Cardinals Pound Phillies Behind Flint Rhem as Yankees Edge Browns
Flint Rhem returned to dominant form as the Cardinals battered Philadelphia, Babe Ruth predicted a Cardinals-Yankees World Series, the Yankees defeated the Browns, and the St. Louis Stars extended their winning streak to eleven games.
Content from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Sunday July 18, 1926
In This Edition
- Cards Whip Phils, 13-5; Rhem Returns to Form
- Loose Play Enables Yankees to Defeat Brownies, 3 to 2
- Hornsby's Answers
- Cards vs. Yanks, In World Series, Babe Ruth's Idea
- St. Louis Stars Take Series Opener From Indianapolis, 12 to 1
- Advertisements
CARDS WHIP PHILS, 13-5; RHEM RETURNS TO FORM
FLINT ALLOWS ONE HIT IN 5 INNINGS; EASES UP AS MATES SLUG BALL
Hornsby's Team Gets 19 Singles, Scores Seven Runs in One Stanza, Giving Bentley Terrific Bombardment—Rogers Comes Out of Slump.
By J. Roy Stockton.
Charles Flint Rhem, beaten three times and knocked out on numerous other occasions after he had won 11 of his first 12 starts for the Cardinals, came back to form yesterday afternoon and pitched Rogers Hornsby's men to victory over the Phillies, 13 to 5 in the first game of the series. With the Pirates taking a trouncing at the hands of the Braves and the Dodgers taking the measure of the league-leading Reds, the Cardinals gained a full game in their drive toward the top. St. Louis is now only 2 1-2 games out of first place and half a game behind the second-place Pirates.
Rhem did not have to do much pitching in the late innings, so devastating was the bombardment that the Cardinals directed at the Philadelphia pitchers. But in the early stages of the battle, when it was anybody's game Rhem showed his old-time pitching mastery. He held the Phillies to one hit in five innings and three hits in six innings and in the seventh when the visitors found him for three safeties and two runs Rhem was pitching as he pleased, because the men of Hornsby had given him a commanding lead, the score being 12 to 2 when the Phillies went to bat in the seventh.
His Fast Ball Hops Again.
Rhem's old fast ball was working as it worked when he was keeping the Cardinals near the top in the early weeks of the pennant race. He was a bit wild, but he had his strength and for the first time since the team came home from its last road campaign, he was master of the enemy.
In the first inning, the Phils did not get the ball out of the infield and in the second the only ball hit past the infielders was a single that Earl Henline shot to second base. In the third the Phils again failed to knock a ball to the outer defense, so effective were Rhem's curves and his fast ball.
Hornsby and the other Cardinals and the fans were elated over the showing of the right hander. The fact that the game was pitched against the seventh place Phils made no difference for Arthur Fletcher is leading a band of hard hitting ball players who can hit, even though the team is far down in the league race.
19 Hits for Cards.
Inspired by the return of Flint Rhem and the news that the score board flashed, that the Braves and the Dodgers had routed the Cardinals' two principal foes in the flag race, the men of Hornsby gave a great exhibition of clubbing the ball. They collected 19 safeties off Hal Ulrich, Ray Bentley and Walter Pierce, concentrating eight of their safeties on the sixth inning when they collected seven runs.
In this inning, six batters singled in succession before a man was retired. The attack on the Philadelphia pitchers started early. Wattie Holm, playing left field in place of Ray Blades, opened with a single past Ulrich and Taylor Douthit sacrificed him to second. Holm went to third while Freddy Friberg was throwing out Hornsby and scored when Jim Bottomley slapped a single to left.
Jim raced to third on Billy Southworth's single to center and scored when Les Bell cracked a double to left. Bob O'Farrell was passed intentionally and the strategy worked well, when Tommy Thevenow lined straight to Friberg.
Rhem was wild in the second inning. He walked Cy Wrightstone, leading off and Jimmy Nixon popped to Bottomley. Henline then contributed his single to center and a pass to Doc Huber filled the bases. Wrightstone scored while Hornsby was throwing out Friberg, but Bentley, batting for Ulrich ended the rally with a grounder to Thevenow.
Doubles by Holm and Douthit gave the Cards their third run in the second inning and in the fifth, three walks and Bell's second double sent two more runs over the plate.
With one out in the sixth, Cy Williams surprised everybody by hitting to left for two bases, the second off Rhem and Johnny Mokan followed with a single to left. Wrightstone, however, hit into a double play ending the frame.
Then came the great Cardinal sixth. Rhem started the merry-go-round himself, with a single to center and Holm punched one to left. Douthit cracked one to center, scoring Rhem and sending Holm to third and Hornsby, who had gone hitless in eleven trips to the plate, came out of his hitting slump and lined a single to center scoring Holm.
Bottomley Bunts.
Bottomley carried on the attack, laying down a perfect bunt between Bentley and Wrightstone. This teasing single filled the bases and Southworth contributed the sixth successive single, scoring Douthit and Hornsby and sending Bottomley to third. Bell forced Southworth, Bottomley scoring and after O'Farrell flied to Williams, Thevenow looped a single to right sending Bell to third. Rhem up for the second time shot a double between Friberg's legs and Bell and Thevenow raced over the plate.
Holm finally ended the inning with a pop fly to Friberg.
Bentley, who went to the hill in the second after batting for Ulrich, remained on the hill during the heavy sixth inning firing, but he trekked for the showers without waiting for orders from the bench when the Cardinals resumed the attack in the seventh. With one out Hornsby doubled to right and when Bottomley shot an ace to right scoring Bill Sherdel, who had gone in to run for Hornsby, Bentley ran for cover.
That was the end of the Cardinal battering, Pierce preventing further scoring, though he yielded two singles in the ninth.
The Phils scored two in the seventh on Burleigh Grimes' single, a walk to Friberg, Bentley's infield hit and a single by Cliff Lee, batting for Jimmy Sand. They added another in the eighth on singles by Mokan and Wrightstone and two infield outs.
Cardinal Sidelights.
Bill Sherdel or Jess Haines probably will pitch for the Cardinals this afternoon in the second game of the series. Tom Willoughby, a right-hander, or Clarence Mitchell, a southpaw, will be on duty for the men of Fletcher.
Jess Petty, Brooklyn southpaw, who was suspended indefinitely for breaking training while the team was here, remained over and worked out with the Cardinals before the game. He said he had done nothing to warrant suspension. He added that he had asked Manager Wilbert Robinson to trade him as soon as he raised the suspension.
A small Saturday crowd of 7000 witnessed the game. There should be a serious gathering this afternoon, however, with the team steadily forging toward the top.
Tommy Thevenow robbed Cy Williams of a hit and turned it into a double play in the third inning. Sand opened the inning with a walk and when Williams went to bat Thevenow took his station directly back of second base, out on the outfield turf. Williams hit straight over second and Thevenow, grabbing the grounder stepped on the bag and tossed to Bottomley in a twinkling.
Hornsby finished with .500 for the day, getting a single and a double in four chances. He also drew a walk and scored two runs. After he doubled he let Sherdel run for him and Sherry also scored.
If Rhem has come back to stay and Hornsby has found his batting eye, the Cardinals are due to make a louder noise in the pennant scramble. It's the eggs that stay on top that get the bacon.
Fletcher would not have a bad team if he had pitching. He used 23 flingers in his series with Cincinnati. He said he had not had a well pitched game since the team started their Western invasion.
Rhem's performance was the first Cardinal game well pitched since Grover Cleveland Alexander beat the Braves in the first game of Sunday's double header.
Bell drove in three of the first four Cardinal runs with his two doubles.
LOOSE PLAY ENABLES YANKEES TO DEFEAT BROWNIES, 3 TO 2
ONLY ONE OF MARKERS IN GAME EARNED
Wingard's Wildness Also Helps in Downfall—Reverse Is Seventh Straight for St. Louis Club.
By G. W. Daley, Of the New York World and Sport Staff.
NEW YORK, July 17.—The Browns of St. Louis came to town today and New Yorkers had a chance to see a team which looks worse than the slumping Yankees. Some 30,000 turned out and watched the Yankees win, 3 to 2.
Only one of the Yankees runs was earned, and real spry fielding would have prevented that one. Easily the score could have been St. Louis 1, New York 0.
Wally Gerber made a bad miscue in the first and upset George Wingard so that he began dishing out bases on balls. He gave three in that frame and forced in a run after Gerber had given away one counter all after two were out.
Ben Paschal doubled to start, but on Mark Koenig's tap he was run down. Then Babe Ruth forced Koenig. Lou Gehrig was passed and then Gerber booted Earle Combs' roller, Ruth scoring. Wingard then lost control, passing Tony Lazzeri and Joe Dugan, forcing in Gehrig with the second unearned marker of the fracas.
Schang Hits in Pinch.
The Browns managed to tie these two runs in the second, or rather the Yankees gave them a pair, for Koenig and Combs slipped in a pair of errors where they would do the Brownies the most good.
With one out Bing Miller singled and when Herb Pennock threw wild on Sam Rice's grounder trying for a force play, both runners were safe. Wally Schang singled Miller across and Rice tallied when Pennock fell while fielding an easy roller from Gerber.
After that, however, Pennock was too good for the Browns and they threatened only twice. Once was in the sixth when Miller shot his second single and Rice sent him to third with another hit and then stole second, only to have Combs race away out in center and drag down Schang's terrific drive.
Rice Misplays Drive.
George Sisler got to third in the eighth, but with two out Koenig made a fine stop of Miller's hopper.
The hits were even, six to six. The winning hit was one that could have been prevented. In the fourth Lazzeri slashed a line single to right center and Rice overran the ball, allowing it to go by for a triple; Lazzeri scored what proved to be the winning run on Dugan's out, but had he been held to first base he never would have scored.
HORNSBY'S ANSWERS
Batter misses third strike. Catcher drops it and it rolls in front of batter who accidentally kicks it on his way to first base. Is runner entitled to first if he beats the throw? George H. Lutzenberger, Salem, Mo.
The umpire probably would rule the runner safe, if he thought the interference with the ball was accidental. When you ask umpires about such cases they say they would prefer to see the play before giving an opinion.
Runner on first. Batter grounds to shortstop who throws to second for a force out. Ball bounces out of second baseman's hands but he catches it again before it strikes the ground. In the meantime the runner has reached the base. Is he out or safe? M. H. A.
Cards Vs. Yanks, In World Series, Babe Ruth's Idea
He Recalls McGraw's Pre-Season Forecast, Thinks Pirates Dangerous
By Babe Ruth (As Told to a Post-Dispatch Representative)
NEW YORK, July 17.—If pep and enthusiasm counts for anything, St. Louis will have a club in the World Series this fall. I don't mean the Browns. I mean the Cardinals. The showing that Rogers Hornsby's outfit has been making lately has the whole city of St. Louis going. Everyone down here figures that at last the city will have a pennant winner. And they may be right.
I was talking to a well-known National Leaguer a few days ago and he tells me that most of the folks in that circuit have revised their figures a bit since the season opened. He figures that the real race will be between the Pirates and the Cardinals with the Giants the dark horses. And the Cardinals have at least a fifty-fifty chance, he says.
Which bears out a thing John McGraw told me this spring before the season opened.
"I don't know how the clubs will get away," he said, "but before the season is over that St. Louis club will be right up there. They have good pitching, good fielding and more hitting strength than any other club in the league. You can't keep them down."
Stick Work Below Par
The thing that makes me think the Cardinals have a good chance is the fact that they've been running at the top without the support of stick work from some of their best hitters.
Neither Hornsby nor Jim Bottomley are hitting within 50 points of what they should. If the club can stay up there now, what will they do when these fellows start clouting?
Over in our own league I think the Yankees will win the pennant. And I'm not so sure that the White Sox won't finish in second place. Eddie Collins has a great club. If we hadn't piled up such a big lead to start, they might be dangerous. And they're still going to make a lot of trouble, believe me. Most fans figure the Athletics are sure to finish one-two. I'm not. I wouldn't be surprised to see the White Sox beat them out.
Predicts Yankee Record
One thing though I will say. I'd like to bet right now that the Yankees as a club will make more home runs this season than any club has ever made in the history of the game.
Bob Meusel, Tony Lazzeri, Earle Combs, Lou Gehrig, Collins, every one of the boys are home run hitters, and before the season ends you'll see them piling up a home run record that will stand for a long, long time.
There's a whole lot of benefit in those home runs, too, aside from the actual runs they score. They have a psychological effect on the team. When a pitcher is facing the Yankees he can't help but think about it. And a guy has an excuse for being a bit nervous when he knows that every man that steps up there to the plate is apt to break up the old ball game by planting one over the fence.
ST. LOUIS STARS TAKE SERIES OPENER FROM INDIANAPOLIS, 12 TO 1
The St. Louis Stars in the National Negro baseball League counted their eleventh straight victory when they defeated the Indianapolis A. B. C.'s in yesterday's game at Stars' Park by a score of 12 to 1.
Carl Glass, the new southpaw with the local team, did some brilliant hurling when he allowed the visitors but three hits including a home run made by Rile which counted the only run for the A. B. C.'s. Feature plays were made by Wells and Evans. J. Russell and Creacy each hit home runs for the Stars. The second game of the series will be played this afternoon.
The Box Score
ST. LOUIS STARS 12, A. B. C.'S 1
| ST. LOUIS STARS | AB | R | H | E | A. B. C.'s | AB | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bell, cf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | T'lor, lf-cf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| J. R'ell, 2b | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | DeM's, 2b | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| B. R'ell, rf | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Rile, 1b | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Creacy, 3b | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | F'man, c | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suttles, 1b | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | H'ding, ss | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| M'ray, c | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | R. J'es, rf | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Redus, lf | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | M'rtin, 3b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wells, ss | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | E'vns, cf-lf | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Glass, p | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Padron, p | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| *Drake | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| **M'ell | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Totals | 32 | 12 | 12 | 1 | Totals | 29 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
* Batted for Padron in ninth inning.
** Batted for Taylor in ninth inning.
Innings—
Indianapolis: 000100000—1
Stars: 00501204x—12
Two-base hits— J. Russell, Wells, B. Russell.
Three-base hit— Wells.
Home runs— J. Russell, Rile, Creacy.
Sacrifice flies— Glass, Bell.
Double play— Wells to Russell to Suttles.
Base on balls— Off Padron, 4.
Struck out— By Glass, 3; by Padron, 1.
Time— 1:54.
Umpires— Donaldson, Golhston.
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