The Pirates opened their 19-game home stand with a 6-5, ten-inning win over Boston. To do it, they had to come back from a four-run deficit in the late innings and come from behind again in the bottom of the tenth.
Braves’ starter Bob Smith, a converted infielder, beat the Pirates just nine days ago. He held them to one run in 11 innings and did just as well today through the first six innings. The Bucs had a shot in the bottom of the fourth, when Kiki Cuyler led off with a triple and Clyde Barnhart walked. Cuyler got thrown out at home, though, on Pie Traynor’s grounder to short and Glenn Wright bounced into a double play. They had another chance in the sixth when Eddie Moore got hit by a pitch leading off and Cuyler beat out an infield hit. The next two hitters failed to advance them. The runners pulled a double steal with two out, but Wright grounded out.
The Braves, for their part, made some headway against Ray Kremer. In the third, Dave Bancroft tripled in a run with one out. The next two hitters reached to load the bases, but Kremer got a double play ball. Another run scored in the top of the sixth when Wright booted a grounder with two out and a runner on third.
Boston made it 4-0 in the top of the seventh. Bancroft and Doc Gautreau, who had seven hits between them in the game, singled and doubled with two out to put two in scoring position. Jimmy Welsh followed with a two-run double.
The Pirates finally got through to Smith in the bottom of the seventh. Stuffy McInnis and Earl Smith led off with singles. The next two batters again failed to advance the runners, then Moore beat out a slow grounder to third to load the bases. With the runners going, Cuyler came through with a single to right that scored all three, although Cuyler himself was thrown out at second after the Braves cut off the throw home. That left the score 4-3, but the Bucs then tied it in the eighth when Traynor doubled and Wright singled, knocking Smith out.
Johnny Morrison took over on the mound after the Bucs hit for Kremer in the seventh. He stranded a pair of runners in the eighth and one in the ninth, while the Pirates went down in order in the ninth. In the top of the tench, though, Dave Harris connected for a two-out, solo home run off Morrison to put the Braves up, 5-4.
In the bottom of the tenth, Moore led off with a walk off Skinny Graham. Boston’s player-manager, Bancroft, replaced Graham with Jesse Barnes, but Cuyler greeted the reliever with a double to put Moore on third. Barnhart lined out to deep center, advancing both runners and tying the score. The Braves intentionally walked the next two batters to load the bases, but McInnis ruined the strategy with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Cuyler and ending the game.
Morrison got the win to move to 10-8. Cuyler was 4-for-5 with a double, triple, two steals and three RBIs. Smith had three hits. The Giants were off, so the Pirates’ lead in the NL increased to a game and a half.
