After having their final game in New York rained out, the Pirates moved on to Brooklyn for four games and beat the Robins in the opener, 7-6. What looked for a while like an easy win, though, turned out to require some drama.
The Bucs eventually built a 5-0 lead against Burleigh Grimes. The first couple runs came on fly balls. One scored in the first when Max Carey walked, went all the way to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Clyde Barnhart. In the fourth, Pie Traynor singled, went to third on a single by Glenn Wright and came home on a fly by George Grantham.
A two-out error by Brooklyn first baseman Jack Fournier gave the Bucs two runs in the sixth. After a steal, Johnny Gooch singled in one run, went to second on a walk to pitcher Lee Meadows and scored on a single by Carey. The lead stretched to 5-0 when Grantham and Gooch led off the top of the eighth with doubles.
With the Pirates’ ace, Meadows, on the mound, it looked like easy sailing at that point. Meadows didn’t allow a hit until Robins’ third baseman Milt Stock led off the fourth with a triple. After a shallow fly out, Stock was wiped out on an unorthodox double play. Fournier grounded to second and Eddie Moore caught Stock in a rundown between third and home. After Traynor made the tag, Fournier tried to reach second, but first baseman Grantham, covering on the play, took Traynor’s throw at second and tagged Fournier out.
The Robins’ second hit didn’t come until there were two out in the bottom of the eighth. After a one-out walk, a two-out single by Grimes put two on. Another single drove in a run and a walk loaded the bases. Zack Wheat promptly unloaded them with a triple, bringing the Robins to within a run at 5-4. Fournier then belted a home run to right and Brooklyn led, 6-5.
The Pirates, however, came back in the ninth. With one out, Barnhart and Traynor both tripled, tying the game. Wright grounded to short and Hod Ford threw home, but catcher Zack Taylor dropped the throw, letting Traynor score and putting the Pirates up, 7-6.
Meadows had some more trouble in the ninth, but got a break. With one out and a runner on first, Taylor singled to left, but Barnhart threw the runner out at third. Meadows then retired ex-Pirate Cotton Tierney to end the game.
Despite the shaky ending, Meadows improved his record to 13-4. The Giants beat the Cubs, so the Pirates remain a game in front.
