100 Years Ago Today 5/7/1920: Brooklyn Robins Drop Series at Polo Grounds

From the desk of: FINGERPRINTS OF THE BUMS

100th Anniversary

BROOKLYN ROBINS

1920 National League Champions

Game #18: Friday, May 7, 1920 - BR
Brooklyn Robins vs. New York Giants
Polo Grounds

Brooklyn Loses Rubber Game in Extras; Giants Win Series.  Robins Fall to Fourth Place

Friday's rubber game is every bit the back and forth contest we've come to expect from these inter city rivals.  Three separate times Brooklyn takes a lead, and three times the Giants counter en route to a series victory at the Polo Grounds.  Bernie Neis in the fourth inning singles home Zack Wheat with the game's first run.  But with one out in the bottom of the fifth Giants third baseman Fred Lear connects off Rube Marquard on his first home run of the season.  In the bottom half of the sixth shortstop Art Fletcher singles home left fielder George Burns for a 2-1 Giants lead.  Burns would again touch home plate in the eighth inning on right fielder Ross Young's base hit.  Entering the ninth trailing by two  Brooklyn finally sizes up Giants starter Rube Benton for three runs on five hits.  However Brooklyn starter Rube Maraquard walks the first batter he faces in the bottom half of the ninth, then serves up a single to High Pockets Kelly putting runners on the corners.  Out from the dugout emerges manager Wilbert Robinson whom summons Clarence Mitchell from the bullpen.  With one out Mitchell walks pinch hitter Mike Gonzalez to load the bases.  George Burns mister popular this day grounds into a fielder's choice freeing up Fred Lear to score the tying run from third.  Into extra innings they go.  In the top of the eleventh inning runs batted in from Ivy Olson and Jimmy Johnston give Brooklyn a 6-4 lead.  But when Fred Lear leads off the bottom half of the frame with a triple off Clarence Mitchell, Uncle Robbie summons Burleigh Grimes from the bullpen.  High Pockets Kelly promptly greets Brooklyn's hurler with another triple to right.  Ross Young's subsequent run batted in and an untimely error by replacement first baseman Ray Schmandt are ultimately Brooklyn's undoing.  A fun time for the roughly 14,000 fans in attendance, perhaps not so much for Wilbert Robinson.  Burleigh Grimes takes the loss, his second of the season.  Starter Rube Marquard yields four earned runs on eight hits and two walks with five strikeouts through eight-plus innings pitched.

* Saturday, May 8, 1920 - Series finale at Polo Grounds is rained out.

• RECORD: 9-8 (.529)
• 4th place; 2 GB