New-York tribune., 1911-10-15

and Oldring, as a starter. on seven
pitched balls, and Collins hit the eighth
to Devore for an easy out.
Matty might have struck out the sid"
except for baseball superstition that
Il brings bad luck at the start Of the
game. Larry Doyle took II on himself
TO come forward and plead with the
master 90 let Collins hit II just for the
jinx's sake. II spoke volumes for the
big pitchers nerve and control when he
could pitch ten successive strikes at the
start OF a crucial game and series, with
everything depending on him and the
eyes CT thousands watching
But Matty went through the entire
game with just the same Coolness. II
would be hardly fair TO say that he any
more than shaded Bender in the great
| pitchers battle. but Matty, as the victor,
gets the palm The tenseness of the
situation was apparent in the movements
and actions Of the players Both Matty
and Bender were deliberate In their
twirling AS a result. although only
three runs were scored, the contest last
ed more than two hours. Neither pitcher
threw a ball high or low. fast or slow
without having reason for doing So
and the battle was one of the most
scientific ever fought
Bender Leads in Strike.outs.
Bender had the edge on strike-outs,
with eleven to his credit. while Matty
had only FIVE But the Indian threw his
strike-outs around promiscuously, while
when Matty famed man 1t was i'm
portant that he strike out. The hard
and heavy hitting Harry Baker got two
hits off Matty's delivery, but with two
men on the bases in the third he was
called out on strikes. Matty's control
was welnigh perfect He gave only one
pass, to four for Bender. The Chief hit
a man as well. Five hits were registered
by the Giants off the Philadelphia twirl-
er's delivery, while the Athletics @ot six
off Matty. Each team made two doubles
for the only extra base hitting done.
Bender's terrific speed made many of
the New York batters easy marks for
him. Snodgrass. Merkle and Fletcher
striking out two times apiece. The In
dian carried a happy smile during the
first part of the game and nothing
seemed to bother him. In the seventh
inning. however, when the Giants scored
their winning run and got three men on
the bags, Connie Mack dispatched
Coombs to warm up, and the Indian
gave the faintest inkling Of weakening.
The Giants certainly hit the ball harder
during the latter part of the game. al
though they did not always hit it safely.
There was no smile on Matty's face
until the Giants had scored their run in
the seventh. Then the old master began
to do little real pitching, and the Ath-
letics never had a chance. The visitors
did not get hit in the last three in
nings, and it was one. two, three for
them. AS a matter of fact, they went
out in order in six of the nine innings.
With Lord, Oldring and Collins coming
up in the eighth, the Giants one run did
not look particularly big, but ii wasn't
until Lord struck out for the second
time. Oldring had lifted to Devore and
Collins had dribbled to the box that a
smile crept over Matty's face. Getting
the last three men in the ninth seemed
the hardest task of all. but Baker hit
to Merkle as a starter. Murphy made
terrific smash at the ball, but lifted a
foater right in front Of the plate.
Chief, chief; it's all yours" shouted
Matty. almost franticaly. and the ball
melted out of sight within the confines
Of the Indians big nit Davis rolled
slow one to Fletcher and ended the
game.
Bender on his own part was a picture
of invincibility He struck out Snod-
grass and Murray, with man on sec
ond in the first inning, famed Fletcher
with one on second in the fourth and
Snodgrass with two on the bags in the
eighth. Bender got himself cordially
disliked for being so cruel.
The game was free from the spectacu-
lar outside of the pitching. There were
few sensational fielding plays and the
hitting was light. The Giants gave
Matty errorless support while Bender
worked under the handicap of two er-
rCrs Larry Doyle stole second in the
very first inning, and tested Thomas's
arm. No more bases were stolen, how
ever. and Thomas caught a beautiful
game. Baker attempted the only stolen
base for the Athletics in the sixth inn
ing. and was executed with such pre-
cision and dispatch, Meyers to Doyle.
that the heart was taken right Of the
Philadelphia base pilfering campaign.
The Indian made a perfect throw on his
only chance. Merkle. Oldring and Devore
pulled off the most brilliant bits Of field
ing, but their opportunities for rip-roar-
ing work were few.