1925 Pirate Replay, July 17: Pirates Rally in Ninth, Win in Tenth

For eight innings, Braves’ starter Skinny Graham had the Pirates’ number.  In the ninth, though, the Bucs rallied for two to tie the game.  They then won it, 7-3, with four in the tenth.

The Bucs took a quick lead, getting a run in the top of the first on a walk to Max Carey, a single by Kiki Cuyler and a two-out single by Pie Traynor.  The Braves tied it just as quickly.  Abie Hood, who’s bedeviled the Pirates a couple days after making his major league debut, drove a ball into right-center between Carey and Cuyler, and ran out an inside-the-park home run.

For the next seven innings, the Bucs could do little with Graham.  They managed two singles, two walks and, in the eighth, a two-out double by Cuyler.

Bucs’ starter Vic Aldridge pitched nearly as well.  He gave up an unearned run in the third when Graham led off with a double, took third on a one-out error by Glenn Wright, and scored on a sacrifice fly.  Boston went up, 3-1, in the sixth when Dick Burrus doubled with two out and Gus Felix singled to drive him in.

Aldridge held it to a 3-1 game until the top of the ninth.  The Pirates got a break when right fielder Jimmy Welsh dropped Pie Traynor’s line drive to start the inning.  Wright singled, but George Grantham popped up and Earl Smith forced Wright.  Bill McKechnie sent Stuffy McInnis up to hit for Aldridge and the veteran lined a single off the third baseman.  Wright scored and Smith’s pinch runner, Carson Bigbee, went to third.  McInnis and Bigbee pulled off a delayed double steal, with Bigbee stealing home to tie the game, 3-3.

Babe Adams took the mound and got three ground outs in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to the tenth.  A leadoff walk to Eddie Moore rid the Pirates of Graham and his reliever, Jesse Barnes, gave up a single to Cuyler.  An error on a sacrifice attempt loaded the bases and Traynor immediately unloaded them with a three-run triple.  Wright singled to score Traynor and put the Pirates up 7-3.

Adams had another quick inning in the bottom of the tenth to finish the game.  The win boosted Adams to 5-3.  Traynor had four RBIs and Cuyler had three hits.  New York lost, so the Pirates moved back into a first-place tie.

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