Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-10-05

page 81
New York, Oct. 4.-The unconquera-
BILE spirit to keep on trying when sue
cess doesn't come at first, carried
the New York Nationals to a smash
ing victory Wednesday afternoon in
their first clash with the New York
Americans for the 1922 title of world
baseball champions. The score was
3 to 2
To overcome 2 to lead that the
Yankees had acquired, the Giants
turned back in all their previous as
sault upon the American leaguers' de-
fense, crashed out four singles, one
right after another, in the eighth in
ming, and then crowned their furious
attack with a sacrifice fly. The four
hits crushed Joe Bush, the Yankee
speed ball pitcher, and tied the score.
Waite Hoyt succeeded Bush and on his
fourth delivery gave the sacrific fly
which scored the deciding run of the
Winners Climb Slowly
The winning machine climbed the
hill in low speed. Early in the game,
when Bush and Art Nehf, the Giants
southpaw, were fighting a scoreless
duel, the Nationals pounded out two
successive singles. In the seventh
inning, thy banged out three singles
in a row and couldn't score. The
Giants simply went back in the eighth
inning and kept on pounding out
singled until it was impossible for the
stubborn Yank defense to prevent
them from crossing the plate.
Babe Ruth, the celebrated home run
swatter, swung violently at the ball
all afternoon. Nothing that even left
the impression that he could hit a
home run came from his heavy bat,
but he did bang out a single that
broke through the monotony of the
early scoreless innings which Nehf
and Bush imposed upon the batters.
Ruth's timely hit came in the sixth
inning. Whitley Witt, the Yankees
center fielder, had slammed a triple
when he tried for home on blow to
short from the bat of Joe Dugan. AS
Witt lost in his chase to the plate,
Dugan galloped on to second base
and from there he was sent in with
the first run of the series when Ruth
punched a short single into right field.
In the next inning the Yankees got
their second run. Meusel singled past
Heinie Groh Wallie Schang laid down
a bunt to push Meusel along to sec
ond, but before the Giants got through
playing with the bunt, he had reached
third.
Nehf's MiscaIcuIatIon
Nehf, in picking up the soft tap that
Schang laid in front of the plate, de-
cided to try to catch Meusel at second
instead of being satisfied with the out
at first. He threw wild and the ball
went past the second baseman and
into right field. There it was FUN
bled by Young. This lapse permitted
Schang to reach second, while Meusel
went to third. Aaron Ward then lift
ed a fly almost to the center field
bleachers and Meusel trotted home.
Neither Nehf nor Bush were able to
finish the job. Each was suffering
from stone bruise on the heel. For
six innings it appeared that like
Achilles, they had only this one vul-
nerable spot. But these appearances
did not deceive the men hired to hit
for John McGraw and Miller Higgins.
Nehf mixing his slow ball with his
speedier service in a battling medley,
had the Yanks fairly well subjugated
until Witt broke through with his
triple. McGraw removed him in the
seventh for a pinch hitter, Earl Smith,
who went to bat after the Giants, with
one out, had filled the bases on sue
cessive singles by Kelly, Stengel and
Snyder.
At this point came one of the big
moments of the game Smith, crouch
ing down like a golfer about to putt,
bided his time until the count stood
three balls to two strikes. The Giants
were two runs behind. Bush flung
the next ball straight over. Smith hit
to Scott at short. who threw to second
starting a double play that once more
smothered a Giant assault. 1t was
from this setback that McGraw's men
Bancroft, Groh, Frisch, Meusel and
Young-came back in the eighth in
ming and pounded out the hits and sac
rifice fly that brought victory.
Yank Defense Perfect
In the field the Yankees played per-
fectly from start to finish, in a smooth,
steady manner. The Giants were diff
ferent. Their play was made of flashes
and flaws alike. Young made two er-
rors, one of them costly, but he also
won the cheers of the crowd for his
catch and throw of Scott's hard liner