Pastime Baseball League
Northern League Championship Series Review (cont.)
New York Heroes (99-63) vs Wichita Brigade (108-54)
Game 4: New York sets out to even the series after a Game 3 win following a pair of gut-wrenching losses in games 1 and 2. Harry Howell (19-10, 3.03) goes for the Heroes against Elton Chamberlain (13-4, 2.81). New York is well aware that Rube Waddell is slated to start Game 5, and they don't want that to be an elimination game. Howell retires the side in order in the first, and Chamberlain retires the first two Heroes to face him. But he then walks Roger Connor, Jesse Burkett and Dick Higham in succession. Shockingly after the three walks, David Wright swings at the first pitch, but it pays off as he ropes a 2-run single to left to put the Heroes up 2-0 before Martin Dihigo flies out to end the inning. Wichita answers back though as George Davis hits a 1-out triple in the top of the second and later scores on Ollie Beard single to left to make it 2-1. That's how it stays until Beard reaches to leadoff the 5th with an infield single. Chamberlain sacrifices him to second and two batters later Robinson Cano hits an RBI single to tie it. In the Bottom of the 7th, though, Aaron Miles would single to lead off, be sacrificed to second by Howell and score on Fielder Jones' triple to the gap. John Cassidy would bring Jones in with a sacrifice fly before Roger Connor slammed a solo homer to make it 5-2. Howell would escape a bases loaded jam in the 8th, getting Doggie Miller to ground out in a situation similar to that which burned the Heroes in the first two games of the series. And this time, Jonathan Papelbon would pitch a scoreless ninth to close it out and even the series at 2 games apiece. New York 5, Wichita 2 (series tied 2-2).
Game 5: The Heroes got to Rube Waddell eventually in Game 1, only to lose a heartbreaker. New York sends Sam Weaver to duel Waddell again. Before Waddell even takes the hill, the Brigade have given him a 2-0 lead, courtesy of Jimmy Sheckard's 2-run homer, his second of the series. Waddell would allow singles in each of the first four innings, a one-out walk to Roger Connor in the 6th, and nothing else. Wichita would tack on a run in the 6th when Spotswood Poles hit a two-out single to score Oyster Burns. Waddell struck out 8 in the complete game shutout effort, putting Wichita one game away from the PBL Championship Series. Wichita 3, New York 0 (Wichita leads series 3-2).
Game 6: When Wichita's Al Orth and New York's Red Ehret locked up in Game 2, both teams scored twice in the opening inning. The order is reversed here in Game 6, but the result is the same. Roger Connor belted a 2-run homer in the first for New York, a shot answered by George Davis' 2-run double in the bottom of the inning. Martin Dihigo and Aaron Miles would hit back-to-back doubles in the 4th to put New York up 3-2. But Wichita would answer again, as a Doggie Miller sac fly would score Davis to tie it up. Connort would hit his second homer of the game - and third of the series - in the 5th, a solo shot to put New York up 4-3. Wichita, however, would respond yet again in the bottom of the inning, as Robinson Cano would double, Oyster Burns would single to score him, steal second, then score on a Jimmy Sheckard single to make it 5-4 Wichita. From there, New York looked spent, the next 6 batters going down. Roger Connor would double to lead off the 8th, only to be thrown out at third trying to stretch the double for the second time in the series. Bill Drake had relieved Ehret to throw a scoreless 7th, but the 8th would not be as kind. A Jimmy Sheckard leadoff double would be followed by RBI singles from Davis and Miller before Orth himself would add an RBI double, making it 8-4 as the Heroes came to bat in the 9th. Orth stayed in and retired the side in order for the complete game victory that sends Wichita to the PBL Championship Series. Wichita 8, New York 4. (Wichita wins series 4-2.)