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THE 1914 "MIRACLE" BRAVES
Dick Rudolph pitches a great game, only to lose
May 16, 1914 ... Sensational pitching mark today's game between Boston and Cincinnati at Redland Field. The contest wound up with the home team winning by a score of 1 to 0, thus giving
the Reds the entire sweep of the series, including three shutouts. The game was played throughout with a great deal of energy, the fielding being at times absolutely sensational, with Rabbit Maranville, Jack Martin and Heinie Groh, of the Reds, pulling off some outstanding plays.
Rube Benton, who held the Braves to no runs in the first game of the series, went back today for another try and allowed only three scattered hits. Dick Rudolph pitched equally good ball, holding his opponents to one hit in the first seven innings. He lost it in the eighth, when two hits
were bunched together.
The Braves got a man on first in the second inning through Benton's wildness. After one was out, Butch Schmidt was hit by a pitched ball and quickly stole second base. But Martin struck out and Gowdy grounded out to end the inning.
Leslie Mann got the first hit, a single to third, but he wandered too far off the bag and the Reds catcher, Tommy Clarke, picked him off first base. Dick Rudolph then walked and stole second, after Johnny Evers and struck out. He took third on a wild pitch, but Maranville's attempt to score
him, resulted in a roller down to third and he was easily thrown out. In the fifth Jack Martin reached first on an infield hit, Gowdy flied to center and Mann hit into a double play.
Rudolph held the Reds hitless up until the fifth inning. Not a man had reached first until the third inning when he walked Bert Niehoff. Herbie Moran, the first man up in the fourth inning, also walked but was caught in a moment later off first base.
It looked like the game might go into extra innings, because both pitchers were going at a dominating pace. But in the eighth-inning the Reds won it out, as Dick Hoblitzell sent a long drive to right and it was followed by Fritz Von Koinitz's single, driving Hoblitzell home with the only run
of the game. |
