The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-06
BY RlIIAX

A series of unfortunate complications brought down defeat on the head of the Barons yesterday afternoon.
 The Crackers made three runs. and each is traceable to an error. The single run of the Barons was earned.
 The first game of the Birmingham-At- lanta series went to the visitors, how ever, it matters not what caused its mis- carriage. The struggle was the longest played on local grounds this season, the official time being two hours and thirty minutes.
 In spite of that fact so sensational was the game, and SD full of trying situations, that the fans remained faithful to the very end and after its conclusion everyone admitted that 1t was well worth the seeing.
 It is a question as to whether the pitcher who works out of holes or the pitcher who seldom gets into them is the greater.
 Yesterday, Turner got in a bushel of holes and a peck of trouble. In these trying situations, however, the fans, with their hearts in their mouths, acknowl- edged that he was brilliant.
 He worked out of all save the last, that which came in the ninth. Then, with none out and third and second occupied there was no scoring until two had fallen by the wayside.
 Castleton was steady throughout He pitched an excellent game. and in that period when times grew hard he was ever Johnny on the spot" with a series of curves and benders. backed up with plenty of steam.
 The fans are hardly aware of the fact that q ninth inning rally. for which the Barons. last season, were familiar, was imminent in the last bout.
 Billy Smith, his thoughts turned back to last year, recognized the danger, and squrmed with uneasiness on his bench, taking, at the same time, an additional chew of "piperhiedsick"
 But it amounted to nothing, and the fans, falling with a thnd from heaven to earth. were brought face to face with the fact that the Barons are not the Barons, In form. at any rate. who landed the gaudy rag of battle of but a season gone.
 Never did pitcher strive harder for vic tory than Turner yesterday. He worked out from the slab in splendid style, starred at the stick, and made the only run credited to Birmingham.
 Tn the seventh, too. he hit the ball that should have pushed Birmingham ahead Of the Gate City aggregation. Alcock led off with a single. was sacrificed by Gar win, and attempted to score from the keystone when Turner cut one loose be- tween first and second. He ran across Sweeney, who made q vicious swing at him, but missed.
 Here was the peculiar situation-Alcock did not touch the plate, nor did Sweeney touch him with the ball. Umpire Rud- derham declined to call him out but did not call him safe. Everyone thought AL cock had scored until Castro, some sec onds later was seen running towards the Baron bench with the ball clutched in his digits. He put the sphere to Alcock's back and Rudderham ruled him out.
 Errors brought about the downfall of the BaIons
 In the second Inning. when Jordan. after being hit with the ball, attempted to steal second Garvin made mser- able attempt to retire him. the ball going into centerfleld. This error placed the runner on third from where he scored on an irritating Texas leaguer from the bat of Count Jubilati Castro.
 Then in the ninth inning, Fox, first up, was safe when Gardner muffed his fly ball and Jordan. following. was dls- patched to second, when his attempted bunt was transformed into a single, and booted by Turner from the grandstand to a spot beneath the press box.
 Two errors in succession, therefore, fos- tered the scoring of the winning runs in the ninth.
 There was whole lot doing in the ninth.
 With none out third and second became occupied told above.
 But Turner settled down, and his ef- fort was brilliant Castro viciously smashed one towards first, and Meek after a great effort, grabbed it, throw ing, from his bending knees, Fox out at the plate.
 Then Dyer hit to Turner, and Jordan was slain at the home rubber.
 It looked then that there would be no run getting.
 However, just as luck would have it. Catcher Sweeney bingled to center and two runners crossed the home can.
 After the Barons had seen the Crackers hang up one tally in the second inning