The Pirates opened their four-game series with Cincinnati by edging the Reds, 2-1. Right-hander Tom Sheehan played the key role, throwing five shutout innings in relief.
Since being acquired at the end of May, Sheehan hasn’t had many opportunities with his new team. He’s seen action only four times. Today, though, he entered with the Bucs trailing, 1-0, after four innings.
Vic Aldridge started for Pittsburgh and pitched well. The Reds picked up a run in the top of the first when Edd Roush beat out a bunt with two out and Rube Bressler doubled to drive him in. Over the next three innings, Aldridge allowed just one hit, and that runner was eliminated on a double play.
The Bucs were missing their chances with Dolf Luque. Max Carey was stranded after a leadoff single in the first and Johnny Gooch got picked off after a leadoff double in the third. In the fourth, Eddie Moore led off with a triple, but the team’s 3-4-5 hitters couldn’t get him home.
For the top of the fifth, Bill McKechnie took Aldridge out for reasons that aren’t clear and sent in Sheehan. That didn’t do Cincinnati any favors, as Sheehan retired the first ten batters he faced.
Meanwhile, the Pirates took the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Carey walked and, after a ground out, scored on a triple by Kiki Cuyler, his thirteenth three-base hit in well under half a season. Cuyler scored when Clyde Barnhart flied out to right, putting the Pirates up, 2-1.
With one out in the top of the eighth, the Reds finally got somebody on base against Sheehan. A pair of singles put runners on first and second, but Sheehan got a popup and a fly out to end the threat. In the ninth, Sheehan gave up just a two-out single to Bressler, getting the last out on a line drive to Cuyler in right.
Each team had six hits in the game, and neither Aldridge nor Sheehan walked anybody. Sheehan got the win, his first decision with the Pirates. Overall for the year, he’s 2-0. The Giants were idle, so the Pirates moved back into a virtual tie for first.
