Vic Aldridge allowed just two earned runs over nine innings as the Pirates defeated Boston, 8-4. The game opened a four-game series at Forbes Field.
What trouble Aldridge had came mostly in the top of the fourth. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with nobody out. Aldridge got left fielder Dave Harris to bounce a double play ball to short, but Glenn Wright booted it to let in one run. An infield hit by second baseman Ernie Padgett brought in a second run, then the Pirates got a force at the plate for the first out. A force at second let in a third run. With two out, the Braves tried a delayed double steal, but Eddie Moore’s return throw from second caught Padgett for the third out.
The three runs tied the game because the Pirates had scored once in each of the first three innings off starter Skinny Graham. In the bottom of the first, Max Carey and Eddie Moore singled, with Moore taking second on the throw to third. After a popup, the two pulled off a double steal, with Carey stealing home. Aldridge got a run home in the second with a sacrifice fly after George Grantham singled and took third on a hit by Carson Bigbee. The third inning run came when Moore walked, stole second and scored on a single by Kiki Cuyler.
After the Braves tied the game, the Pirates took back the lead in the bottom of the fifth against one-time Giants’ star Rube Marquard, who came on after the Braves batted for Graham in the fourth. Cuyler led off with a single and scored on a double by Wright, who scored on a single by Pie Traynor. After a walk, Grantham singled in a third run. One out later, Braves’ manager Dave Bancroft replaced Marquard with Joe Genewich. Aldridge singled off him for his second RBI of the game, putting the Pirates up, 7-3.
The game was mostly uneventful after that. Grantham led off the bottom of the seventh with a double and took advantage of the huge foul ground behind home at Forbes to score from second on a wild pitch. In the top of the eight, the Braves got a final run on a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly.
Aldridge allowed just seven hits and evened his record at 3-3. Grantham went 4-for-4.
