Washington Senators (1-0) @ Chicago Cubs (0-1)
WAS: Ernie Broglio (0-0) v CHC: Bob Ewing (0-0)
Another cracking match-up here between two wily campaigners. Broglio went 19-11 / 1.97 and led the league in FIP with 82. Ewing gave the Cubs 300+ innings and 24 wins. A toss of the coin if ever there was one and both sides will need to take their chances in what looks likely to be a low-scoring affair.
And what a classic it turns out to be.
This time it is the visitors who score first, and again it is Chicago’s fielding that lets them down as Lavagetto makes two misplays on balls hit by the first two hitters, putting them at the corners with none out. John Titus then puts the Sens in front with a sac fly that plates Rudy Law.
The Cubs respond immediately. Jay Johnstone walks with one out and moves to third on a single by Larker, then scores on a double by Tresh. They miss a chance to take the lead when Lavagetto pops out with one out and a man on third, then catcher Frank Snyder flies out to CF.
They do go ahead, however, in the 3rd. Greg Gross leads it off with an infield hit and is at third with two out when Lavagetto redeems himself for his earlier gaffes with an RBI single.
Despite losing Broglio to injury during the 4th, the Sens ensure that the run doesn’t hold up for long. Shortstop Orlando Arcia singles with one out in the 5th and is bunted to second by reliever Gene Garber, presumably to avoid an inning-ending GIDP. Rudy Law then comes through for them in the clutch, with his two-out single scoring Arcia to tie the game at 2.
This time the run holds. All the way through to the 12th.
After wasting a leadoff double by Ewing in the 10th and then narrowly avoiding falling behind in the 11th when Washington had a runner on third with one out but couldn’t bring him home, the Cubs walk it off with back-to-back-to-back singles to Mark Grudzielanek, Gross, and then Johnstone to record a famous victory and level the series at a game apiece as it heads to Washington for a guaranteed three. Ewing, who went the distance in a remarkable performance that saw him allow just one earned run on 6 hits, wins PoG honours.
BOX SCORE