BROWNS DOWN WHITE SOX IN OPENER; 5 TO 1

Zachary Gives Chicago Only Four Singles and Gets Good Support—Sisler’s Crew Scores in Fourth and Sixth.

By BRADY.

George Sisler’s Brownies came out of their hitting, fielding and pitching slumps with a vengeance yesterday at Sportsman’s Park and downed the Chicago White Sox by a 5 to 1 score to fittingly dedicate Phil Ball’s vastly improved stadium and also formally open the American League season for this vicinity.

Aided by the blistering rays of Old Sol, Tom Zachary, the veteran southpaw obtained from the Washington Senators, got his assortment of shoots working perfectly and held the ambitious Windy City sluggers to four singles while the Browns pounced upon the savory offerings of Urban Faber, aged Sox right-hander, for a total of twelve hits for eighteen bases and just half of these figured in the scoring.

These Brownies pranced on the sod yesterday afternoon for the first time since the American League pennant season opened and were burdened with a record of six defeats and only one victory; having dropped three in a row to these same White Sox at Chicago and were clawed three of four times by the Tigers at Detroit.

Masters Yesterday.

This could hardly be believed by the fans who witnessed the inaugural game yesterday as the fighting spirit of the Browns, their great fielding and terrific hitting easily made them far superior to the Chicagoans. Scott singled over Melillo’s head to left field with one out in the Sox’s first and was promptly doubled stealing as Collins fanned and from then until the sixth they were helpless but in that stanza the Windy City crew got its one run and in the ninth got their last hit, this by Collins on a drive to right which Rice could have caught with a little more effort.

For three stanzas it was a hurling duel between the two veterans with no damage done on either side. In the fourth, however, the Browns got into action and put the game on ice with five blows. La Mott doubled off the left center field wall. Sisler beat out a bounder back of the box, La Mott holding second. Grabowski tried to catch La Mott off second and tossed into center field, the Brownie runners advancing. Williams singled over second into center, La Mott and Sisler scoring. McManus placed Williams on second with a sacrifice bunt and Jacobson’s single to center scored Marty.

Jacobson Hits Homer.

The Sox scored their lone run in the Sixth. Kamm walked to start and raced to third when Faber aced to center. Mostil singled to center, scoring Kamm and placing Faber on third and on the throw to that corner Mostil went to third. Scott rolled to Zachary who tossed him out and when Mostil raced to third he forced Faber off that bag and he was run down. Sisler to McManus to Hargrave. Collins’ fly to Jacobson ended the rally. In the Browns’ half Williams singled to center with one out and was nailed stealing, Grabowski to Collins, but McManus singled through Scott and paced “Baby Doll” Jacobson around the bases when the Brownie center fielder crashed the ball into the left field bleachers. It was a drive which bounced back into the playing field but Umpire Hildebrand ruled it a four-base sock.

All the usual opening-day festivities were staged. Victor Miller, mayor of the Mound City, twirled the first ball and then took it home and a band did duty in the grand stand. It is estimated that around 12,000 fans witnessed the game.

The second game of the series is carded for this afternoon with Charley Robertson or Joe Giard probably working for the Browns and either Blankenship or Thomas for the Sox, weather permitting.

Source: (1926, April 22) East St. Louis daily journal. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/sn92053739/1926-04-22/ed-1/.