by Scott Fennessy
8/30/1905
Boston, MA
The Cubs face the Braves in the final game of the series and the end of their road trip. Today’s matchup features Mordecai Brown against Chick Fraser. I am expecting another solid pitching matchup.
The Cubs threaten in the first but come up empty as Billy Maloney singled and moved to third and Frank Chance drew a two out walk and runners were on the corners, but Jim Casey hits a rocket right at Bill Lauterborn at third to end the inning.
The Braves however, take it to Brown right away. Harry Wolverton rips a two out double, and has been hitting more consistently after his recent return from another stint on the DL and scores as former Cub Jim Delahanty slips a single just under Art Hofman’s glove and the Braves take the lead 1-0. Tom Needham flies out to end the inning.
And just as I expected the pitching duel ensues. Both pitchers look shaky in the process as they walk several batters without allowing any runs. Eventually the Chicago bats wake up with a Hans Lobert single to start the 5th. The speedy reserve steals second ahead of Pat Moran’s throw and the tying run is in scoring position. Brown continues to amaze me as he has a weak hitter’s card, but he still finds ways to get to the few hit numbers he has and gets an single to shallow left field putting runners on the corners with nobody out. Fraser continues to walk a fine line as he gets two outs with no run scored, but he pours more gas on the fire with a bases filling walk to Frank Schulte to bring up the red hot Frank Chance with two out, and the peerless leader comes through yet again with a two run single. Fraser shuts the door, but not until the visitors have taken a 2-1 lead.
The game remained unchanged, and the two starters continue to struggle, but hold the line through 8 innings, and I was concerned about watching this game slip away in the last inning after fighting so hard to come back. But at long last the Braves do what they do best, and that is find ways to lose close games. Lobert, who came in only hitting .154 draws a leadoff walk and Brown continues to surprise with his second single of the day. Either Brown missed a sign, or the Braves just did not pay much attention, as Brown gets a walking lead and takes off for second and ends up with his first steal of the season. Maloney grounds out to Fred Tenney at first, and the runners hold, but that only held off the inevitable as Johnny Evers draws a 5 pitch walk to load the bases and “Wildfire” Schulte continues to have a decent road trip with an RBI single to give the Cubs an insurance run.
Chance then strikes out, and Fraser looks to be out of the inning again, but Jim Casey smokes a fastball into the opposite field corner, and both runners score and the close scoring game is now in the past. Irvin Wilhelm comes in to close the inning, and fares no better allowing a first pitch single to Johnny Kling scoring Casey to make the lead 7-1, and Hofman gets an infield single, but Lobert ends the inning with the Cubs now comfortably on top 7-1.
Brown takes the mound in the ninth with a huge lead, and can finally relax. He gets a perfect inning to close this out and the Cubs finish the road trip with a sweep of the Braves and go 11-1 overall. The pressure is mounting on the Giants to say the least.
Giants 75 29 .721 0
Cubs 77 31 .713 0
