COOPER AND PIERCY ROUTED AS CHAMPS FIND BATTING EYE

Moore Aggravates Old Injury and Is Replaced by Rhyne; Cuyler Leads Attack With Three Hits; Oldham Rushes to Meadows’ Relief as Cubs Threaten in Seventh.

WRIGHT AND BARNHART STAY IN TO SHAKE OFF HITTING SLUMP

By EDWARD F. BALINGER, Baseball Editor, Pittsburgh Post.

CHICAGO, April 26.—Brushing the cataracts away from their batting eyes and braving another bitterly cold breeze, the Pirates today beat back their Bruin rivals to the tune of 8-6. It was a stubborn battle in which 17 players broke into the Chicago batting order and 13 were used by the champions.

Eddie Moore aggravated the injury which caused him to lose much of the spring training, wrenching his damaged ankle while going into second on a steal and Rhyne subbed at the keystone station after running for his crippled mate in the fifth.

Lee Meadows was on the firing line at the start but got into a jam in the seventh and the Cubs were threatening to tie up the game when Red Oldham was rushed to the bespectacled veteran's aid. The lanky left hander muzzled the hostile Bears and held them safe the rest of the way. They got one hit off Oldham after Meadows had yielded nine.

FIND BATTING EYES.

The Pirates were opposed by their former comrade, Wilbur Cooper, whose fellow players provided him with three runs in the early part of the proceedings, but the Buccos quickly landed on Wilbur’s port side benders and after they had deadlocked the game in the fourth Cooper stepped aside and right handers were deemed best to send against the champs. Bill Piercy, who succeeded Cooper, lasted three rounds only to be pounded severely in the seventh when the frosty struggle was decided. Sheriff Fred Blake who once wore the Pittsburgh raiment worked the eighth and Charlie Root was on the slab in the ninth.

The four Cub sharpshooters were touched for a grand total of 12 hits which is the most the Corsairs have accumulated in any one of their 13 combats.

The Cubs commenced their frolic in the second frame by scoring one point. Wilson walked, went to third on Freigau's single and counted while Grimm was forcing Freigau. They added two runs in the third on a double by Earl Adams, a walk by Joe Kelly and a base hit by Wilson which was booted by Carey.

GET TO COOPER.

Cooper had been pitching effectively, but he was given a surprise in the fourth. Cuyler opened with a twobase wallop to the left field wall. Barnhart followed with a wicked single which caromed off the pitcher's glove and rolled into center, Kiki scoring. Cooper rubbed his right hand for a while and resumed his place on the mound. Traynor cracked a hot one to the box and although it nearly upset Wilbur, the big southpaw succeeded in making a fine stop and as he tossed out the batter, Barnhart took second. Wright's walk was promptly followed by a slashing single to center by McInnis which drove Barnhart across and sent Wright to third.

Bill Piercy, former Yankee, was now busy with his chores in the bull-pen. Spencer spanked a long fly to Wilson and Wright raced home after the catch. Wilson’s throw to the plate was pulled down by Cooper who pegged to Adams in time to double McInnis as he was boldly hiking for second.

MOORE HURT SLIDING.

The tie was overcome in the fifth at the expense of Piercy, but an error by Cooney was the break for the champs. Moore was safe because the shortstop kicked his duster, but, as he slid to second on a bold steal, Eddie went back upon the old casualty list and Rhyne, who ran for him, was run down on Carey's life. During the chase Carey sneaked to second and then Cuyler knocked him home with a single.

The Cubs were settled in the sixth when three more tallies were made as the direct outcome of four singles. The first of these was a pop fly to short right by Traynor, who took third on Wright’s wicked wallop through short. McInnis singled to extreme left and that counted one. Gooch and Meadows made the first two outs in the inning but Rhyne stopped one of Piercy’s inshoots with his lower ribs and the sacks were jammed. Two of them were emptied on Carey’s timely swat to center.

OLDHAM COMES IN.

Meadows allowed the Cubs to waste a couple of hits in the fourth and two more in the sixth, but with fine fielding behind him he was not harmed again until the seventh when his warm-weather wing became frost-bitten and Oldham had to be called upon to check a little uprising in which a walk, a hit batsman, a boot by Wright, a single and a sacrifice fly had let in three runs. The one made by the Pirates in the ninth, was not necessary.

Source: The Pittsburgh Post, April 26, 1926