In the mixup, Iredell, by fast running, reached second. Burkett came next, and with two balls and two strikes called on him lined out a grasser that Mornsby found too hot to handle. He knocked it down, however, but recovered it too late to get Burkett at first. Iredell, who had taken a good lead, had no difficulty in making third.
On the first ball pitched to Wheeler, the next batter, Burkett made a break for second. His aim was not so much to reach the base as to draw a throw from the catcher which would enable Iredell to make for home. The catcher threw the ball, not to second but to the pitcher, and Iredell, who had started for the plate, was caught and run down between third and home. Burkett in the meantime had reached second and was half way down the base line between second and third, ready to dash for the latter if Iredell should be put out. A snap throw to Weston, however, the moment that Iredell had been tagged, caught Burkett between the bags and he was also run down, making three out. It was a bit of stupidity, or at least carelessness, on the part of the Giants and of smart playing by the visitors.
The next four innings produced no tally for either side. Leadows, the bespectacled pitcher for the Cardinals, was having one of his best days, and he set the Giants down almost as fast as they came to the bat. Markwith, too, was pitching well. He was hit harder and oftener than Leadows, but so far the breaks of the game had been with him, and he had had spectacular support on the part of the Giant fielders. Hupft especially made some almost miraculous catches in the field that shut off sure home runs and McCarney was guarding third in a way that recalled the days of Jerry Denny.
“Do you see that?” Joe asked in a low tone of Jim, as McCarney made a superb stop of a hot grounder and relayed it like a bullet to first. “You didn’t see him doing that kind of playing yesterday when I was in the box.”
“Right you are,” replied Jim. “And I noted, too, the one that Hupft picked off the fence in the last inning. Both of them are playing like fiends.”
In the sixth inning the Giants broke the ice. Burkett laced out a dandy two-bagger to right. Wheeler laid down a perfect sacrifice between the pitcher’s box and first that enabled Burkett to get to third. Willis sent out a long fly to right center that was caught, but on the throw in Burkett scored by a long slide to the plate. Larry went out on an assist from Mornsby to Blair and the inning was over. But the Giants were a run to the good, and at that stage of the game a single run might prove the winning tally.
In the seventh the Cardinals went them one better. Blair led off with a sharp single to left. Atkins followed with a grounder that just touched the end of Iredell’s glove and went for a hit, Blair reaching third. Munson was set down on strikes and Bixby sent up a high twisting foul that Mylert caught at the very edge of the dugout. Remley, however, whaled out a mighty three-bagger to right that scored both of his mates. Markwith put on extra steam and struck out McCarthy, leaving Remley on third.
The Giants’ half of the seventh was fruitless and the eighth opened with St. Louis one run to the good.
It was not any too good a lead, and they started out to put the game “on ice.” Mornsby offered at the first ball pitched, and sent the ball crashing into the bleachers for the first home run of the game. This mighty hit seemed to rattle Markwith and he passed Nealon to first on four consecutive balls. Ralston rapped out a two-bagger on which Nealon went all the way to the plate. Leadows struck out, but Blair made a pretty single on which Nealon reached third. Markwith passed Atkins and the bases were full. The score now stood 4 to 1 in favor of St. Louis with three men on bases and one out.
McRae, the Giants’ manager, beckoned to Markwith, and the latter, drawing off his glove, came in to the bench.