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THE 1914 "MIRACLE" BRAVES
Dick Rudolph pitches a gem against Marquard
June 27, 1914 ... Dick
Rudolph pitched another masterly game against the New York Giants
today and scored his second victory and the third win for the Braves
in the home series with the National League Champions. The score was
4 to 2, giving Boston three out of six games they have so far played.
Rube Marquard was in the box for the visitors and
the Boston boys got to him in one inning, with a single and two doubles, which
with a base on balls that preceded the hits, that was good for three runs. Not a
single hit was made off Rudolph until the fifth inning and then three in
succession were good for one of the runs made by the New Yorkers. Manager
Stallings was pleased with the way the Braves came back and the fight they put
up against the leaders of the league.
There were some difficult fielding chances and
barring some ugly bounced balls and a hot liner that got by Maranville, there
were a couple of well played balls by Oscar Dugey in left field, and the Braves
had a great game defensively.
Considering the way the Braves are playing these
days, McGraw said he regarded himself as lucky to get an even break in the
series. The scoring by both teams was all done in two innings. In the first
four, both teams were retired almost in order.
The Giants started the scoring in the fifth inning
with one run when Eddie Grant, Milt Stock and Chief Meyers all singled. The
Braves responded by getting three runs in their half of the inning. Charlie
Deal's hit a hot liner straight at Art Fletcher that he caught but it nearly
knock them over. A foot or so to either side of him and he never could have
handled the ball. Bert Whaling followed with a base on balls and Rudolph rapped
one through Fletcher for a single. Whaling then scored on Larry Gilbert's double
to right and Johnny Evers brought Rudolph and Gilbert home with a double to left
that Dave Robertson gave a brilliant effort on, but it got by him nonetheless,
to give the Braves a 3 to 1 lead. Then in the sixth inning with one out, Gowdy
tripled to the centerfield fence but was run down between third and the plate on
Deal's grounder to Stock.
In the seventh inning, the Giants put over another
run after Eddie Grant drew a pass and Stock singled to left, to move Grant to
third base. Meyers then grounded back to Rudolph and Grant got run got run down
between the bases, letting Stock and Meyers advance. It was at this point that
Hank Donlin was sent in to bat for Marquard, and Rudolph threw a spitter, which
hit the plate and bounced over Whaling's head, to score Stock and make it 3 to
2. Rudolph showed up big and got Donlin swinging to end the threat.
The Braves developed another run in their half of
the seventh as Rudolph opened with a single. Gilbert then forced him at second
and Evers attempted to sacrifice, but new pitcher, Hooks Wiltse mishandled the
ball and Gilbert and Evers were both safe. Oscar Dugey next reached base when
Fletcher juggled his ground ball. Maranville came up and hit one through the box
that Fletcher came in fast for, and elected to try and get Gilbert at the plate,
but the throw was high and the score was now 4 to 2.
After striking out Fred Merkle and Grant in the
ninth, Rudolph passed Stock. Chief Myers came up next and smashed the ball to
right field, but it fell short of the fence and Larry Gilbert grabbed it to end
the ballgame. |
