Reinhart Pitches Brilliantly as Cardinals Submerge Reds, 11 to 2

League Leader’s Rout Marked by Return of Birds’ Batting Punch

Adolfo Luque smoked out in 5th when Knot Holers score six times—Brooklyn’s double victory drops Hornsboys to 4th place.

By MARTIN J. HALEY. - St. Louis Globe-Democrat Thursday, July 8, 1926

Peeved over their heart-breaking defeat of Tuesday, the Cardinals crushed Cincinnati yesterday under the wreckage of an 11-to-2 decision. The Reds, playing their last game of the season in St. Louis, were made to look like so many tyros. One of their star right-handers, Ado Luque, the bronzed Cubeb, was smoked out in the fifth inning, when the Cards piled up six runs, and Jakie May, who beat the Cards Sunday, was given a farewell reception for the remainder of the game.

Despite the topheavy verdict, which was a seven-hit "breeze" for Southpaw Arthur Reinhart, the Cardinals dropped to fourth place. They relinquished their hold on third position by the margin of 1 point, to the Brooklyn Dodgers, who took a double header from the Braves. However, the Knot Holers gained a full game on the league leaders and now are five games out of first place. Second position remains but a game distant, as the Pirates also won yesterday.

Reinhart’s Hurling Colorful.

Although the return of the Cardinal batting punch in the pinch was outstanding in the annihilation of the Rhinelanders, the pitching of Reinhart was a colorful factor. Last year, from June 20 to the end of the season, Reinhart was one of the best left-handers in the business, but this year, until yesterday, Arthur had proved of little help to the Cardinal cause. If his performance yesterday is an indication that he is a late starter and is ready now to take a regular turn on the mound, the Cardinals will be well fortified on the mound for the five games in four days with the Braves, starting Friday, and for the numerous double headers which await the Cards on their next Eastern trip.

Off shakily yesterday with a delivery which was hard to control, Reinhart settled down after the second inning and would not have permitted the Reds to score again had he been perfectly supported in the sixth inning. The first inning run off Reinhart also was tainted, as it was the direct result of a passed ball, together with Reinhart's tardy work in covering the plate.

In re the Cardinal punch, it was not of siege-gun caliber. There was not an extra base hit among the fifteen blows that rained off Luque and May, but no extra base drives were needed, not with the Cardinals bunching their hits so economically that only two of the fifteen failed to play a part in run harvest.

Piling up those fifteen hits, every Knot Holer hit safely, with the exception of Ernie Vick, but Ernie’s excuse is well founded. Ernie did not get into the game until the eighth inning, when a foul tip from Babe Pinelli’s bat struck Bob O'Farrell on a throwing finger and forced his impromptu departure from the contest.

Reds Led Early.

The final score carries not the slightest indication that Cincinnati led, 1 to 0, for two innings, but it is a truth. Neither does the score indicate that Luque tamed the first seven Cardinals to face him, but that also is a fact, unadulterated. Luque also should have retired the eighth successive St. Louis batter, but he didn’t, and the Cardinals tied the score at 1-1 in the third.

This run resulted after Tommy Thevenow drew a life on Leo Durocher's error with one gone in the third. Tom eased to second on Reinhart’s single to right and to third on Bunny Holm’s long fly to Edd Roush. Tom scored when Taylor Douthit singled to left. The Reds had counted their first run at the outset on Dressen’s single to center, on sacrifices by Evar Swanson Walker and Roush and on the aforementioned passed ball. Had Reinhart covered the plate quickly, however, Dressen would not have scored.

In the second inning, Reinhart again was in trouble, Hughie Critz walked and Wallie Pipp sacrificed. Curt Zitzmann beat out a hit to Specs Toporcer and went to second on a short wild pitch. Then it was that Reinhart showed the first signs of real pitching, for he struck out Jakie Emmer and made Luque bounce out to Thevenow. In the third and fourth, Reinhart downed the Reds in a row, but Zitzmann broke up this monotony by singling at the start of the fifth. He was sacrificed to second by Emmer and was erased in a double play when Luque lined to Reinhart, whose throw to Thevenow beat Zitzmann to the midway.

In came the Birds for their fifth. They got a break, after Reinhart flied out, when Emmer booted Holm’s grounder. The Cards promptly developed that break into six unearned runs. Douthit singled, Holm taking third. Douthit continued to second on Roush’s throw to the far corner. Toporcer sliced to left, Holm and Douthit scoring. Toporcer took second on Zitzmann’s throw to the plate, being aided by Luque, who intercepted and juggled the ball. The Reds were cracking generally.

The Assault Renewed.

There was a lull in the assault when Jim Bottomley fouled to Pipp, but Billy Southworth renewed hostilities with a hit off Luque’s glove, Toporcer taking third. Southworth stole second. Les Bell walked, filling the bases for O’Farrell, who singled to right, Toporcer and Southworth riding home. Bell scored on Thevenow’s single and Luque breathed a Cuban sigh of relief. Jakie May was on his way to the mound. Jakie was greeted by Reinhart’s single, which admitted O’Farrell. Holm tried hard to continue the barrage, but his liner was caught by Walker. Six runs on six hits. The score was 7 to 1, the Reds alibying.

Both clubs scored once in the sixth. In the Reds' portion, Dressen was safe when Southworth dropped an indolent liner. Dressen completed the circuit after two were out on Bubbles Hargrave’s infield hit and Critz’s single to center. For the Cards in the sixth, Toporcer and Bottomley singled, and Toporcer tagged the plate on Southworth’s grounder, which forced Bottomley at second.

The Reds, in the last three innings, were held to two hits, both scratches. The Cards rested in the seventh and came back for three runs in the eighth. Holm beat out a hit to Pinelli, who had relieved Emmer at short. Douthit and Toporcer both bunted safely, and when Dressen threw Toporcer’s bunt to the right-field grandstand wing, Holm and Douthit scored, Toporcer moving to third. Toporcer crossed the plate with the final run on Bell’s sacrifice fly.

Today is an open date. Tomorrow the Braves are here.

Hornsby to Return to Game Tomorrow

Manager Rogers Hornsby states that he will return to the game tomorrow against the Braves. He has been out of action since a week ago last Tuesday, when he underwent an operation for the removal of a carbuncle from his right thigh. In his absence the Cardinals lost six out of nine games. With his return they should open their drive to the front. The only momentum they require is a continuance of yesterday’s attack to support their fine pitching staff, which now has a half dozen starters in Charley Rhem, Jesse Haines, Vic Keen, Grover Alexander, Bill Sherdel and Reinhart.

President Sam Breadon of the Cardinals has announced that the double-header with the Braves will be played Sunday, instead of on Saturday, as was first planned. Single games will be played with the Braves tomorrow, Saturday and Monday.

Victor Keen originally was slated for duty yesterday, but Vic has been nursing a sore arm. The sore spot is in back of the shoulder, but should be eliminated in time to permit Keen to work against the Braves, according to Dr. Robert F. Hyland, Cardinal club physician. This present soreness is not a recurrence of the ailment which disabled Keen last year. Keen says last year's sore spot was centered in the frontal part of the right shoulder.

Bob O’Farrell’s right-hand finger injury, sustained yesterday, is not considered serious enough to keep the catcher out of active spangles for any length of time.

In the eleven-game series at Sportsmans Park with the Reds, the Cardinals won six. The Reds will not appear here again until 1927, unless it should so happen that a play-off becomes necessary to decide the placing of this season’s pennant. Such a contingency would come to pass were the Cards and Reds to close the campaign tied for the lead.