May’s Effective Hurling Enables Reds to Trip Cardinals, 3 to 1

Jakie May delivers one of the finest performances of his young season, holding the Cardinals to a single run as Cincinnati claimed a 3–1 victory on May 29, 1926. The loss was St. Louis' fourth straight as the Reds continued to strengthen their grip atop the National League.

St. Louis Cardinals coverage from the St. Louis Globe-Democrat Sunday Morning May 30, 1926

May’s Effective Hurling Enables Reds to Trip Cardinals, 3 to 1

Single by Thevenow, Douthit’s Triple Give Knot Holers Only Run

Keen in Fine Fettle Until Fifth When Rhinelanders Begin to Bunch Hits—Fourth Straight Defeat for Hornsboys.

Special Dispatch to the Globe-Democrat.

CINCINNATI, OHIO, May 29.—Jakie May, starting his first game of the season today, came through like a ton of TNT and handily beat the Cardinals, 3 to 1. It was a great contest for the Carolina round boy to cop, for he has worked strenuously and faithfully almost every day, either taking a spell in the bullpen or else rushing in when some other more highly thought of twirler began to give at the seams.

Behind the great hurling of Jacob, the Reds played truly championship ball, hitting in most timely fashion and fielding like so many demons. By the time this game was over, the crowd was wised up to the number of home runs secured by the Cardinals in the lamented series there with the Reds, for had yesterday’s combat been played at Sportsmans field the Hornsboys would have had at least two circuit clouts. As it was on our broad ancestral acres, beautiful catches converted the long flies into outs and finished hitless instead of outstanding sluggers.

May in Prime Form

May had all his world of stuff working from the start. So much did he put on the pill that the resultant English made it a bit hard of control and cupid issued a few walks that added nothing to the gaiety of nations but did no harm, as the single Cardinal run was not helped over by a frank to first. Jakie allowed only five hits throughout and on only one occasion did the enemy succeed in bunching as many as two, this pair securing for them the doubtful honor of escaping a shutout.

Working for the Cardinals in the early innings was Vic Keen, who is wont to fall upon the shrinking neck of big Catcher Bob O'Farrell after a victory, in the height of his exuberance, as it were. But Vic had no chance to exhibit his osculatory tendencies yesterday, which doubtlessly formed the silver lining in defeat’s cloud for O’Farrell.

Keen did well enough after a two-hit inning, indulged in by the Reds in their vain opening drive, getting nicely through the next three. But the wily locals began tossing small but useful bunches of hits into the arena beginning with the fifth frame and soon had overcome the Cardinals’ lead of one and had taken unto themselves an advantage of two counters. These they held to the bitter end and without a great deal of trouble, thanks to the superb work of Jakie.

With the Cardinals safely tucked away in their first, the Reds opened fast and closed like a flivver with two tires flat. Alex Dressen shot a fine single to left to begin things and Curt Walker sent him down with a sacrifice. The hit and run was a bust, as it so usually is, Edd Roush not being able to even foul off Keen’s wild offering and Dressen thus dying miserably at third, O’Farrell to Les Bell. This was tough for Edd then rammed a single to right. He would have died stealing had not Tommy Thevenow allowed the Roushian spikes to knock the ball from his hand, but even this reprieve did no good for Babe Pinelli, who bounced to short.

Cards Score in 3d

Jakie had no trouble to speak of in his first two innings, but the Cards wasped him for their single run in the third. Thevenow was first up and singled. Keen sacrificed and Ray Blades popped to Wally Pipp. Taylor Douthit whanged a blinding triple the deepest right-field corner, Thevenow scoring, but the great Rogers Hornsby was a victim of May’s wicked low curves and perished a pitiful strikeout.

This absolutely finished the Cards for the matinee. Blades got a single in the sixth and reached third on a sacrifice and an infield out, but Jim Bottomley failed, flying out to Chuck Christy.

With two out in the ninth, Tommy Holm singled to left, but the game ended a few seconds later when Bell forced Holm, Hughie Critz to Pinelli.

Critz began the Red fifth with a single to Thevenow in deep short, of which the Card shortfielder made a great stop. But his late throw was wild and Critz kept on to second. Val Picinich sent in Hughie with a bristling drive to left for a base, but Christy flied out. May forced Picinich trying to sacrifice and Dressen’s fly was taken by Holm.

The Reds took a one-run lead in the next inning, the sixth. With one out, Roush tripled to right and scored on Pinelli’s two-ply crack to left. The next two men failed to get Babe over, but the Reds made it three to one in the seventh.

Picinich Inserts Doubles

Picinich opened with a brutal clout that hit the left field wall on the fly and bounced back for two sacks. Christy at once sent in Val with a nice single to Blades’ territory, but Jakie forced Christy trying to sacrifice and Dressen bounced to Hornsby. Walker was passed and the side went out on Roush’s rap to Bottomley, unassisted.

May's work was superb throughout. The first man to reach first was Holm who singled with one gone in the second. Holm then died stealing and L. Bell walked but never saw second.

Then came the two hits in the third for the sole alien button and then O’Farrell’s pass in the fifth. Bob at once died stealing and the next man to see first was Blades, who singled to start the sixth.

A walk to this same Blades in the eighth marked the next time a Card trod the dirt about first and Holm, who singled in the ninth, was the last. Quite a day for Jakie.

Arnold Reinhart pitched the eighth and last against Cincinnati in a manner deserving a better subject, throwing out both Pinelli and Pipp himself and getting Critz on a soft fly to left.