1905 Chicago Cubs replay update: Phils avoid sweep

by Scott Fennessy

Philadelphia, PA 7/27/1905

The Cubs wrap up their road trip with the 4th and final game of the series and go for the sweep.

Herb Briggs faces Frank Corridon in an infrequent B vs. B matchup.

Both pitchers look good in the first two frames and “The Fiddler” is clearly having his best game this year as the Cubs have not looked good at all and Corridon has a perfect game going as the Cubs end their half of the 3rd. The Phillies have been struggling lately to score, but crack through on Briggs as Corridon, a good hitting pitcher leads off with a single and is still on first with one out when Bill Gleason, a light hitting second baseman gets a fastball high and outside, but he chases it and gets plenty of wood on it. Right fielder Frank Schulte keeps going back but it’s over his head! It bounces around in the corner and Schulte loses valuable time trying to get a hold of the ball. Gleason is in with a stand up triple and Corridon helps himself by scoring the first run. John Titus who has been having a great year has been slumping pretty badly and has watched his average drop from .300 down to .280 but he hits a fly to deep left field. Jimmy Slagle is there but has no play as the speedy Gleason scores easily. Hugh Duffy then gets a single but is stranded as the inning ends 2-0 Phillies leading.

Both pitchers continue to dominate as no further runs score as we enter the 5th inning. Corridon lost the perfect game in the previous inning on a Bill Bransfield error and now the no hitter is gone as Jim Casey rips a hard grounder just under Ernie Courtney’s reach at third. Jim moves to second on a ground out and Jimmy Slagle drops a soft fly just in front of Titus in left. Casey does make it to third however and Chance seeing perhaps his only chance at winning this game starts the runners with Joe Tinker at the plate. Tinker hits a rocket right at Bransfield at first and the unassisted double play kills the rally and ends the inning. His teammates swarm him in the dugout as this more than made up for his previous error.

The Cubs finally get a break in the 7th as Briggs a less than stellar hitter gets surprise single and Billy Maloney tries to lay down a sacrifice bunt and hits it too hard and Courtney fires to Gleason at second to nail the lead runner. The Cubs however in this reporters opinion got the better end of the deal as the speedy Maloney now opens up the hit and run opportunity and the red hot Johnny Evers gets a single and runners on the corners with just one out. Schulte hits a fly to Magee in center and Maloney scores the Cubs first run of the afternoon. Unfortunately Corridon shuts the door and the inning ends 2-1 Phillies.

Again the pitchers continue to dominate and Briggs has looked very strong despite being down in this game, but the Phillies come through again as the horribly slumping Magee rips a triple into the gap in left center. Gleason hits a Baltimore chop that catcher Johnny Kling can’t handle and while Magee has to hold Gleason is on with the error. Briggs pitches to Titus a bit too carefully and has now walked the bases loaded. Duffy then gets an important RBI on his fly out, and Briggs gets the final two outs to end the inning and Corridon takes the hill in the ninth with a 3-1 lead.

Frank Chance gets a single and Casey gets a hit and run single and runners are on the corners with only 1 out, but Corridon was completely unfazed and gets the win, his 12th of the season.

This was a tough game for both teams and unfortunately the Cubs head home after a heartbreaker. In a post-game interview Frank Chance was quoted “I felt bad for “Buttons” today. He tossed a gem and deserved the win. I can’t be mad at my boys because we did win 3 of the 4 games, but I really felt like we could have won this even at the end.” Tinkers inning ending double play ball in the 5th was the key moment in this game. While the Cubs finished the road trip with a 10-7 record, it actually was a step in the right direction as most of the wins were in the first part of the trip and they had played very well over the final 6 games. This was tough as Pittsburg lost a nail bitter in Boston as the Braves win 2-1 on the strength of Chick Fraser’s 5 hitter. Meanwhile in New York the Giants, down yet again in the 5th rallied and crushed the Reds 10-2. First baseman Dan McGann went 2 for 3 with a double, a home run (his 7th) and 5 RBI and a stolen base.

The Cubs get their chance at revenge in Chicago in 2 days.

Giants 59 18 .766
Cubs 54 24 .692
Pirates 47 31 .603

[photo credit]