Cincinnati, April 4-5, 1920
No rest for the weary as we bolt straight from Boston into Cincinnati for a two game set with the Reds. Cincy is tied with us atop the NL, having swept Chicago midweek, so this is a bit of early season excitement for all. Their pitching destroyed the Cubs - Dutch Ruether and Ray Fisher each hurled shutouts, while ace Dolf Luque gave up one in their Opening Day 5-1 win. RF Edd Roush is their real star at the plate (one of the NL's best, in fact), while 1B Jake Daubert, 3B Heinie Groh and LF Pat Duncan are dangerous. Half their lineup is lefty, which is a problem.
In Game 1, Burleigh is tired and has to be pulled in the third, after the Reds have tagged him for four runs. An Ivy Olson error gave Edd Roush and CF Greasy Neale the chance to crack RBI singles in a 3-run first. Zack Wheat had a great game, collecting 3 RBI, including a 2-run homer (his 2nd) in the 8th to pull us to within 4-3. That, sadly, is how it ended however.
Reds 4, Dodgers 3 - W: Luque (2-0); L: Grimes (1-1)
Game 2 was a classic. The teams exchanged broadsides in the first, Zack Wheat snapping off a 2-RBI single for us and Edd Roush demolishing a Marquard offering for a 2-run HR in reply. A pair of 4th frame boners - CF Bernie Neis dropping a routine fly and Rube Marquard wild pitching in a run - put Cincinnati up 4-2, until Wheat and Kruger responded with an RBI triple and single respectively in the 6th. Thus tied going into the 9th, Hy Myers proved the hero by singling in Kilduff from second to give us a dramatic third win in four tries.
Dodgers 5, Reds 4 - W: Marquard (2-0); L: Ruether (1-1)
AROUND THE LEAGUE
A few more go down in the line of fire on Friday - the Browns' Carl Weilman (0-2, 5.19) for 5 days with a bum shoulder, the Yankees' Jack Quinn (1-1, 4.86) for a week with a sore back and Phillies' George Smith (0-1, 1.86) for 3 weeks with a ruptured bicep. Ouch! ... The Senators are off to a 5-0 start over in the AL, leading the Yankees by a game. Ruth has yet to homer.
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