With the Grays currently looking at an embarrassing two games to one deficit, we’re back in Cleveland for Game 4 of our simulated series. Opposing starters are Jim Devlin, Grays’ workhorse, versus Harry Colliflower.
Although the Grays have been allowing Cleveland to jump on top in the past two games, they got off to a fast start in this one. Joe Gerhardt led off with a single to left. Bill Hague then singled to right, bringing Gerhardt all the way around to third. After fouling off five straight pitches, next hitter Chick Fulmer slammed a double down the left field line. Fulmer was about to pull into second when left fielder Dick Harley finally came up with the ball, but then Harley not only missed his cutoff man, he threw it over everybody’s head. By the time something approaching normalcy had been restored, Fulmer had scored on Harley’s two-base error. Meanwhile, Devlin gave up only one hit in the first four innings.
The Grays added two more in the top of the fifth. Joe Gerhardt reached first on an error by shortstop Harry Lochhead. Bill Hague slammed a double to right which Charlie Hemphill managed to misplay, as Gerhardt came in on the double and Hague scored on the two-base error.
The Spiders finally managed to put up one run in the bottom of the fifth. Suter Sullivan led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on an error by third baseman Bill Hague. One out later, Charlie Hemphill scored the run with a solid single to right-center.
The less-than-stellar fielding continued. Grays’ pitcher Jim Devlin reached on a two-base error by Spiders’ left fielder Dick Harley – yep, another one – with one out. Ed Somerville followed that by singling Devlin home. Joe Gerhardt singled to center, with Somerville stopping at second, but one out later, Chick Fulmer singled to left, scoring Somerville.
The Grays added their eighth and final run in the top of the seventh. With one out, Bill Holbert slammed a triple down the right field line. Colliflower – still in the game for some reason – got Art Allison on a fly ball to short left before walking opposing pitcher Jim Devlin. Ed Somerville then stroked a single to right to score Holbert.
Meanwhile, Devlin was putting the finishing touches on a gem, retiring the last nine hitters he faced. For the game, he gave up only three hits and one unearned run while striking out two.
So with four games down, the Grays have indeed tied up our series at two, making this a best-of-three series.
Image courtesy of Pixabay by avdaughe (no changes).
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