Game 1 in Pittsburgh, October 8th 1916
Rube Vickers (30-12, 2.51) v Dutch Leonard (29-9, 1.98)
As I mentioned in the preview, these are two evenly-matched sides. Which means the team that minimises its mistakes and maximises its opportunism will almost certainly emerge victorious. A home win against Leonard would be the perfect start for us.
An error in the 2nd by Charleston bodes ill and lets them go ahead 1-0 and they get another one in the next as Vickers struggles to find his rhythm.
We load the bases in the 5th but just can’t find the key hit and when Hooper leads off the 6th with a solo shot we’re in trouble deep, with only a fine OF assist at home by Rice keeping it at that.
We cancel that one out with a run on a two-out Fisher single in the home half and get back to 3-2 on a Carey run-scoring hit in the next.
I lift Leonard for a PH in the 8th but we still trail by a run as Drucke takes the hill. He gets a 1-2-3 9th and we get the winning runs on with one out but Carey GIDPs to end the game at 3-2.
Red Sox 3, Pirates 2
BOX SCORE
Game 2 in Pittsburgh, October 9th 1916
Wilbur Cooper (25-11, 2.24) v Bert Gallia (23-16, 2.51)
Red Sox lead series 1-0
Cooper had a great year and needs to deliver in this one to avoid us heading to Beantown in an 0-2 hole.
We fall behind in the 2nd on a costly mistake pitch by Cooper that Weaver deposits into the LF bleachers for a 3-run homer and things spiral from there as he puts in an absolute shocker, unable to finish the 3rd and eventually giving up 6 runs on 11 hits. Adams comes in.
We need runs quick, and Charleston obliges with an RBI triple and scores on a groundout by Baker, who is yet to register a hit. We chip away with another run in the next on a Cobb groundout to make it 6-3.
But then our defensive shortcomings come to bear as a Cobb error opens the door to a 2-run 6th and we are in all sorts yet again.
Again the bats respond as Carey singles one in and Smith – hitting for Adams – makes it 8-6 with a two-out two-run two-bagger, chasing Gallia. A Cobb single makes it a one-run affair. Williams enters the fray.
The momentum shifts as they make two errors and we tie the game at 8 on a Smith single then go ahead on a Cobb SF.
Williams stays in, sends them down in order, and we get a huge, miraculous win. Great effort by the lads.
Pirates 9, Red Sox 8
BOX SCORE
Game 3 in Boston, October 11h 1916
Claude Hendrix (25-13, 2.61) v Carl Mays (18-10, 3.61)
Series tied 1-1
A massive contest here, especially with Leonard back up next, and Mays will need to be at his very best against the underrated Hendrix.
We open the scoring in the 1st on a Charleston bloop single with Cobb at third, then two-out singles to Groh and Carey double our lead. We know their left-strong meat will be trouble here and through them, they come straight back with a deuce.
Cobb has found his swing and his speed is giving them trouble as well, and he’s in the thick of it again when we retake the lead on a Rice triple in the 2nd. Charleston then doubles and it’s 4-2 and a Baker single adds another one.
Speaker and Hooper once again smash Mays about in the 4th but he recovers to just let one run score and we immediately square it off with one in the 5th on a Fisher single. Cobb then crushes a long double to straightaway CF to make it 7-3 and that’s it for Hendrix. Gehring, his replacement, gets a rude welcome from Rice, who triples in another run.
We know no lead is truly safe from their lineup so I urge the lads to keep pressing. Fisher does what’s needed in the top 6th, banging a 2-run trip to make it 10-3. Now we need to keep it tight. Ingerton replaces Cobb at 1B.
A 2-run double by Fisher in the 8th puts the finishing touches to another strong offensive showing but Mays can’t see it through, coming out after giving up a 2-run homer to Milan. Dauss is unconvincing, giving up another run before we finally close it out 12-6.
Pirates 12, Red Sox 6
BOX SCORE
Game 4 in Pittsburgh, October 12th 1916
Dutch Leonard (1-0, 1.00) v Rube Vickers (0-1, 3.38)
Pirates lead series 2-1
Around we go again, Leonard v Vickers II.
An error by Weaver in the 1st puts us in the frame with a run and Carey plates another one with a single.
After a couple of near-misses in the early going, Vickers finally cracks in the 4th as they get a run. Ominously, Leonard has found his groove after that early wobble.
Vickers is a great competitor, and he gets us all the way to the 8th in front, only to stumble and they smack him all over the park in the 8th, scoring 4 before I can get him out, cursing my decision not to go to the bullpen. A decision that costs us the game as they post an 8-spot and we go down without a sound.
Red Sox 9, Pirates 2
BOX SCORE
Game 5 in Boston, October 13th 1916
Bert Gallia (0-0, 11.12) v Wilbur Cooper (0-0, 16.20)
Series tied 2-2
No time to mope about after yesterday’s disappointment, we need to get back at it straight away and put things to rights. The decision of who would be our starter here was – to put it mildly – a close-run thing. Cooper’s playoff performance spanning these past two Series has been nothing short of diabolical, with his ERA in 3 games north of 10. With Williams available as another southpaw option to try and counter their big LHB, I only just opted for the status quo by a hair’s breadth. Rest assured, the hook will be the shortest in MLB history, as I’m sure will be the case in the opposition camp. The last thing I want is for us to head home facing elimination again.
Things do not start well, as Lewis takes him deep in the 1st to make it 1-0, making it four homers to none in their favour for the series.
A two-base error by McDonald puts Baker on in the 3rd and Carey knots it up with a two-out single, with another by Easterly putting us in front.
The pitchers settle down until the bottom 7th, when they get a rally going and eventually tie it at 2.
Baker finally contributes meaningfully, singling one in for us in the 8th to make it 3-2.
We get men at the corners with one out in the 9th and I pull the trigger, hitting Bigbee for Cooper, and he comes through for us with a run-scoring double and Ingerton makes it 6-2 with a 2-run single. Drucke finishes them off with a clean bottom half for the win.
Pirates 6, Red Sox 2
BOX SCORE
Game 6 in Pittsburgh, October 15th 1916
Carl Mays (1-0, 5.62) v Claude Hendrix (0-1, 15.43)
Pirates lead series 3-2
We have been here before. This series is just as even as the moment the first pitch of Game 1 was thrown. We don’t close this out today then we have to do so against Leonard. It’s that simple.
We go ahead in the 1st on a two-out Baker hit and Carey adds two more with a double. The bats start the way we need, with Cobb adding a 4th in the next on a single and Charleston makes it 5-0 with a two-out triple.
A couple of outstanding plays by our cornermen in the next really lift the spirits. But there’s a long, long way to go.
They start to find their range and score two, with Charleston nailing one at home to kill the rally.
They keep belting Mays and I’ve seen enough, lifting him for Williams after they’ve scored one and put another on in the 5th.
The hits have completely dried up for us and they are full of running, scoring again in the 6th to make it a one-run affair.
We finally get a rally going in the bottom of that inning and I hit Harvey for Williams but it comes to nought.
Drucke into action to start the 7th. He gets a clean inning but then gives up the lead with a run conceded in the 8th.
5-5.
They bring Leonard on in relief.
Baker greets him with an ITP home run. With two out and a man on second, they choose to pitch to Fisher despite the empty base. He singles to make it 7-5.
Three lousy outs. Instead, we let them load the bases on two hits and an error by Cobb. That’s Drucke done.
We completely fall apart and they put 5 on the board. We have no response and take easily the toughest loss I’ve ever endured, made even more so by the fact that it is very much on me. In my stupid excitement, I left Drucke in too long and should have had Ingerton at 1B to replace Cobb. Sadly, there are neither crying nor mulligans permitted in baseball.
Red Sox 10, Pirates 7
BOX SCORE
Game 7 in Pittsburgh, October 16th 1916
Rube Vickers (0-2, 5.87) v Dutch Leonard (3-0, 1.35)
Series tied 3-3
I wish I had some
juste mot or five at my disposal, but I do not. Just as with Joe Williams last year, our opponents decide to start Leonard despite him throwing 44 pitches yesterday.
We get to him early with a run on a Charleston triple in the bottom 1st but fail to bring him in. We do, however, get a second run the next inning on a Vickers groundout.
We get Rube another run in the 4th on a two-out Cobb single. He is giving it everything but they get on the board with one in the 6th and this is in the balance again. Even more so when they make it 3-2 in the next.
Bottom of the 9th, still 3-2. I don’t make the same mistake with Cobb, but leave Vickers in.
Torriente grounds out.
Wilson grounds out.
Scott pops out to Groh.
I pop a heart tablet. Then the cork off some champagne. I do believe we’ve earned it.
Pirates 3, Red Sox 2
BOX SCORE
PITTSBURGH WINS SERIES 4-3
SERIES MVP: Bob Fisher (Pittsburgh)
S+ HOME
REPORTS HOME
PIRATES HOME