The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-12
National League Cham
pions Helpless Before
Mails's Pitching.
CHANCE TO TIE IN EIGHTH
Speakers Single Off Smith,
Followed by Burns's Double,
Decides Contest.
by WILLIAM II. HANNA.

series. One run was all the Cleveland
baseball team made and the high flyers
OF the American League defeated the
Brooklyn Dodgers. l to 0. A single BY
Speaker with two out in the sixth inning
followed by long. clearly hit two-base
drive from the bat of George Burns
rounded out the run. and 1t placed the
Dodgers who left their native heath last
week in the lead and full Of cheer and
hope, In a desperate plight The series
stands four games to two for the Cleve-
lands. II they win tomorrow the con-
test will be ended; If they lose the fight
ing will be taken to Brooklyn, where the
Dodgers will have to win both TO take
the prize.
The Brooklyn batting has thinned and
shrunk so much here that the National
League leaders have made only two runs
in the three games. The Brooklyn pitch
ing staff. praised skyhigh and reputed
the best in baseball, has not delivered
pitching as consistently effective as the
Indian pitchers have, though there has
been much of excellence in the pitching
OF the Brooklyn mound workers,
To-day Sherred Smith pitched for the
Dodgers, and the lustre of that masto-
donic southpaws reputation was not
dimmed even If he was beaten. He held
the Indians a wicked entente with the
mace, to seven hits and one run, and as
his coworkers made no runs at all he
couldn't have won had he held the home
bateers to no hits at all. not in nine
Innings anyway.
Mails Steady and BnhiinE.
Well as Smith pitched. however. Wal
ter (Duster) Mails. the left handler who
few seasons back couldn't keep his job
as a Brooklyn pitcher. excelled the
Brooklynite. A left handed battle of the
hiliock. with both doing admirable work.
was waged by the southpaws but Malls
did the better work. He was steady. un-
ruffled, battling. He had control, speed.
and he bent and broke his curve in ell
sorts of mystnying fluctuations. His
control was unlimbered often. he held
the Brooklyns to three hits, and for the
most part the witchery of his smooth
portside shooting cajoled easy outs from
the Brooklyn batters.
The Brooklyns had but one man on
third base and but four on second base.
They had the functions filled once but
with three out and the pitcher up. Only
once did the first batter UP in an inning
push into enemy territory as far as first
base. That man was Bernie Nels, who
arrived at the gateway on base OF
balls. He took too big a lead off the
haven and was thrown out by Steve
O'Neill, the hawkeyed and the steel
armed.
Neis may or may not have scored, but
IS was a costly nap on his part with
Wheat and Myers coming up, and the eff
feet OF his pntimely removal was bad.
IT was discouraging. Numerous fly
balls Slapped the batting strength Of the
Brooklyns and made II evident that
Mails had right smart OF hop on his
fast one. They were pop flies. soggv
lifts to fielders, and not the hard driven
kind which require some hustling to ba
caught
One hit In the second inning with two
out, one in the eighth with one out--a
team cannot gorge itself with tallies on
that anaenlic endeavor. And yet In the
eighth inning, when Olson doubled with
one out, the Dodgers had better chance
to score than Cleveland ever did. Ma lis
showed his quality there as on every
other occasion when men were on bases
The succeeding batsmen didn't do more
than Craze the ball.
Plays Well Despite Errors.
Lively and clever shortstoppIng was
done by Seweil, Notwithstanding two
errors. Burns played first base skill
fully. and Kilduff. at second. handled
hard chances without CULVER. 1t was
a businesslike game but prosaic, lack
ing in slap-dash feats and but little
touched with color. These Indians,
however. are an adaptable lot and have
a get there way with them whatever
the nature Of the game.
The Dodgers started with becoming
nnodesty. A fly, a strikeout and a
grounder retired the three men who
came up, but for Cleveland Evans hit
to Sheehan and on the flintlike ground
here the ball went through him for a
single. With nobody out. he tried to
steal, and was blotted out by Mlller's
throw. Wamby lifted to Neis, and as
Speaker fouled 70 Miller the Cleveland
half was barren after all.
A called third strike on Wheat In the
cecond inning brought kick from that
able athlete, and II wasn't until Koneys
turn that a Dodger started touring.
Honey singled to right and moved I'D
when Sewell fumbled on Kilduff The
Indians had the fumbling habit Card
ner was guilty OF that manual offence
when Miller grounded. The tabarets be-
ing filled. Sherrod Smith had a rosy
chance for renown. but flied ingiori-
ously TO Speaker.
The populace roared when Burma
hanged one to left in the Cleveland
half, but wasted the roar, for Il was a
foul. A base on balls served, however
tc start Burns along the highway. He
was forced when Gardner dribbled &c
Honey. Sheehan DETECTED Woods poke
SO that nobody could get II, and Gardner
reached third while Wood went TO sec.
ond. Kilduff snapped UP sewell's
grounder and flung out Gardner at the
terminal Kilduff also made fine scoot
of O'Neill's wasplsh hit,
Olson, Shechan and Griffith sem
spoutlng flies into willing hands in tho
third inning. Cleveland's reciprocal zero
was Just as big and vivid, though Evan,
made a hit. only to be forced by Wambs
ganss.
In the fourth, after Wheat had dis
furb4d the clouds with a fly whicf
sank into Burns's mitt. Myers laced ,
single between Wamhy and Burns. aue
Honey took first on pssss. That In
vitinR situation mad no charms for Pet
xiIduff. He flied 20 Wood. Mile
flied to Evans. The Dodgers were Fl
crying need of timely hit
Connolly gave a bad decision O,
Smith In the fifth inning when he calle,
a wide ball a strike. and Smith threy
HIS bat all the way to the Brooklyt
dugout Nothing in that inning 70
Brooklyn, not even q pilgrim on frs
base, and a tame, mechanical game s
cewsn opened the Cleveland flft