100 Years Ago Today 5/13/1920: Brooklyn Robins Have No Answer For Grover Cleveland Alexander

From the desk of: FINGERPRINTS OF THE BUMS

100th Anniversary

BROOKLYN ROBINS

1920 National League Champions

Game #20: Thursday, May 13, 1920 - BR
Brooklyn Robins vs. Chicago Cubs
Cubs Field

Grover Cleveland Alexander Extends Brooklyn Robins No Quarter

A week of moisture saturated skies over Chicago finally relent permitting the Robins and Cubs to at least salvage the finale of their scheduled three game series.  Brooklyn starter Jeff Pfeffer pitches well.  Making his fourth start of the season he yields two runs, one earned, on six hits and four walks with four strikeouts through eight innings - an otherwise representative performance.  However he is opposed on Thursday by the great Grover Cleveland Alexander, against whom the Robins muster little.  Actually it is Brooklyn whom opens the scoring in the fifth on Rowdy Elliott's leadoff double, an error by Cubs shortstop Charlie Hollocher, and a base hit from Jimmy Johnston scoring Elliott.  But Alexander would yield no more.  The now 33-year old war veteran allows the one unearned run on nine hits and one walk with four strikeouts through nine innings full.  After losing his first two decisions to start the season Alexander earns his sixth straight victory.  Chicago likewise scores an unearned run in the bottom half of the fifth against Pfeffer.  Third baseman Charlie Deal reaches on catcher Rowdy Elliott's dropped third strike, and soon scores the tying run on catcher Bill Killefer's one out hit to right.  With one out in the seventh Pfeffer walks second baseman Zeb Terry.  Bill Killefer follows with a hit to right positioning runners on the corners.  After Pfeffer issues his counterpart a base on balls to load the bases, right fielder Max Flack's sac-fly to right scores Terry from third with the go-ahead run and Chicago's eventual margin of victory.  Ivy Olson and Ed Konetchy open the top of the ninth with back to back singles putting runners on the corners.  But after two infield pop-outs, the game ends abruptly when Ivy Olson is tagged out while attempting to steal home.

• May 11-12 @ Chicago postponed due to rain.

• The Chicago Cubs acquire Grover Cleveland Alexander and his battery mate Bill Killefer in December 1917 from the Philadelphia Phillies.  From 1911 through 1917 Alexander five times leads the major leagues in wins; six times wins twenty games or better; and from 1915 through 1917 posts three consecutive 30-win seasons.  Last year in his first full season with Chicago, Alexander posts a 16-11 record with a league best 1.72 ERA.  He has led either his league or the majors in ERA in five of the last six seasons.  Now in his tenth campaign he's resembling  his old self again.

• RECORD: 10-9 (.526)
• 4th place; 4 GB