannon and Smoot chase it down Billy’s off to the races, and gets himself a stand up triple, his 7th of the year. One out later and still at third, Frank Schulte who has moved into the 3 spot to replace the struggling Art Hofman and take advantage of his terrific month of June hits a scorcher that third baseman Jimmy Burke makes a terrific leaping grab. Maloney thought it was out of his reach and is doubled up easily to end the inning with no score.

With a charged up faithful home crowd back up shortstop Danny Shay who is in for the injured McBride leads off with a solid single on an 0-2 curveball. He’s off with the pitch Shannon hits a one hop bullet right at Hofman at short who makes a good toss to Tinker and across to Chance for the double play to stall the rally. In just half of one game and the first inning of this game Hofman has looked pretty solid covering for the injured Johnny Evers. Pepper Clarke works a 5 pitch walk, but Smoot grounds an easy play to Casey at third and the inning ends scoreless.

Into the 4th with still no score while Taylor has struggled in every inning Brown has looked as good as he has been all year. After catcher Mike Grady leads off the 2nd with a single he retires the next 12 batters before walking Taylor to open the 6th. Before that in the top of the 5th the Cubs finally break the scoreless deadline when Brown hits a soft single to left, and then when Clarkes throw gets past the cutoff man Brown moves into second on the error. With two out and Brown still on second Jimmy Slagle who has been excellent off the bench hits a grounder up the middle scoring Brown, but the Cardinals cut the relay throw and after a brief rundown, Slagle is out at second.

Now in the top of the 6th, Schulte is hit by Taylor’s pitch, and heads to first. A one out walk to Tinker and now things looking good for the Cubs. Johnny Kling is also moved up in the order and he hits a slow roller down the third base line, Burke hoping it rolls foul, but it dies in fair play and it’s an infield single to load the bases by Kling. Hofman who has not looked good this month then hits a single to right and Schulte scores, and the bases are still loaded. Casey hits a deep drive to center field!!! It could be out of here, but Shannon makes a leaping catch to steal the home run, but Tinker tags and scores to give the Cubs a 3-0 lead. Taylor gets the final out and no further damage is done. And that was the game, as Taylor retired 9 of the final 10 batters in order, allowing only Casey’s one out walk in the 9th, and for the Cardinals only 3 runners reached after Grady’s 2nd inning single, and they get shut out.

For the Cardinals, they were completely Stymied by Brown and really had nothing to mention other than Shannon reaching on a 9th inning single and a 6th inning walk. For the Cubs Maloney continues to hit well again with his leadoff triple, Kling continues to rake and justified his move in the lineup with 2 hits, Casey is suddenly one of the hottest hitters on the team with another hit and a walk. For Brown it was a second straight terrific start, allowing just 3 singles and 3 walks. The Cubs fielding one defense stopped a couple of chances that would have been hits/errors on a lesser team.

In New York earlier today the Giants erased a 3-0 deficit late and stunned Irv Young and the Braves today to keep this race very close.

Cubs 38 12 .760
Giants 38 13 .745

[photo credit]