by Scott Fennessy
Chicago, IL 7/31/1905
The month of July comes to a close today and the sun is bright over the stadium and the Cubs face the Phillies in game 3 of the 4 game set. This has been a good one so far with the Cubs getting a big performance from surprise starter Jeff Pfeffer 2-0 on a 2 hitter no less. Today it’s Frank “The Fiddler” Corridon vs. Mordecai “3 Finger” Brown. Corridon looked great his last time out and Brown has really turned his season around this month. Today’s game is big as the Pirates down big in this one scored 5 times with one out in the 9th to win 12-11, highlighted by Honus Wagner’s 2nd homer of the year and Dave Brain’s game winning 3 run shot in the 9th was his 3rd. And this is just in from Cincinnati, yes it’s another big win for the Giants. After a series of tough games against the Reds the G-Men get one of their patented blowouts winning 10-1. Mike Donlin went 3-5 and winning pitcher Joe McGinnity went 2 for 5 with his first home run of the year.
The Phillies bats start out hot as Bill Gleason drops a single in front of Billy Maloney and John Titus, who at .280 is one of the better hitters on a club struggling with the bats this year and he rips a single and Gleason streaks around second and is on third standing. Hugh Duffy who is starting to provide some much needed oomph and he hits one high and deep to right center. Maloney and Frank Schulte are both giving chase and Maloney peels off and Schulte makes the catch. The throw is cut off and Gleason scores and the Phillies lead Titus then steals second and Bill Bransfield who has moved up in the lineup due to his improved hitting rips another single to center and Titus comes around to score. Mike Doolan who is one of the weaker defensive shortstops in the NL, but is in the lineup due to his bat gets a change up from Brown, who clearly does not have it today and this one is well over Jimmy Slagle’s head in left. Jimmy plays the hop and fires to the cutoff man and the Phillies now lead 3-0 and this looks like a big blowout for the visitors. Brown gets out of the inning, but the damage is done.
The Cubs however try to get right back in this one as Johnny Evers extends his hitting streak to 5 games with a single to right. Evers is off with the pitch. Red Dooin’s throw is strong, and Johnny sides in just under Gleason’s tag and Evers now has 36 steals on the year. The gamble paid off as Schulte gets a single into left and Evers comes around to score. Corridon struggles through the rest of the inning but allows no other scores and the Phillies lead 3-1 at the end of a pretty exciting first inning.
The score was unchanged when the Phillies opened up the offense again in the third. Duffy gets a booming double to deep left field that nearly left the yard. Bransfield who has added about 25 points to his average this month hits one into right that Schulte gets to at the wall and the throw is into second and Duffy scores and the Phillies now lead 4-1. Corridon gets a 1-2-3 inning and things are looking grim for the north siders as they trail by 3 heading into the 4th.
The Phillies continue to hammer at Brown, but the Cubs and their superior fielding one defense finally help stem the tide. Dooin, who is really struggling this year slips a grounder just under Evers glove and is on with a single. Dooin runs well for a catcher and with a pitcher who can actually hit they call for the hit and run. Corridon hits a rocket that takes a funny hop, but Joe Tinker makes a dive to his right and keeps the ball in the infield. The throw from his knees and Corridon is OUT. Dooin however moves to second on the play. Dooin must have misread a sign though as on the next pitch he’s off for third. Kling is up and fires a bullet over to third and Casey makes the sweeping tag and Dooin is out at third caught stealing. Unfortunately he is shaking his glove hand and Chance brings the trainer over to third base while the players mull around the infield. It looks like he is hurt and coming out of this one. Boy have injuries really hurt this club this month. Art Hofman the Cubs former everyday right fielder, who plays most positions comes into the game. Brown looks frustrated by the delay and outfielder Sherry Magee rips a solid shot and Hofman makes a great play on a very tough first chance and Magee is out and the inning over with the Cubs still down 4-1.
The Cubs get back into this as Jimmy Slagle gets his second hit of the game and is on second after Corridon uncorks a wild pitch. Tinker than gets a single and runners are on the corners with just one out. Tinker then steals second and Dooin holds the ball to keep Slagle at third. Chance leaves Brown in and he surprises everyone with a fly to center that Magee has to back up for. Slagle tags and scores and the Cubs are on their way. Hofman then hits a grounder to Doolan at short and as I mentioned earlier Mike is not the best defender and he sends his throw into his own dugout on the first base side and Tinker scores and Hofman is awarded second on the error. Maloney then hits a grounder that gets by Corridon, but Gleason makes a great play behind second, jumping pivot throw and Maloney is out by a hair. The inning is over, but the Cubs now only trail by 1.
Brown is still on the hill and still having trouble. Chance wants to see if he can get through this inning however as the pitcher’s spot is scheduled to bat third and Unfortunately Gleason gets his second hit of the game and moves to second on a ground out by Titus. Duffy rips a single to right scoring Gleason. Chance gets Lundgren going in the bullpen, but Brown gets through the inning with no further scoring, but the Cubs continue to trail 5-3.
The Cubs hitters seem fired up in the dugout and with one out Schulte works a walk and promptly steals second. Frank Chance who has been hitting very well lately gets a fastball low and outside and goes the opposite way with it. This is in the gap and rolls to the wall. Schulte scores and Chance is in with his 20th 2 bagger of the year. Corridon does settle down however and the score is now 5-4.
Brown comes out for the sixth, and appears to have found his stride for the first time all day. He strikes out 2 of the 3 hitters and the Cubs come to bat in the 6th down by just one run. And the hitters are up for the challenge as Tinker gets a 1 out single and steals second. Brown then gets a very hittable fastball, and while he is not much of a threat at the plate he hits this one hard down the right field line and this goes to the corner. Tinker scores and ties the game while Brown plods his way into third. He is wheezing and gasping for air, but has time to rest as Maloney and Evers both fan to end the inning with the score tied at last.
You would think Brown would be worn out at this point, but he looks strong again in the 7th and gets a scoreless inning when he needed it most. The Cubs meanwhile are pulling off a game much like the hated Giants have done to teams all year. Chance hits one on the ground to short and again Doolan throws it away and Chance gets second on the error. Still on second with two out Johnny Kling is the big hero when he drills a single up the middle and Chance scores and for the first time all day the Cubs have the lead 6-5. Corridon is done and Charles Nichols is in to try and stop the bleeding. He does and the Phillies come to bat in the 8th down for the first time.
Brown grinds out another two scoreless innings to get the win 6-5 as the Cubs get a desperately needed win.
I would normally give a post game run down, because it’s end of month and I had some issues with the computer on this and cannot tell where I left off but if things don’t make sense after the mid point on this is because the computer locked up and I had to use a saved document to finish on. Hoping to have leaders updated tomorrow and back on the games afterward.
Giants 60 20 .750
Cubs 57 24 .704
Pirates 49 31 .613
![[photo credit]](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mordecai_Peter_Centennial_Brown.jpg){kind=link}