by Scott Fennessy
9/18/1905
Chicago, IL
The Cubs begin their home stand against their most hated rivals the Cardinals. The Cards have had a tough year and hope to avenge the thumping the Cubs laid on them the other day in St. Louis. They send Win Kellum to the hill. Funny how a guy named Win never seems to be able to faces the Cubs ace Ed Reulbach who is returning from the disabled list. Also returning today is his battery mate Johnny Kling.
The Cubs after some major lineup changes make another by keeping Kling in the 8 spot to try and provide more hitting at the bottom of the order. So far the changes have worked and the Cubs are hitting better than any time since late May and are really giving the Giants a battle for the crown.
Reulbach looks a little rusty in the first but gets a scoreless inning. Kellum however struggles from the start as Jim Casey slips a single to center that Bill Shannon kicks away allowing Casey to take second on the error. Frank Schulte keeps his torrid hitting going with a solid single to left center for an RBI single and extends his hitting streak to a team high 9. Chance moves him over on a grounder and Art Hofman who has struggled most of the year, but has responded nicely to moving into the middle of the lineup hits a hot smash that second baseman Danny Shay boots for another error that scores Schulte. Kellum finally settles down and the inning is over with the home team on top 2-0.
Reulbach looks a little better in the second, but Kellum continues to struggle, and it is clear he won’t finish this one as Kling leads off the inning with a single to right. Kling then steals second, setting up Reulbach, who is not a good hitter surprises everyone with a single to right and Kling scores. Billy Maloney, who is again hitting like earlier in the year, and he gets a single putting runners on the corners and Frank Chance calls for the hit and run. Billy steals second just ahead of Shay’s tag and runners are on second and third and Kellum gets a visit from the pitching coach. It had mixed results as Schulte walked to load the bases, but Kellum gets the next two hitters to shut the door with just the one run, but the Cubs lead 3-0 and I doubt the redbirds can muster enough to win as the Cubs are primed for hitting today.
The cards waste an opportunity in the 3rd as Shannon singles and after John Duleavy executes a perfect hit and run single to put runners on the corners with two out Reulbach gets Pepper Clarke for the final out. Once again the Cubs punish the Cardinals, this time with a two out rally as Tinker hits a shot that eats up third baseman Jimmy Burke. Kling hits a single to right for his second straight hit and runners are on the corners. Kellum loses track of Kling while thinking about getting Reulbach to finish the threat and Kling steals second again. Reulbach makes him pay with a single to shallow left that scores Tinker but Kling has to hold at third. Maloney pops up to end the inning, but it is now 4-0 Cubs.
The visitors finally take advantage of Reulbach’s struggles as Homer Smoot singles up the middle. Mike Grady is then asked to bunt the runner over, but is hit by the pitch and runners are now on first and second. The light hitting Burke sacrifices the runners over and it pays off as Harry Arndt, who has underperformed most of the year gets an RBI single that puts runners on the corners. Shay then hits one to center field and the sac fly scores the second run of the inning. Kellum whiffs to end the inning but the Cardinals finally cut the score in half 4-2.
Thankfully for Reulbach the Cubs are really hitting today as Casey singles between third and short and takes third on Schulte’s second hit of the day and with himself at the plate Chance calls the hit and run and Frank sends one the opposite way for an RBI single and runners still on the corners. Hofman hits a grounder that puts runners on second and third with one out. This sets up Johnny Evers, and he hits a sac fly to right that scores another run and finally knocks Kellum out of the game. Charles McFarland comes in and gets the third out, but the Cubs now lead 6-2 and are not looking back.
McFarland wants to get ahead early against Kling and he grooves a fastball right down the middle. When you are as hot as Kling is today you don’t miss this one, and he doesn’t. This one is crushed to deep center field and Johnny is now three for three. One out later Maloney draws a tough walk as McFarland looks strong in this battle. Casey gets a single to right and runners are on the corners. Casey steals second and Schulte puts Maloney across the plate with a sac fly to left. Chance fouls out to Grady behind the plate and the inning is over with the Cubs now leading comfortably 8-2.
The Cubs continue to roll in the sixth as Hofman gets a hanging curve ball and Art Hofman, who has 3 zero’s on his card, but only a single 1 crushes it for his third homer of the year. Now I know things are going well for the Cubs. Evers gets his second hit of the game and takes second on a ground out scores as Kling gets yet another hit and his second RBI of the day. Casey keeps the inning going with an RBI single and after “Chappie” gets the final out the Cubs now lead 10-2.
Nothing happens in the 7th as the Cubs end their consecutive scoring innings at 6. The Cardinals finally put another run in the 8th inning as Smoot rips a triple to right and scores on Grady’s sac fly. McFarland feels generous though as he gave the run right back on a Tinker single to left followed by Kling’s RBI triple to plate Tinker.
The Cardinals last gasp was a walk and stolen base by Shay and an RBI triple by pinch hitter Art Hoelskoetter. Reulbach gets the next two batters and the Cubs win easily with a 12-4 slaughter. Big days abounded for most hitters, but a tip of the cap to Jim Casey who went 4-5 with an RBI and a stolen base. Welcome back Johnny Kling! A five for five day with 3 RBI 2 steals and just missed the cycle by a double. Reulbach struggled, but considering how many times he carried the hitters during the summer some pay back was due.
