Mackmen exact revenge against Johnson with ninth inning rally, 4-3
PHILADELPHIA, May 6, 1910 – Three weeks ago, the Athletics traveled to Washington to open the current season against these same Senators. On a glorious, sun-splashed afternoon in our nation’s capital, the mighty Mackmen were inches away from being no-hit by Washington’s young slab artist – Walter Johnson. Today, Connie’s boys evened the score.
Mack sent Harry Krause to the box in hopes of keeping the Athletics in the win column. The skipper had other, more well-rested options, but decided to stick with the hot hand. After all, Krause had just blanked the Red Sox on three hits, three day earlier. As expected, the skirmish was a pitchers’ duel through the first half of the game. Krause held Washington scoreless through five innings.
The Macks finally broke through – scoring their first runs of the season against Johnson in the bottom of the fifth. After Ira Thomas had been retired, Krause sliced a double to left and promptly scored on Amos Strunk’s triple down the right field line. Rube Oldring lined a single up the middle and the Athletics had a 2-0 lead.
Washington got one of those runs back in their half of the sixth inning. Wid Conroy started with a lead off double. After Jack Lelivelt was retired, Kid Elberfeld scored Conroy with a single to center. Elberfeld advanced to second on Strunk’s throw home. The Senators had an opening to knot the game, but Krause buckled down and retired Doc Gessler and Tom Crooke to retire the side.
Johnson helped himself in the top half of the seventh. Red Killefer singled, Gabby Street sacrificed him to second, and Johnson followed with a clean single – scoring Killefer to tie the game. It was short-lived, however. The Athletics came right back in the bottom half.
After two had been retired, Strunk dribbled one halfway between the plate and the rubber. Johnson and Street both went after the ball, resulting in a mild collision. After gathering himself, Street picked up the pill and fired to first. The lightning fast Strunk, however, beat Street’s throw. Oldring then drilled a low-liner to left where Lelivelt tried to make a diving catch. The ball caromed off him and rolled away. Strunk raced home from first and Oldring was at second with a two-base hit. Staked to a one-run lead, Krause needed six more outs.
Unlike yesterday’s fiasco, manager McAleer’s shakeup of his lineup seemed to spark his troops. Instead of rolling over, they played with renewed vigor today. Krause walked Gessler with one out in the top of the eight inning. Gessler went to third on Crooke’s single to right field and scored on Killefer’s sacrifice fly. Once again, the game was tied. The Elephants had a another opportunity in the eighth. Frank Baker led off with a bingle and advanced on Harry Davis’s sacrifice bunt. Danny Murphy followed by ripping a liner that was corralled by Elberfeld at short. Baker, thinking the ball was ticketed for the spacious pasture in left, was doubled up and the three all tie moved to the ninth.
Washington had another opportunity in the top of the ninth, and once again, Johnson was right in the middle of it all. The big ball tosser led off with a walk and moved to the next station on Deerfoot Milan’s sacrifice bunt. Once again, Krause bore down on McAleer’s batsmen. He compelled Conroy to lift a lazy fly to Oldring in left, and struck out Lelivelt on three pitches.
Jack Barry led off the bottom of the ninth inning by striking out, and Thomas was quickly dispatched on a foul pop. With two down and Krause up, extra innings seemed like a foregone conclusion. Krause ripped a single to right, however. Strunk followed with a Texas Leaguer to right-center and Krause raced over to third base. Oldring, already with three hits on the day, had a chance to be the hero. The Rube took a viscous cut and connected with one of Johnson’s swifties – lining the ball between third and short and into left field. Krause raced across the pan and the White Elephants were winners! Oldring was immediately mobbed by a throng of bleacherites who hopped over the short wall to give the day’s hero congratulatory pats on the back.
The box is as follows:
NOTES:
- In three starts this season, Harry Krause is 3-0 with a 1.00 earned run average. All three starts were completed: 27 innings, 15 hits, 3 earned runs, 9 walks, and 16 strikeouts.
- Krause was also one of the offensive stars of the day. 3-4 at the plate with a double and two runs scored. He started the winning rally with two down in the ninth and scored the winning run.
- Krause, Amos Strunk, and Rube Oldring, combined for 11 of the 15 hits collected off Walter Johnson.
- Left fielder Topsy Hartsel was ejected in the first inning by home plate umpire Bill Dinneen for arguing about a non-hit by pitch call. With two strikes, Walter Johnson threw an inside fastball that Hartsel claimed hit him. Dinneen called a foul ball and an argument ensued. Hartsel was gone and Strunk finished the at-bat. Johnson got the strike out that was credited to Hartsel. Strunk would finish the game 4-4.
- The two clubs are scheduled to play the third game of the the four-game series this afternoon. Chief Bender is expected to get the nod for the Athletics. First pitch is 3 o’clock.
American League
Yesterday’s scores (May 6, 1910):
- Philadelphia 4, Washington 3
- Chicago 4, Detroit 0
- New York 11, Boston 0
- Cleveland 4, St. Louis 3
National League
Yesterday’s scores (May 6, 1910):
- New York 3, Philadelphia 2
- Boston 8, Brooklyn 5
- Pittsburgh 6, Chicago 1
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