Whether it was owing to his rasping tongue or their own growing resentment at the impudence of the minor leaguers, the All-Americans broke the ice in the sixth.
Burkett lined out a beauty between left and center that was good for two bases. Willis followed with a towering sky scraper to right, which, although it was caught after a long run, enabled Burkett to get to third before the ball was returned. Then Becker who had perished twice before on feeble taps to the infield, whaled out a home run to the intense jubilation of his mates.
“We’ve got his number!” yelled Larry, doing a jig on the coaching lines.
“He’s going up,” sang out “Red” Curry.
“I knew he couldn’t last,” taunted Iredell, as he threw his cap in the air.
But Alvarez was not through, by any means. Undaunted by that tremendous home run which might have taken the heart out of any pitcher, he braced himself, and the next two men went out on fouls.
“I thought we had them on the run that time,” 91 observed McRae, “but he’s got the old comeback right with him.”
“Never mind,” exulted Robbie. “We’re beginning to find him now, and we’ve cut down that big lead of theirs to one run. The boys will get after him the next inning.”
But even the lucky seventh passed without bringing any luck to the visitors, and although the major leaguers got two men on bases in the eighth, the inning ended with the score still three to two in favor of the local club.
“Looks as though we were up against it,” said Jim, anxiously, as the Giants went to bat for the last time.