The Pirates took the first of their three games with Cincinnati at Forbes Field by a 5-3 score. They had to put a couple of runs on the board late, after blowing a three-run lead.
Ray Kremer battled one of the Reds’ trio of ace starters, Eppa Rixey, for three and a half innings. The Pirates kept the game scoreless in the top of the fourth by catching Reds’ star Edd Roush stealing home to end the half inning.
The Pirates got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Rixey walked Kiki Cuyler leading off and Clyde Barnhart singled him to third. Cuyler scored when Pie Traynor forced Barnhart, and Traynor scored on a double by Stuffy McInnis, starting at first over George Grantham against the lefty Rixey.
The Bucs extended their lead to 3-0 in the fifth when Max Carey doubled, stole third and scored on a squeeze bunt by Eddie Moore.
Kremer kept Cincinnati off the board until the top of the seventh. With two out, Al Niehaus, whom the Pirates traded to the Reds a month ago, and catcher Bubbles Hargrave both singled. Pinch hitter Elmer Smith tripled to drive in Niehaus and Hargrave’s pinch runner, Billy Zitzmann. That made it 3-2.
The Reds tied the game, 3-3, in the top of the eighth. Roush tripled and Rube Bressler singled.
The Pirates took the lead back in the bottom half against reliever Jakie May. Moore beat out a bunt and stole second. He scored on a double by Cuyler, and Cuyler scored on a single by Barnhart. Kremer made the 5-3 lead stand up in the ninth, allowing just a two-out single.
Kremer is now 6-4. They remain a game back of New York, which beat Brooklyn.
