New-York tribune., 1918-09-08
Chicago Southpaw Falters in
One Inning and Goes
Down to Defeat
By w. J. Macbeth

CHICAGO, Sept. 1.-THE Boston Red
Sox to-day, in the rubber" of the local
three games, nosed out Chicago's Cubs
by the close score Of to 1, and as
result tonight were highly favored
for the highest honors of baseball.
Not that Chicago in any way has
looked weak in comparison during the
most thrilling and spectacular series
of modern times, but because the Red
Sox, at their own Fenway grounds,
where the classic will be completed.
have been practically unbeatable
against all corners for years.
Jim Vaughn, the herculean southpaw
Of the Windy City aggregation, who
lost the opening decision of Thursday
to Babe Ruth by score of to 0, was
again forced to bow before the cruel
caprices of tickle fortune. He lost to
Carl Mays. the subway ball exponent,
after delivering a brand of pitching
that would have won nine of every ten
games played, whether of the sand lot
or world series variety.
With the exception Of one inning
tho fourth-which proved his ruina-
ton, Vaughn was absolutely invincible.
And though he was lucky in one way
that Boston did not collect more than
n brace Of tallies on hit batsman and
four singles in sequence, still, with
Just little more luck on either one of
two occasions, he would have gotten
off with draw for the nine innings.
Tragically Tense Moment
One of the two breaks in luck re-
ferred to ended the battle in one of the
most tragically tense moments expert
enced on any baseball lot. Chicago,
which had fought with Trojan spirit
against the tantalizing "raise" ball of
the squat and low-slung Carl Mays,
rumbled into the ninth inning trailing
the procession, 1 to 2. In each of the
four previous innings only three men
had faced the Boston twirler, SO that
when Paskert and Merkle, Chicago's
first two batters of the ninth, were re-
tired the gloom among the twenty
seven odd thousand spectators could be
cut like new cheese.
Pick, the Chicago second baseman,
who until to-day had emulated said
spectators, but who put Chicago very
much in the running, as will be seen
later pumped hit through Shean
The latter made wonderful bare-hand-
ed stop, but could not recover the ball
in time. Barber was sent up to bat for
Deal. With the count one and one on
Barber, Pick stole second base clean as
whistle, hooking around and under
Scott very prettily. Barber took q
swing for his second strike to protect
the runner, and, of course, put himself
badly in the hole to Mays.
The next pitch was low and to the
inside, and Schang dropped the ball. 1t
was short passed ball, but Pick took
a desperate chance and got away with
it--took the chance doubtless at the in
stigation Of Mitchell, who was coaching
at third and who is acquainted with
the strongarm proclivities Of the burly
Wally, especially in crises.
Pick and Schang's low throw both ar
rived in the vicinity of Thomas at one
and the same time, and as he slid in
Pick knocked the ball out of Thomas s
hands. The sphere rolled twenty-five
or thirty feet toward the Cub bench
In the melee Thomas lost all trace OF
the sphereoid. 1t was a grand opening
and Mitchell was quick to grasp op-
portunity by the forelock. He shouted
for Pick to dash home with the tieing
run.
But Pick had got into tangle mo-
mentarily with Thomas and was slow tc
respond to his generals orders. He
was slow finding his feet. He raced
like the wind when he got started, but
he started too late for the ever agile
and crafty Scott, whose play through
the series has stood out like noun