“Some class to that pitcher,” ejaculated Willis.
“It isn’t often that a bush leaguer makes a monkey out of Larry,” replied Burkett.
“I’ve seen these minor league pitchers before,” grinned “Red” Curry. “They start off like a house afire, but about the fifth inning they begin to crumple up.” 85
The third ball pitched was a wide outcurve at which Larry refused to bite. He fouled off the next two and then swung savagely at a wicked drop that got away from him.
“You’re out,” called the umpire as the ball thudded into the catcher’s mitt, and Larry came back a little sheepishly to his grinning comrades on the bench.
“What’s the matter, Larry?” queried Iredell, as he moved up to make room for him. “Off your feed to-day?”
“You’ll find out what the matter is when you face that bird,” snorted Larry. “He’s the real goods, and don’t you forget it.”
Denton, the second man in the batting order, took a ball and a strike, and then dribbled an easy roller to the box, which the swarthy pitcher had no trouble in getting to first on time.
Burkett, who followed, had better luck and sent a clean single between first and second. A shout went up from the Giant bench, which became a groan a moment later, when a snap throw by the pitcher nailed Burkett three feet off the bag.
The half inning had been smartly played and the Giants took the field with a slightly greater respect for their opponents.