1905 Chicago Cubs replay update: Pirates win series final

by Scott Fennessy

7/8/1905
Chicago, IL

The Cubs face the Pirates today in the final game of this homestand. Sam Leever, who has pitched better than his win/loss would indicate goes for the Pirates today against Mordecai Brown, who has pitched somewhat worse than his record would indicate.

The hot hitting Ginger Beaumont takes Brown’s 2nd pitch of the afternoon into the right center gap. Frank Schulet is there to cut it off and hold the speedy Pirate centerfielder to a single. Moving to second on Tom Leaches grounder he is in scoring position with just one out. He’s off for third, and Kling makes a great throw and he is out! That is a big play as it completely kills the early bucco momentum. But Casey is still down on the ground. This is not good as he has been possibly the hottest Cub hitter this month. Yep, the trainer has him taken off the field with an ankle injury. Thankfully he is just a J-1 and missing only 2 games, but the injuries are rapidly piling up. Hans Loebert will take over for the rest of the afternoon as Brown gets the next three hitters without trouble and the Cubs come to bat in the first.

Leever starts out very shaky, as Johnny Evers seems to be showing no signs of rust from his lengthy DL stint rips a hard grounder to the left side, Wagner dives, but it’s just out of his reach and into left for a single. He’s off with the very first pitch and steals second well ahead of Heinie Pietz’s throw. Schulte draws the unintentional intentional pass to set up the double play and Frank Chance hits one slowly down the third base line, and Dave Brain waits for it to roll foul, but it never does and he has to eat the ball and the sacks are now full of burins. Catcher Johnny Kling, who has had a tough July so far gets a fastball and he hits a rocket at Brain, who fires over to Ritchey at second, Claude quickly sides-steps the runner and fires over to Bill Clancey at first and he is out, double play! And that really hurt as it ended the threat and the inning with no score.

The Pirates crack the scoreboard in the second as Brain reaches on an error by Tinker, but is erased on a fielder’s choice with Clancey now the runner at first and one out. Ritchey grounds out but Clancey moves to second. Light hitting reserve catcher Pietz then pulls one down the third base line, but it stays fair and rolls near the wall in left. Clancey scores, and Pietz pulls into second with his 4th double of the year and the Pirates take a 1-0 lead as the inning ends one batter later. The Cubs however come right back in similar fashion in the second half of the frame. Loebert reaches on an error by Brain and Chance sends the runner; Billy Maloney hits it well and it’s into the gap in right. Clarke chases it down and makes a good throw and holds Maloney to a double, but Loebert scores and the game is tied again. Leever then settles down and retires the side.

Nothing happens again until the 5th when pitcher Leever takes a Brown offering down the right field line, and this rolls into the corner. Schulte makes a good throw to Tinker, the relay to Loebert, the tag, and he is safe! Just under the tag. While Leever is a weak hitting .148 this is now his third triple of the year. Beaumont drives one to straight away center and Maloney makes the catch but there is no play as Leever scores. Leach grounds out to end the inning, but the Pirates take a 2-1 lead. The Cubs start another rally in the bottom of the inning Maloney gets his second hit of the day with a solid single. The hit and run is on and Evers delivers beautifully putting runners on the corners with nobody out. Schulte then hits a grounder to Brain at third, and he’s coming home with the throw and Maloney is out on the force, Pietz then fires to Clancey and Schulte does not beat the throw and it’s another inning ending DP. Chance is not happy, and it shows as he strikes out to end the inning.

Remembering the double header the other day where the Cubs came from behind the Pirates continue to press. Honus Wagner, who is really heating up now gets a single to left, and moves to second on Clarke’s ground out scores one out later as Clancey strokes a booming double over Slagle’s head in left scoring Wagner easily to give the Pirates a 3-1 edge. Ritchey is retired to end the inning.

The score is still 3-1 in the 8th when Schulte draws a leadoff walk, but Chance tries the hit and run one time too many, and Chance himself hits one right at Clancey who steps on the bag for the easy double play, the Buc’s third of the afternoon, and this was the final nail in the coffin. Leever goes 1-2-3 in the ninth as the Pirates win this one 3-1. The Pirates normally shaky defense really was the difference here as both teams played hard, and Brown pitched well enough to win on any other day. Buttons Brigs goes next as the Cubs are off to Pittsburgh for a 1 game set due to schedule adjusting, then an absolute must win series in New York against the hated Giants.

In other news, this in from St. Louis where the Browns, who had not won 2 games in a row prior to this week swept the Cleveland Indians in a double header today and have won 5 of their last 6 and have moved ahead of the Senators to escape the cellar. Thought I would mention that as I have been very hard on them this year.

Giants 48 14 .774
Cubs 44 18 .710

[photo credit]