[CHAPTER XII]
JIM’S WINNING WAYS
“Good boy, Jim!” cried Joe, as his chum came in to the bench. “You put the Indian sign on that fellow all right. Just hold them down and trust to the boys to bat in some runs to even up the score.”
But if the boys had any such intentions they certainly took their time about it. Larry, to be sure, poled out a long hit to right that had all the signs of a homer, but Astley backed up and fairly picked it off the wall. Denton cracked out a single between first and second. Jim hit sharply to third, and O’Connor by a superb stop got the ball to first in time, Denton in the meantime reaching second. Mylert swung savagely at the ball, but it went up straight in the air and Dawley gathered it in.
In their half of the second, the Pittsburghs increased their lead to five. O’Connor struck out on the first three balls pitched, but Jenkins caught the ball on the nose for a single to center. Curry thought he had a chance to make a catch, and ran in for it, instead of waiting for it on a bound. By this mistake of judgment the ball got past him, and before it could be retrieved Jenkins by fast running had crossed the plate. Dawley was easy on a bounder to Willis, and Ralston, in trying to duck away from a high incurve, struck the ball with his bat and sent it rolling to Burkett for an out.
“Not much nourishment for us in that inning,” muttered McRae, as he watched the man chalking up another run for Pittsburgh on the big scoreboard at the side of the field.
“No,” agreed Robbie. “But you’ll notice that the run wasn’t earned. If that hit had been played right, Jenkins would have been held for a single.”
“Give them a row of goose eggs, Dawley,” was the advice shouted to the Pittsburgh pitcher, as he stepped into the box.
Dawley grinned with supreme confidence. And for the third and fourth inning his confidence seemed justified. The ball came zipping over the plate with all sorts of twists and contortions, and the Giants seemed helpless before him. They either struck out or put up feeble flies and fouls that were easily gathered up. Only one hit went outside the diamond and that plumped square into the hands of the waiting center fielder.