Today, we’re back in Louisville for Game 6 of our (Simulated) Series between Cleveland and Louisville. Louisville leads the series three games to two. The Spiders will send Crazy Schmit to the mound, trying to lengthen the season one more game. The Grays will respond with their workhouse Game 5 starter, Jim Clinton.
Tommy Dowd started things off with a bouncing ball just to the left of the mound. Clinton came off the mound and tried to backhand it, but hurried the throw, throwing it over Joe Gerhardt’s head for a two-base error. Dick Harley followed with a single up the middle, scoring Dowd. Harley got greedy and was caught stealing second two pitches later, and Joe Quinn and Suter Sullivan went quietly to end the inning.
The Grays loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the first. Chick Fulmer reached first when Harry Lochhead juggled his ground ball to short. Johnny Ryan followed with a single, with Fulmer stopping at second. Scott Hastings walked, but Crazy Schmit managed to get Bill Holbert on a ground ball to third.
The Spiders answered with a threat in the top of the fourth. Suter Sullivan opened things up by reaching on a one-base error by second baseman Ed Somerville. Sport McAllister singled to right, moving Sullivan to second. After Joe Sugden lined out, Otto Krueger loaded the bases, reaching on a one-base error by third baseman Bill Hague. But once again, Jim Clinton was lucky, escaping the inning on a line drive by Harry Lochhead and a dribbler off the bat of his opposite number, Crazy Schmit.
The Grays finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth. Art Allison led off with a booming triple into the left field corner. Pitcher Jim Clinton was out on a line drive speared by left fielder Dick Harley. Ed Somerville grounded out, with Allison still stuck at third, but then, Schmit walked Joe Gerhardt and gave up a run-scoring single to Bill Hague, tying the game at one.
The Spiders immediately broke the tie in the top of the sixth. Joe Sugden led off with a single to right. After Otto Krueger’s fly ball to right, catcher Bill Hulbert muffed one for a passed ball, advancing Sugden to second. On the next pitch, Harry Lochhead singled to right, scoring Sugden easily with Cleveland’s second run of the game. The Spiders added a third run in the top of the seventh on lead-off singles by Dick Harley, Joe Quinn and Suter Sullivan.
But the Grays took advantage of sloppy Cleveland defense in the bottom of the seventh to tie things up again. With two outs, Joe Gerhardt singled and stole second. Bill Hague singled to left to score Gerhardt and advanced to second when Cleveland left fielder Dick Harley overthrew his cutoff man for another error. Chick Fulmer then singled to right to tie the game at three. Johnny Ryan reached on a one-base error by second baseman Joe Quinn, but Schmit managed to get Hastings on a fly ball.
The Spiders immediately struck back in the top of the eighth. With one out, Crazy Schmit walked. Tommy Dowd and Dick Harley followed with back-to-back singles. Joe Quinn then launched a single down the right field line which scored both Schmit and Dowd. Suter Sullivan was out on a fly ball to short right. But Sport McAllister lined a single to left, scoring Harley, and when Louisville left fielder Ryan misplayed the ball, Quinn scored too, making the score 7-3 Cleveland.
Cleveland added an eighth run in the ninth on more sloppy fielding by Louisville. Otto Krueger got the Spiders started with a sharp ground ball into the short-third base hole. Chick Fulmer was never going to get Krueger, but when he threw the ball past first baseman Joe Gerhardt, Krueger came all the way around to third. Harry Lochhead then scored the run with a sacrifice fly to right.
Joe Gerhardt led off the Grays’ ninth with a base hit to right center. With Bill Hague at the plate, Gerhardt advanced on a wild pitch by Crazy Schmit. Hague then singled Gerhardt to third, but Gerhardt scored on another wild pitch with Chick Fulmer at the plate. Fulmer then singled to right, with Hague advancing to third. With none out, Schmit managed to get Johnny Ryan on strikes and Bill Hastings on a pop up to second. He then ended the game on a routine fly ball off the bat of Bill Holbert.
So our series will go to a seventh and deciding game next time with things all tied up – the 1899 Cleveland Spiders 3 games, the 1876 Louisville Grays 3.
Image courtesy of Pixabay by Fenceitnow (no changes).