The Portland daily press., 1899-05-26
| DOWNED By BROCkTW.
Portland's Colors Low
cred at Last.
Long String Of Victories Broken By
Durnham'S Men.
Another Splendid Crowd
Present Yesterday.
Newport, Pawtucket and Man
chester Win.

Well. we got licked.
For the first time this season John
Smiths flag goes down and that too, be-
fore our dearest foe. Walter Claim List
Burnham and the team we signed for
him early in the season.
We had to lose some time, and perhaps
VS. couldn't do better than to let our first
game go to Burnham, who thinks he has
been just as badly used as we think We
have and call 1t quits We had the fun
of rubbing 1t in the day before and made
1t pretty warm for him yesterday. As in
all base ball games, and In fact all events
of human interest whether one wins or
loses, BIZ. string of ''ifs" stare us in the
face as we review the conflict and seek
20 explain the results.
In the first place, Miller, who has been
pitching phenomenal ball for us. and who
has pulled us out of more than one hole,
was as wild as Samoan head hunter,
and when he ceased to be wildiin the
ninth, the other side got wild too and
drove the ball for keeps hither and yon.
eff" John Smith had let Cogswell fin
ish the game it might have been differ
ent, but as he didn't you can't tell wheth-
er 1t would or not. 1t could have been
| worse. Then again "lf" Counihan
hadn't fallen down again on those dread
full ground balls the result might have
been changed and in this case there isn't
a chance for another contingency.
While we are in the "if'' business we
might as we'll play the whole string and
so ''if" loft hadn't persisted in throwing
to second with man on third, there
would have been one run less to say the
least.
We have noticed this all the season in
loft and have said nothing about 1t. for
the results of the games have disarmed
criticism, but really this play has cost
three runs, If not more. Let 'em go
down, Mr.. loft It's getting from third
to the plate which loses and wins hall
games.
Then there are some "ifs" which have
to be charged to hard luck. Counihan's
drive to Kncx, when If 1T had gone
foot on either side would have been safe.
gave q chance for double play which
cost the game.
But 1t wasn't really these things that
caused us to lose that game, for they are
to be taken for granted in base ball, it
was Pitcher Miller's inability..to cut the
plate offset by Mr.. Everson's very nice
work In the box Everson is one of our
claim list players and really John Smith
didn't show very bad judgment in sign
ing him, or Burnhsn in claiming him.
or course he was hit hard at times, but
he wasn't hit hard enough and he ha d
splendid control. He pitched far better
ball than Miller and didn't have so good
support either.
Portland's outfield again distinguished
itself. Really these three men seem to
be, one about as good as the other and:a
ball must be pretty closely placed that
some one doesn't get under 1t.
The wonder worker of the day was Sui
Ivan, W no ran almost out under the trees
by the.lef grand stand and took foul
fly, and in the fifth stopped one from
Knox's bat which got there almost before
he had time to put his hands down. His
batting, too. materially contributed to-
wards Portland's runs, especially In the
fifth when his home run over right field
fence cleared the bases and put Portland
in the lead.
intensely interesting.
Brookton was first to score when two
tallies came in the second. One:.of these
was forced In by Miller, after he had hit
a man and given another base on balls.
A two.base hit by Knox and Counihan 3
error were the other factors in this mis-
fortune.
Portland got one of these back the same
inning. Two were out when Conroy
drove one through CLANCY, which rolled
away out over the bicycle track while he
was going to third. loft sent him home
with double. Some wonderful base
running by Spratt gave US another In the
third, tieing the score.
But Walters men got after us again
and in the third scored couple of runs.
Evers had been given base on balls,
gone to third on Everson's hit and then
tailed becanselMiller so far forgot:himself
as to make balk. Clancy sent Everson
in on a single but went out trying to
make iJ two.
We got ahead in the fifth after two
were out when Sullivan cleared the
bases by his home rum 1t went over right
field fence away beyond the barber pole
which is the line Of demarkation between
two and four base hits.
This situation didn't suit the Brockton
players and 1t didn't appear to suit Port
land for errors by Miller and Counihan
another one Of Miller's passes and single
| 7<o lof TIA xrvr~
Portland banked on the seventh now,
the fateful inning which marked Bobby
Moore's downfall Tuesday.
We started right for Spratt hit for two
bases aud Noblit walked. HCounihan
| LILAC dina for a hit and did makA = mod