PHILS TAKE ROBINS DOWN WITH EXTRA BIRD SHOT

By Vincent Q. Spanelli the Third

April 22, 1924

It was nice to have Benny with me for a whole game, and for the weather to get a little warmer, because let me tell you, baseball isn't supposed to be played on tundras. And I was in such a good mood after today's thriller that I ate all of Mama's broccoli stew and gave myself a fancy reporter's name for tonight.

Jimmy Johnson popped a cheap homer off the foul cage in left off Carlson to get Brooklyn's scoring going, but Andy High made a bad boot for them at second base to help us tie the game in the 3rd. Then the Robins got a real lucky run, when Wheat doubled with two outs in the 5th and ended up scoring on Carlson's wild pitch, which was basically a 1 out of 20 chance of getting past catcher Wilson.

Me and Benny were going bananas, though, because we must've had at least two guys on base every inning and couldn't move them an inch. Finally Sand hit a sac fly in the 8th, we were tied, all 9,000 or so of us were yelling, Benny was chucking peanuts at Zack Wheat, and we had a chance! Johnny Couch took over for Carlson and he started leaving Robins all over the bases.

Wrightstone started a third to catcher to first double play to get us out of the 9th, then walked to start our 10th. Cy Williams, who had not hit a lick in a pinch for days, then smoked a single into right to get Wrightstone to third. Our left field friend Mokan then bounced a single between Mitchell and High for the winner, and no hats were left on heads at the Baker Bowl.

We're back at .500 as we hit the trail again, this time to Braves Field in Boston and uh oh...the Polo Grounds. Think I've had enough travelling for a while, though, so I'll suffer through these games down at Mort's. He gets telegraph reports all day and serves a wicked cherry soda. Good night, reader-people!

BRK 010 010 000 0 — 2 13 1
PHL 001 000 010 1 — 3 9 2

Other National League games I found out about:

GIANTS 5-11-0, BRAVES 4-12-1
Man oh man, the Braves almost take three out of four from those creeps. Nehf has a 4-1 lead into the 7th but can't hold it, and they have to wait until Gowdy singles in their winner off Stryker in the 13th. What's great for the league is that both Hack Wilson and Ross Youngs get hurt for their next game against Brooklyn, and Jonnard their bullpen champ won't be available because he pitched here too much. I hope that's good. The Robins might end up being tougher than the Giants the way they're going.

CUBS 5-14-1, REDS 2-10-1
Pete Alexander never seems to get much batting help, but did late in this one, as Barrett tripled in the winner off Donohue in the 8th and the Cubbies avoid being swept in all four.

PIRATES 9-14-2, CARDINALS 6-15-0
So the Bucs are alone in first now after a strange game. They had a 9-1 lead early from knocking Sherdel silly, then go to sleep and the Cards almost come back all the way against Wilbur Cooper. Ray Blades is on base all five times for St. Loo with a homer, and Hornsby gets two more hits and is now batting .441.

NATIONAL LEAGUE through Tuesday, April 22
Pittsburgh Pirates	6	2	.750	—
Brooklyn Robins	5	3	.625	1
Philadelphia Phillies	4	4	.500	2
Cincinnati Reds	4	4	.500	2
New York Giants	4	4	.500	2
St. Louis Cardinals	3	5	.375	3
Boston Braves	3	5	.375	3
Chicago Cubs	3	5	.375	3