The New York herald., 1922-10-05
GIANTS NOW HAVE
EDGE ON YANKEES
Only Twice Since 1904 Has
Club Which Lost Opener
Won Series.
BY WALTER TRUMBULL.

The burden OF proof now IS on the
Yankees. Four games will win this
series and the Giants already have the
first one tucked away. 1t is no easy
thing TO give an opponent a quarter
OF the distance head start and then
beat him TO the wire. But the Giants
did almost that very thing last sea-
son. and he Yankees think that it ID
their turn 10 do 1t this year.
OF course the preponderance of dops
is against them. Only twice since 1904
has the team which lost the first gama
won the series. The Giants beat the
Athletics in the first contest of 1911,
and the Yankees won from the Giants
In the opening last October
Possibly the most remarkable thing
about yesterdays game was the manner
in which the New York Nationals con-
sistently pressed their attack. Time
and again they We're turned back bv
| nervy pitching or tight fielding, bur
they never gave up. II looked as ic
they were hound to score in the first
and seventh innings and they threat
ened in Tie third but each time they
failed Of their objective. To come "a
the eighth inning two runs behind, with
the memory OF all those chances thrown
away, would have discouraged many q
team. but McGraw's players charged
once more with undiminished spirit and
finally overwhelmed their rivals. They
deserve the credit due those stout OF
heart
| And while we are on the subject of
courage don't let US overlook Joe Bush,
lie didn't finish the battle, but he went
down fighting. We never remember to
have seen a gamer exhibition Of pitch-
ing than that he showed in the seventh
inning. You will remember that Kelly
got 70 first on an infield tap which Bush
stumbled in fielding. Stengel caught n
ball on the very tip Of his bat and
singled to left. Snyder rolled one to-
ward second which was almost fielded
and the bases were full, with only one
man out.
| or course with rather heavy footed
runners on the bags the chances for 10
double play were good but when Me-
Graw sent Smith, usually long hitter,
to bat for Nehf. Il seemed as II one run
at least was bound TO score But here is
| where Bush showed what is rather In
elegantly known as CUTS. He didnt
want to give Smith good ball and in
| trying TO make him bite at bad one
! got himself into q tight place The
count on Smith became three balls and
| one strike. Now Bush had TO put IL
over. If he passed Smith he forced in
a run. Twice he burned the ball across
and twice Smith fouled Il. Then Bush
had the nerve to put slow ball over
! and Smith hit into a double play. To
our mind It took great pitcher to pitch
IN that manner--and Matty. who hap
pened to be sitting near us, agreed
with us.
lt wasn't so much that Bush weakened
In the next inning as that the Giants
walked up TO the plate and hit the be ST
he had. Bancroft. Groh and Meusol
singled in succession and again the bases
we're full. But this tine the situation
was dIirerent. Three OF the fastest play
ers IN the game We're on the paths
II Hugeins was going 10 take Bush
out. that looked like the place TO do r..
lie had. to be sure, pitched himself out
or almost as bad a hole. but miracles
rarely happen twice I'm the same place.
a pitcher or different type. such as
Mays, might have checked the rally,
But Bush remained long enough for
that great hitter in a pinch. Irish Meu-
sci. to drive a single 10 center which
scored Banny and Groh and put Frisch,
with the winning run. on third. Young =
sacrifice fly did the rest
But the Yankees had plenty OF fight
ing spirit of their own. When Pipp.
first up In the ninth, reached first on A
single II looked as II the days pro-
ceedings might be far from over And
II was vicious liner which Bob MeuscI
I started for right field A man slower
than the speedy Frisch never could have
reached that ball. and the catch NAV
easily have saved the game for the
/ Giants. II that drive had once passed
Frsch. Pipp would have been on third
and Meusel on first. with nobody out.
Then there is no telling what misht
have happened. II was q fine stop the
Fordham Flash made and it had =,
| decided bearing on the game
While Ruth struck out twice yester-
day he also batted IN thu first run mad.
by his team. He did he same thing
last year Tho Babe Is apt TO cut qnite
a figure IN this series yet. lie had
swung his head off at fast ball in tina Z
sixth inning Yesterday and another
strike had boon called on him. Nehc
shot ono at him fast and high, but tho
Babe refused TO bite. Then Nehf fed
him a slow one. II tho Babe had swung
according 10 his usual custom he
have broken his back but ne didn't Ho
timed the ball nicely and tapped e TO
right field The Babe IL a smart base
ball player.
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