[Big Six]

Boston Globe, October 1, 1928
Special World Series Edition

PIRATES WIN GAME THREE, 3-2
Nehf Pitches Well, But Pirate Home Runs Are The Difference
Both Teams Sloppy At Times

BOSTON—The Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Red Sox played a close game at Fenway Park today, the third of this year’s World Series. The visitors from the Steel City prevailed, 3-2, despite being outhit nearly three to one.

The score alone might lead one to believe the game was sharply played, but upon closer examination, one finds that it was as sloppy as those played in Pittsburgh. Pratfalls, bobbles, and wild pitches had as much to do with the outcome as sharply hit balls or expert twirling.

The National League champions’ victory guaranteed that the fans of Boston will see their full complement of three games in this Series, and establishes beyond a doubt that the last appearance of Boston’s beloved Pat O’Farrell upon Fenway’s turf will take place two days from now.

A Pirate reserve outfielder named Johnny Mokan produced the game’s first run in its first inning by hitting a long home run off Boston hurler Art Nehf. Mokan, a journeyman player of thirty-three years of age, is a useful spare part because he can hit with gusto, and his insertion into the Pirate lineup today was a master stroke. He had half of Pittsburgh’s four hits, his second being a booming double that nearly cleared the right field fence.

The second Pirate run scored in the fifth, when Boston fell victim to the sort of fielding misadventures that afflicted Pittsburgh in Games One and Two. Chick Fewster commenced the proceedings by drawing a base on balls. Elmer Smith obligingly hit a grounder to Judy Johnson at short, the kind that usually goes down Johnson-to-O’Farrell-to-Gehrig. This time, however, Judy foozled it, and all hands were safe.

Glenn Myatt then crossed up everyone in the ballpark by dropping a neat sacrifice bunt. What made this maneuver a surprise was the fact that kneeling in the on-deck circle was the Cubs’ pitcher, Del Lundgren. Lundgren possesses a lifetime batting average of .157, which is rather typical of men who, like Lundgren, make their living on the mound. Del took a pitcherish swipe at a Nehf fastball and bounced it tenderly toward shortstop, but this was enough to allow the fleet Fewster to score as Johnson made the throw to first.

With one out in their half of the sixth inning, the Red Sox began a miniature rally that might have produced at least two runs if not for an unfortunate stumble by Lefty O’Doul. Frank Frisch plopped a single into shallow right field, and O’Doul followed with a two-bagger to right-center. With none out, Frisch pulled into third upon heeding Bill Carrigan’s advice.

Johnny Bassler, the next hitter, bounced a soft single to center. Frisch jogged home, and O’Doul rounded third under a full head of steam. After having taken three steps past the bag, however, O’Doul lurched like a ship in a stormy sea and, with arms waving wildly in an attempt to keep his balance, tumbled to the ground. That O’Doul would have scored had he not fallen was a certainty; he nearly did anyway, as the throw from Elmer Smith arrived at the plate only an instant before O’Doul.

Had the Red Sox tied the score here, it would not have lasted long, as Myatt homered in the Pittsburgh half of the seventh. It was only the third hit the Pirates managed off the hapless Nehf, but the second to land outside the playing field.

The Pirates promptly gave the run back in one of the sloppiest half-innings in World Series history. O’Farrell led off the inning with a single, which had the fans screaming with glee. It gave the beloved veteran another two-hit game in the Series. Nehf tried to bunt Pat along, but whiffed at two pitches. It would have been better for Art to miss a third time, but instead he hit a sharp grounder to third, which Joe Leonard turned into a double play.

At this point, Lundgren handed the Red Sox a run all by himself. He walked Judy Johnson. He walked Kiki Cuyler. He threw a wild pitch to Lou Gehrig which conveniently opened first base, so rather than let Gehrig hit in this situation, Lundgren walked him, too, but this time he did it on purpose.

When the bases are loaded, you shouldn’t throw a wild pitch, because the runner on third will score a run. Lundgren did, and so did Johnson. Now, first base was open again, and Lundgren found that he could walk Frank Frisch without further damage. O’Doul finally put another ball in play, but he grounded out and ended the inning, with the score now Pittsburgh 3, Boston 2.

Thus the game ended, after the Red Sox put runners on base in both the eighth and ninth innings but failed to advance either past second base.

Tomorrow, both teams will return their Game One starters to the mound; Lefty Lorenzen for Pittsburgh and Neal Brady for Boston. Perhaps the Gods of Baseball will smile upon the fans of the game and give all of us a snappy contest that makes both the Pirates and Red Sox look like champions.