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RED SMITH |
THE 1914 "MIRACLE" BRAVES
The Braves inch
closer to the Giants
by coasting past the Pirates
August 20, 1914
... Continuing their winning ways, the Braves
shifted to Forbes Field in Pittsburgh and took the first game of the
series by a score of 6 to 3, putting them only one a half games
behind the idle New York Giants. Dick Rudolph was on the mound for
Boston and won his 11th consecutive game, without breaking a sweat.
As a matter of fact, with a lead of three runs, he let up a little
too much and allowed the Pirates to get a couple of cheap hits for
extra bases that tied the score in the fifth inning. After that he
went to work again and set the opposing batters down as fast as they
came up until two were out in the ninth. Then he walked a man for the
first time the game, but finished by getting the next man out, to end
it.
The Pirates made six hits off him, four of which
came in the fifth inning. Max Carey hit the first one and it was followed by an
error from Joe Connolly. One of the two doubles which followed, hit the chalk
line behind third, and the other was a pop to short left field, fair by only
inches. Ed Konetchy's triple into right in the very first inning, was another
one that was only fair by inches. Except for these flashes, Dick Rudolph was
dominant. He used great judgment, mixed up his pitches, and worked as if it was
just a practice.
Joe Conzelman was the starter for the Pirates and
had a good first inning, when he struck out Possum Whitted and Johnny Evers,
with Connolly popping out the second. But in the second inning, the Braves had
his number, and instead of waiting him out, they began to hit. A single, a
double, a sacrifice, a triple and a sacrifice fly developed three runs very
quickly and by the time the third inning rolled around, he was nowhere to be
seen. Marty O'Toole took the mound next and went along nicely for five innings,
until the Braves worked over three runs. After he failed to hold what was given
to him, his teammates seemed to quit.
Except for Connolly's error, the Braves played
great in the field, Red Smith especially. He handled some difficult chances,
while Rabbit Maranville, Johnny Evers and Butch Schmidt played their usual
whirlwind game, with Joe Connolly, Leslie Mann and Possum Whitted making some
great catches in the outfield.
The triples by Mann and Smith were liners to
left-center and the doubles by Smith and Rudolph were also liners, but to
right-center. They were all were smashed line drives. For the Pirates, Alex
McCarthy saved several more hits with some great fielding at third.
Manager Stallings is not saying a word these days
about what his club will do, nor what he expects the other clubs to do. Weather
was threatening when the game started, but since the Pirates have begun to win a
few more games, the fans are taking more of an interest in them. About 5000 of
them showed up at the start of the game. They too seem to be hoping that the
Braves win the pennant. |
