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Sunday, May 03, 2020

100 Years Ago Today 5/3/1920: Worn Brooklyn Robins Winless In Third Straight Extra Inning Marathon

From the desk of: THE FINGERPRINTS OF THE BUMS

100th Anniversary
BROOKLYN ROBINS
1920 National League Champions

Game #15: Monday, May 3, 1920 - BR
Brooklyn Robins vs. Boston Braves
Braves Field

Brooklyn Robins Play 58 Innings in Three Days With Nary a Victory

Today's summary is not just about simple happenstance regarding the Robins third consecutive extra inning game in as many days.  Ordinarily this sudden trend can be chalked up to the predictable unpredictability of baseball.  Instead Brooklyn's travail is something far more enervating than can be satisfactorily conveyed in the daily boxscores.  This Robins odyssey commences Saturday when they square off for 26 innings against the Braves at Boston.  In doing so the teams set a record for the longest game played in major league history.  However the contest itself regrettably ends in a draw.  That same evening Brooklyn must hop a train back home so as to host the Phillies at Ebbets Field where they subsequently bow in 13 innings to Philadelphia on Sunday.  With no rest for the weary the Brooks return to Boston where today they once again fall to the Braves in 19 innings.  That makes an incredulous 58 innings played, requiring a round trip train ride between Brooklyn and Boston, all within 72 hours time.  Alas, Brooklyn's best efforts go for not as they fail to gain victory in either of the aforementioned contests.

Monday's affair pits a pair of Georgia natives: Robins southpaw Sherry Smith versus Braves starter Dana Fillingim.  Smith helps his own cause in the top half of the fifth when he singles to left and later scores on Jimmy Johnston's base hit to right.  But Smith would also harm his own cause by issuing consecutive walks to center fielder Ray Powell and second baseman Charlie Pick leading off the bottom half of the sixth.  With the bases loaded and one out first baseman Walter Holke lofts a sac-fly to center scoring Pick from third with the tying run.  After which the game remains deadlocked for the next twelve innings.  After retiring the first batter in the bottom half of the 19th inning, Sherry Smith yields consecutive hits to right fielder John Sullivan and Holke.  Third baseman Tony Boeckel promptly follows with another hit to right scoring John Sullivan from third with the winning run.  Making his first appearance of the season Sherry Smith yields just two earned runs on 13 hits and five walks with three strikeouts through 18.1 innings pitched.  Boston's Dana Fillingim allows no earned runs on 12 hits and just four walks with four strikeouts through a full 19 innings pitched for the victory.

Brooklyn is winless in their last four games.  They next open a three game series against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds on Wednesday.

  • RECORD: 8-6
  • 3rd place; 1 GB

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