Cardinals Top Vance While Athletics Stun Browns Late - St. Louis Baseball Coverage, May 7, 1926

## Today's Edition
- Cardinals Make Only Three Hits, but Win from Dodgers, 3 to 1
- Sylvester Johnson’s Toe Fractured by Line Drive Wednesday
- Athletics Stage Ninth-Inning Rally to Win Over Browns, 5 to 4
- Big League Figures

Cardinals Make Only Three Hits, but Win from Dodgers, 3 to 1

Vance Victim of Birds’ Concentrated Attack in the First Inning

Victory Scored with Hornsby on Bench, Toporcer on Second, and Douthit and Holm in Outfield—Rhem Hurls Rare Game.

By MARTIN J. HALEY.

Minus Manager Rogers Hornsby and revamped in the outfield, the Cardinals opened their first intersectional battle of the season yesterday by trimming Brooklyn’s pace-setting Dodgers, 3 to 1. The game, decided in the first inning by three new men inserted into the lineup by Hornsby, was a brilliant pitching classic in which only eight hits were registered by both clubs.

The Cardinals, although victorious, made only three hits, all in the first inning off the great right-hander, Dazzy Vance, who was removed for a pinch hitter after his initial inning was over. The hit were fashioned by Taylor Douthit, Wattie Holm and Lester Bell, and the conquest markers scored by Douthit, Toporcer and Holm.

After and Blades Benched.

Douthit and Holm were in center and left fields, respectively. Hornsby, installing these youngsters in place of Chick Hafey and Ray Blades, who have been in a slump, Heinie Mueller, the only regular outfield man on duty, was shifted to right field from center. Toporcer was at second base in place of Hornsby, who was unable to play because of soreness resulting from dislocation of second base Wednesday.

On the face of these changes, it appeared as if the Cardinals were in for a tough afternoon. They had their greatest punch on the bench and were to face Dazzy Vance, who was long overdue for a victory. Vance had made two starts prior to yesterday and had been beaten twice, once by the Phils and again by the Giants. A bevy of boils was supposed to have sapped Vance’s pitching strength in the first two starts, but yesterday it was said that Vance was feeling fit. Yet, so, it looked like hard lines for the home boys. Then the game started.

First to face Vance, Douthit doubled hard down the right-field line. Mueller tapped to Vance, but Toporcer, second new man, walked. Bottomley struck out. Holm, third new man in the Cardinal order, tripled to the tagpole. Douthit and Toporcer scoring. Bell singled and let, admitting Wattie Holm. O’Farrell bounced out to third Baseman Butler.

That was all there was to the Cardinal attack all day. In the last seven innings the Cards did not make a hit off the combined efforts of Douglas McWeeny and Rube Reuther, both right-handers, and Vance. McWeeny held the Cards hitless for six innings and Reuther one. Only four Cards reached first in those last seven innings, each on a pass from McWeeny, who more than counterbalanced this generosity by striking out six Cardinals, or one per each inning he pitched.

Rhem in Fine Fettle

Against pitching that no doubt about it. To beat it, Flint Rhem had to throw some rare stuff at the Dodgers himself, and he did, don’t worry about that. Rhem was in such fine fettle once he mastered control of his colorful curve ball that he tamed the Dodgers on two hits in the last seven innings. The other three blows off Flint’s north wing all were harmonized in the second, when the Robins averted a shutout on successive singles by Butler, Maranville and DeBerry, three of the last four men in Brooklyn’s batting order.

At that stage of the contest Rhem was experiencing much trouble with his curve. It was not breaking right, and was developing outside the corners instead of around them. This inefficiency had Rhem up against it, and he was lucky to escape that second inning with only one run against him. Once he got the mess so bravely patched, Rhem got help from O’Farrell, turned a pseudo sacrifice bunt into a force out at third, and by Holm and Mueller, each of whom converted hard-hit line drives into putouts to close the inning.

That was the second narrow delivery from the depths for Rhem, who came through the first round unhurt, despite the fact that he walked the first two batters to face him. However, the pinch pitching of those two innings seemed just the tonic necessary to place Rhem on edge. At any rate, when he came out for the third inning he was complete master of everything he threw at and past the Robins. His curve ball was his big remarkable, so much so that it had become experienced batters as Maranville and Wheat completely fooled.

There is no better curve ball in the game today than this one possessed by Rhem, and whenever he has control of it enough to work it smoothly within terrific speed, he’s going to be one hard South Carolinan to beat. He already had proved that prior to yesterday, for he won the first three of his four starts, so that now his record for the puerile season is four victories and only one defeat.

Rhem’s Troubles Few.

Only twice following the second inning was Rhem in trouble, yesterday. In the sixth inning, after Rhem had retired twelve successive batters, Mueller whet drew up the sixth, Herman doubled down the left field line. Then, Felix bounced to the mound, but the ball went through Rhem’s legs and a single seemed ticketed for center field.

Shortstop Tommy Thevenow, however, fooled everybody on the play by fielding the ball away from it back of second base. Tommy worked so fast that his throw to Bottomley retiring Felix at first was an ample time to prevent all argument. The play so surprised even Jim Bottomley that he held the ball while Butler rounded third and sneaked for the plate. Butler had been waved home by his third base coach, who also figured Thevenow’s play impossible. Then Bottomley realized Butler was trying to score and whipped the ball to O’Farrell just in time for the putout.

Coming back in the seventh, Rhem got the Robins down in order, but in the eighth he lapsed momentarily on control and walked Pinch Batter Herm. Jacobson. In the for McWeeny, at the start of the inning, was disposed of when Douthit grabbed his line drive, but Fewster singled to center, Jacobson stopping at second. Here was a delicate spot, what with Wheat and the left-handed swinging Herman coming up, but Rhem had superbly and got rid of both threats on fly balls to Mueller, maintaining this effective work. Rhem knocked over Felix, Butler and Maranville in order in the ninth.

The Cards after the first inning got only one man to second out of their four scattered base runners. Bell was the exception. He reached the midway post his own pass and on another pass to O’Farrell in the sixth. Two were out at the time and Thevenow made it three on a fly to Felix. The only other runners the Cards had in the last seven innings were Douthit, who walked in the second, and O’Farrell, who paraded in the fourth.

This only semblance of a hit by the Knot Holers, following the first frame, was Bottomley’s tremendous drive to center field in the eighth. His wallop had all sails set for a three-bagger until Cy Felix, running with his back to the plate, speared it as it passed over his right shoulder.

That and Thevenow’s play were the outstanding defensive sketches in a contest which was perfectly fielded by both teams.

Sherdel vs. Grimes

Bill Sherdel and Burleigh Grimes are slated to face the Dodgers and Cardinals in the second game of the series this afternoon.

Them now have four victories and only one defeat. Vance, who won twenty-two games last year, or one more than his nearest rival, has yet to win in 1926. In three starts this season Vance has been beaten three times by the Phils, Giants and Cardinals.

Quite outstanding that the three new faces in the Cardinal lineup won yesterday’s game. Douthit doubled, Toporcer walked and both scored on Holm’s triple. That brace of runs was sufficient.

Rhem and McWeeny had six strikeouts apiece. Three of Rhem’s came in succession, when the tall boy closed the third inning by fanning Herman and Felix and opened the fourth by whiffing Butler.

Herman is subbing at first for Brooklyn in place of Jack Fournier, former Cardinal, who sprained an ankle in Boston recently. Fournier is with the club, but not uniformed. He may miss the entire Cardinal series. Herman was bought from Seattle of the Coast League.

Butler, at third for the Robins, is the expensive infielder for whom the Robins paid Minneapolis several players. Outfielder Felix came to Brooklyn from the Braves in the deal which also made Dodgers out of Jess Barnes and Mickey O’Neil, both St. Louis boys. The Braves received Outfielder Ed Brown, Infielder Jimmy Johnston and Catcher Taylor.

Pitcher McWeeny, christened Douglas and nicknamed Buzz, was drafted by the Robins from Prince of the Coast League. Whitey Witt employed as pinch hitter by Uncle Robbie yesterday, is the same Witt who broke up the “little world series” of September 1912 in favor of the Yankees. Two days after he had come in mysterious contact with a pop bottle.

Jacobson, another Brooklyn pinch swinger yesterday, came up from Baltimore of the International League.

Sylvester Johnson’s Toe Fractured by Line Drive Wednesday

Pitcher Sylvester Johnson, champion hard luck hurler of the baseball universe, has another notch in his noose. When he was struck by a line plug a line drive in Wednesday’s game he suffered a fracture of his great right toe. It was revealed yesterday. He will be out of a game for about ten days, according to Dr. Robert F. Hyland, Cardinal club physician.

In 1924, while training with the Tigers, Johnson had wrist broken by a batted ball, and early last season he suffered a fractured jaw when struck in the face by a line drive from Hib Flick’s bat.

Manager Hornsby, forced to the bench yesterday, is suffering from a wrenched back. The Rajah was injured in collision at second base with Catcher Picinich of the Reds Wednesday. It is likely that he also will miss today’s encounter with Brooklyn.

Athletics Stage Ninth-Inning Rally to Win Over Browns, 5 to 4

Cochrane’s Double Off Vangilder Ends Game; Gaston Is Batted Out

Bennett Collides with Wall Chasing Foul Fly and Suffers Concussion of Brain—Gerber’s Finger Smashed.

Special Dispatch to the Globe-Democrat

PHILADELPHIA, PA., May 6.—George Sisler’s Browns started their Philadelphia invasion like conquerors this afternoon and had the Athletics looking like mud horses until the ninth inning. Then all of the Mackites turned on their adversaries and mopped up for three runs, turning a 4-to-2 defeat into a 5-to-4 victory.

Mickey Cochrane was the clean-up performer, whose line drive against the right-field wall with the bases full, chased home the tying and winning runs.

The Browns not only lost the ball game after having seemingly sewed it up, but they also lost a couple of valuable members.

In the sixth inning Herschell Bennett, right fielder, took a dive into the concrete barrier out near the visiting bull pen and knocked himself cold. Bennett was chasing a long foul from Cochrane’s bat. He lunged at the ball with his gloved hand while going at full speed. He missed the sphere and stumbled, plunging head first against the three-foot wall in front of the right field pavilion.

Bennett, Gerber Injured.

Bennett suffered a deep gash in his scalp on the right side. He was still unconscious when they loaded him into a borrowed automobile and removed him to the Women’s Homeopathic Hospital, where surgeons diagnosed a slight concussion of the brain. Rice took Bennett’s place and it was over his head that Cochrane whaled the winning wallop in the ninth.

The other St. Louis casualty was Wally Gerber, shortstop. He bunted a foul ball in the ninth frame and Walberg’s pitch crushed one of his fingers against the bat. Gerber retired from the game and will probably be missing for the rest of this series.

Joe Pate, Texas League rookie, hooked up in a pitching duel with Milton Gaston, Paterson boy, who formerly pitched for the Yankees. Pate pitched no-hit ball until two were out in the third inning.

Williams’ Scratch Hit Scores.

A little squib of an infield single by Ken Williams was Pate’s undoing with two out in the third. Bennett and Melillo spouted singles to right. Sisler walked, filling the bases. Williams, a right field hitter almost as exclusively as the Phillies’ member of the family, rolled one off the end of his bat to deep short for a scratch single.

Galloway made a foolish attempt to nail Sisler at second. Bishop had been laying so far over toward the foul line that Sisler was ahead of him in the rush for second base. Galloway’s throw hit Sisler on the shoulder and Melillo scored in back of Bennett. Jacobson’s single scored Sisler and Hargreave popped up.

Rube Walberg pitched the last six innings, and was the winning hurler. He blanked the Browns except in the eighth, when Rice’s single, a pass to Melillo, a double steal and Jacobson’s single earned the Browns their fourth run.

Bishop’s double in the first inning was the only hit off Gaston up to the fifth, and Max was nailed stealing third.

Three Double Plays in Row.

Gaston gave out passes in each of the next three innings, but in each frame a Mackman rolled a double play grounder to Melillo. Melillo to Gerber to Sisler was the combination engineered, three double killings in three consecutive innings.

Simmons was the batting ace with two doubles, a single and a base on balls, a perfect average. None of Al’s hits, however, figured in the run making. He opened the fifth with a double and Dykes walked, but the bottom of the batting order could not bat home any runs.

Joe Hauser knocked home the first two Athletic tallies. With two out in the sixth, not counting Bennett, Lamar rolled a single over second and reached second when Melillo bounced a wild throw past Sisler. Hauser’s smash against Sisler’s shins hopped high into the air for a single, scoring Lamar. Simmons wafted his second double, a long one against the right field wall near the foul line, Hauser taking third. Dykes struck out on a university ball, a wide curve, low and outside.

In the eighth Hale went to bat for Bishop and smeared a red-hot single through Gerber. Cochrane walked. Lamar forced Cochrane, but Hauser’s sacrifice fly to Rice scored Hale from third. Simmons singled to center, sending Lamar to third, but Dykes dumped a little grounder to Melillo.

The Athletics needed two runs to tie in the ninth and Miller opened with a little roller toward third, too slow for Robertson to field. Pool batted for Galloway and spanked a hot single to right. Welch carried Walberg’s bat to the plate and laid down an eighteen-inch bunt. Red Hargreave fielded the ball to third, a mental error, for Miller had a flying start and slid safely to the bag ahead of the ball. Hale slashed one at Robertson. The little third baseman bumped it with his chest and Miller slid across the plate ahead of his throw.

Elam Van Gilder, the curse of the Athletics last year, rushed to the hill to save the day for the Browns. Cochrane smashed his first pitch for a long, sizzling liner toward the right field wall. Rice misjudged the ball and started for it too late. He never touched it, and when the ball bumped the solid stone the game was over and the Athletics continued to be a great clean-up week ball club.

Big League Figures