The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-10
Cobb'S Sensational Steal Home
 Is Greatest Feature
DONOVAN IN FINE FORM
Hard-Hitting Pirates Can Get Only Five Safe Drives Off Wild Bill" and Detroit Carries Off
 the Honors.

Pittsburg, October 9.-rhe American league champions from Detroit evened the count in the worlds championship series today by defeating Pittsburg ' to ?, at Forbes field AS Pittsburg won the opening game. each team now has one victory to it's credit and at least five con tests in all will be necessary before the series Is decided.
 Detroits ability to hit the National league pitchers and Pittsburgs inability to connect with the curves of Wild Bilf' Donovan, tells the story of the game Pittsburg got away to a flying start, SCOT ing two runs in the first inning, but De- troit tied the score in the second. The American leaguers batted Howard Camnitz out of the box in the third inning, when they took commanding lead by scoring three runs Willis succeeded Camnitz and two more runs from his offerings in the fifth inning gave Detroit its total of seven runs.
 Detroit made nine safe hits from the combined curves of Cannitz and Willis, getting six from the former In two and one-third innings and three from Willis during the remainder of the game. The Detroit hitting total included o-baggers by Schmidt and Crawford.
 Donovan allowed only five hits, and two of those were two-baggers by Leach and Miller in the fifth inning. After that the Detroit twirler was an enigma to his op- ponents and another two-bagger by Leach in the third, a single by Abstein in the fourth and an infeld hit by Wagner in the ninth represented the Pittsburg hitting during the last eight innings.
 Couldn't Hit Donovan.
 Only 16 batters faced Donovan in the last five innings, and the supposedly hard hitting Pittsburgers were absolutely help less in the face of his wonderful fling ing.
 During the last four innings Willis also pitched remarkable ball, and only 12 men faced him in that time. Two men reached first base in that period but one was caught stealing and the other was doubled up.
 The most sensational feature of the game. which was witnessed by more than S0,000 spectators, was a steal home by Ty Cobb in the third inning. This was a re- well-timed bit of work, and the entire Pittsburg team and crowd was caught off guard. It was on the first ball pitched by Willis after he succeeded Cam nitz that the daring play was made. As soon as Willis began to wind up Cobb started for the plate and by daring slide he reached the base in time to beat Willis bewildered throw. Gibson was so surprised that he dropped the ball after Cobb slid in. This scored the third run In the third inning.
 Leach Stars Again.
 Leach was again the star of the day, with two two-baggers In his four times at bat In the field he played a star game, but his work could do nothing to stem the tide that flowed steadily toward De- troit.
 .Ty'' Cobb made his first hit of the series with a single over second base in the seventh inning. Wagner made a hit and still leads Cobb in the batting duel between the two leading batters of the major leagues. Wagner has made two hits in seven times at bat for an average of 2S6 and Cobb has hit safely once in six times for an average of .167. Wagner struck out In the first inning with Leach on third base, but Miller's two-bagger scored Tommy.
 Pittsburg started with rush when Byrne walked and Leach immediately scored him with a ringing two-base hit to right Clarke sacrificed Leach to third, Donovan to T. Jones, and Wagner struck out Miller shot a long hit into the crowd in the temporary stand in right field and completed a circuit of the bases, scoring Leach. The umpires-Evans and Klem- held a conference and trotted out to look at the stand and decided 1t was a two bagger under the ground rules because the stand was only temporary. Leach scored but Miller was sent back to second base. Schmidt missed an easy chance to retire Abstein by muffipg foul, but Abstein struck out, ending the inning Pirates Helpless. After that Piusburg was helpless with l the bat. In the third inning Leach opened with two-bagger but remained on sec ond, as the next three men were easy outs. Abstein also opened the fourth with a hit, but did not get any further as Wilson Gibson and Willis popped up easy 1 flies.
 D. Jones started by beating out hit
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