[tm1681]

GOTHAM BEATS RIVALS KNICK IN A CLASSIC
TWO-RUN 9TH BY GOTHAM SEALS VICTORY IN THE ELYSIAN FIELDS

MANHATTAN (May 22, 1873) – When the two oldest baseball clubs in existence meet one another on the field the accompanying contests are usually thrilling, and Thursday’s series-ending game between the two was no different:

It looked as if Gotham had the game won barely after it began, as seven runs on seven hits and five Knickerbocker fielding errors in the top of the 1st inning gave the visitors an immediate seven-run lead. However, the Knickerbocker offense was up to the task of clawing away at the deficit, and even though they allowed more runs to Gotham over the next two innings the score was 10-7 after the end of the 3rd.

Gotham added two runs in the 4th to bring the score to 12-7, and the teams traded lone runs over the next two innings to make it 13-8 in the middle of the 6th. That was when Knick really fought back. The home side scored three times in the bottom of the 6th on Singles by SS Edward Huntley & RF Leonard Noble (R+E) to cut the deficit to two, and in the bottom of the 7th they scored thrice more on a Double (2R) by Noble and a Sacrifice Fly by C Oliver Lysiak to take a 14-13 lead.

After a scoreless 8th, LF Royal Altman led off the Gotham 9th with a Single, eventually coming around to score on a Single by 2B Babe Johnson to tie the game. C Howard LeBouf would then bring in Johnson with a Single of his own, and Gotham was ahead 15-14. Greenhorn relief man Howard Budd was the Gotham pitcher for the bottom of the 9th, and he sat down the Knick attack 1-2-3 to end the game and give his team a tense but hard-earned victory.

Speaking of Altman & LeBouf, they were the standout performers in the Elysian Fields on Thursday afternoon:

• GOT #2 Royal Altman (LF): 5/6, 3 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI, 8 TB
• GOT #6 Howard LeBouf (C): 5/6, 2 3B, 3 R, 3 RBI, SB, 9 TB, GW HIT, PotG

It was LeBouf’s Single that won the game for Gotham, putting him over the top for Player of the Game honors. His performance raised his average to .415 with ten RBI through fifteen games so far in 1873, while Altman’s 5/6 raised his average to .314 – low for him – with fifteen RBI.

Leonard Noble, who had those two key hits for Knickerbocker in a losing effort, was 4/4 with a Double, Triple, three Runs, and three RBI to bring his average to .382 with a dozen RBI through fifteen games.

Gotham is struggling heavily at 5-10, but such a dramatic win at the home field of the now 12-3 Knickerbocker will be sure to lift their confidence for upcoming games.