We’re back at Municipal Stadium in Freeport, New York for Game 5 of our latest Simulated 1936 Negro League Playoff Series. The pitchers are a rematch of Game 2 – Bob Evans for Newark versus Henry “Cream” McHenry for New York.
McHenry started out wild for New York, and it cost Black Yankees the Newark Eagles’ first run. He walked George Giles. Shortstop Jake Stephens lined a single up the middle, as Giles advanced to third. McHenry walked Fats Jenkins on four pitches, but he couldn’t find the strike zone with Walter Cannady either. Cannady walked, scoring the Black Yankees’ first run. In the bottom of the first, Harry Williams stroked a one-out single between the first and second basemen and into right field. Ed Stone was out on a ground ball to third, as Williams advanced to second, and Mule Suttles tied the game with a double off the left field wall.
The Newark Eagles took the lead in the bottom of the third, and once again it was Mule Suttles’ doing. Harry Williams hit a one-out single up the middle, and one out later, Mule Suttles hit a booming 450-foot home run to right, putting the Eagles up 3-1.
The Black Yankees drew one run closer in the top of the fifth. After Fats Jenkins led off the inning with a weak ground ball to first, Walter Cannady and George Scales hit back-to-back doubles to score Cannady. But after New York manager Bob Clarke brought in Barney Brown in the bottom of the sixth, Brown promptly gave the run back, surrendering a long double to Ray Dandridge and a base hit up the middle to catcher Johnny Hayes.
The game remained at 4-2, with Bob Evans on the hill for Newark until the top of the ninth. Spoony Palm led off the inning for New York, pinch hitting for pitcher Barney Brown. Palm was out on a line drive speared by Newark shortstop Willie Wells. George Giles then reached, lining a single to right and moving to all the way to third on a two-base throwing error by right fielder Ed Stone. Evans then walked pinch hitter Benny Brown, putting men at first and third. Black Yankees’ manager Bob Clarke sent Flash Miller in to run for Brown. Fats Jenkins hit a sharp ground ball to second, and second baseman Harry Williams opted to go for a game-ending double play, getting Miller at second but just missing Jenkins at first, with Giles scoring. But with the score 4-3 and Jenkins at first, Evans struck out Walter Cannady to end the game.
So five games in, the series stands at Newark 3, New York 2.
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