The Pirates dropped to 1-5 with a 6-2 loss in Cincinnati. It was their fourth straight defeat.
For six innings the game was a scoreless pitchers’ duel between the Pirates’ Emil Yde and Reds’ ace Dolf Luque, who won 27 games two years ago. A single by Pie Traynor in the second inning was the Pirates’ only baserunner through the fifth, and Traynor was caught stealing. Shortstop Sam Bohne singled to become the Reds’ first runner in the third, but got erased by a double play. By the time the Pirates were retired in the top of the seventh, they’d had just three hits and the Reds just two.
Things came apart from Yde in the bottom of the seventh. Cincinnati’s star center fielder Edd Roush tripled to drive in a run with one out. A single brought him in and, after a walk, left fielder Elmer Smith tripled to make the score 4-0. With still only one out, Johnny Morrison replaced Yde and got a line drive out to right fielder Kiki Cuyler, who threw Smith out at home.
The Pirates got one run back in the top of the eighth when Eddie Moore singled in pitcher Lou Koupal, who was running for catcher Earl Smith. Don Songer came in to pitch and gave up two runs in the bottom half, one of them unearned. That extended the Reds’ lead to 6-1.
Traynor led off the top of the ninth with a triple and scored on a ground out by Glenn Wright, but that was all for the Bucs. Luque finished with a complete game on seven hits, while striking out eight. Moore and Traynor each had two hits. Yde dropped to 0-2. Tomorrow the Pirates face Eppa Rixey, the third of the Reds’ three outstanding starters.
