by Scott Fennessy
9/11/1905
Cincinnati, OH
The Cubs face the Reds in a “must win” situation. Although they are tied with the Giants, they have two more games played than their New York rivals. That however will be reduced to one as the Cubs schedule has them off for the next three days due to schedule adjusting. Today’s game sees Mordecai Brown against Charles Harper. Harper is making his first start of the year and being a D pitcher has seen limited action, but has always given the Cubs fits through his career.
Neither team does much in the first, but the Cubs strike first as Johnny Evers hits a ball to Miller Huggins at second, and he boots it for the error. Frank Chance sends the runner and Joe Tinker, who is in his best run of the season rips a fly to deep center field. This one’s over Fritz Odwell’s head and bounces off the wall! Evers comes in to score the first run of the day and the Cubs take the early lead. Harper settles down to keep the score 1-0.
Brown and Harper both look good early and the score is unchanged until the bottom of the 4th when Jimmy Sebring rips a single up the box that just evades a hard charging Tinker. Jimmy got off to a tough start, and really had under produced, but has his numbers more in line with what I was hoping for. Joe Kelley, the player that has really been valuable of late hits a single to right center and Sebring cruises into third standing. Kelley takes advantage of O’Neill’s less than stellar throwing arm with just his 6th steal of the season and runners are now on second and third with just one out. Fortunately for Brown the lower part of the lineup is pretty harmless, and after Tommy Corcoran’s sac fly to left scores Sebring to tie the game Ed Phelps and Harper go quickly to end the threat.
Once again pitching takes control until the Cubs and the red hot Frank Schulte (pictured above) hits a triple right, and he is now boasting a 6 game hitting streak, and has added about 7 points to his average during this run. A fly ball to deep right field looked like it may tail foul, but stayed in play allowing Schulte to score the lead run. Considering how strong the pitching has been this could be big. Hofman and Evers get back to back hits, but the defense held and the score was still 2-1 as the bottom of the third ended with a scoreless Cincinnati inning.
The Reds strike suddenly as the normally solid bruin defense slips up. Jim Casey botches a throw allowing Tommy Corcoran to reach and move to second on a ground out. Miller Huggins, who has really looked weak at the plate this season hits a frozen rope to center and Corcoran scores to tie the game. Huggins steals second easily and Brown hurls a mistake fastball that Harper crushes into the corner for an RBI triple and the Reds are suddenly on top late. Brown gets the final out, but now the home team leads 2-1 at the end of 7.
Fortunately for the Cubs, the bats have really been booming lately and Schulte gets his third straight hit and moves to second with one out when Art Hofman rips a single under the diving Huggins at second and Schulte scores just ahead of Jim Seymour’s throw to tie the game again. Harper gets two quick outs and the inning ends 3-3. Brown does his job in the 8th and on to the ninth we go.
The Reds get two very quick outs, but Maloney gets his second single of the afternoon and steals second. Casey atones for his earlier error by floating a single just over Corcoran’s reach and Maloney rounds third. The throw from Sebring is a good one, but Maloney is safe, just ahead of the tag. Schulte grounds out to end the inning and now Brown goes to the hill in the ninth to get the win and he does with a perfect 1-2-3 inning.
The Reds looked good in this one, and did everything except win the ball game. The bottom of the lineup pulled its weight late and Harper’s surprise start was solid. For the Cubs Schulte continues to rake, and while Hofman, Maloney and Tinker are still struggling overall, have looked better over the last 3-4 days.
