by Scott Fennessy
5/30/1905, Cincinnati OH
Palace of the Fans
The Cubs and Reds meet again and the Cubs have been surging while the Reds have been treading water. “Big Ed” Reulbach for the Cubs against Charlie Chech of the Reds. Billy Maloney who is having a great season starts this game like so many others, with a solid single to center; steals second and moves to third on an error allowing Hofman to put runners on the corners with only one out. Frank Chance who is quietly having good year himself ropes a single to left scoring Maloney with the lead run. Chech toughens up and nothing more happens. Nothing for the redlegs in their opening half and the Cubs go back on the attack. “Doc” Casey who has been slumping lately and in danger of losing his job gets a one out single and steals second and scores on Maloney’s second hit of the day and after Chech strikes out Evers to end the inning it’s now 2-0 Cubs.
Reulbach is in great form today and we go to the 4th with no changes. Casey picks up his first 2 hit game of the year with a seeing eye grounder up the middle and scores on Maloney’s 3rd hit of the day. I don’t know how many 3 hit games he has but I would venture a guess at A LOT. Nothing else after the hit and the score now moves to 3-0 Cubs. The Reds finally break through in a big way when Reulbach loses his focus for the inning as Cy Seymour and Jimmy Sebring lead off the inning with back to back doubles. Steinfieldt and Kelley then follow with back to back triples and suddenly the game is tied with nobody out. Chance goes to the mound and is clearly giving Ed an earful. Whatever he said must have got through as the next three hitters have no chance and the score is 3-3.
The Cubs regain the lead in the fifth with hits by Chance and the struggling Kling and the inning ends 4-3 as the Reds don’t counter.
Chech is tiring but is still in the game and an error opens the door for the final two runs as the inning ends 6-3. Reulbach retires 18 of the final 19 hitters allowing only a walk to Seymour.
Several hitters on both teams came through big. Cubs ran wild on back up catcher Phelps who is covering for the injured “Admiral” Schlei with 7 of 8 in steals. Bad news for the Reds as Steinfeldt goes down with an injury as well. Cubs and Giants are still only percentage points apart.
