1902 Cleveland: Napoleon & Joss Are Fine

[Dukie98]

Here's how the Naps look through the end of April:

[Dukie98]

After an up-and-down May, the Cleveland Indians found themselves holding on to a narrow lead in the American League. Although they struggled through an early slump, dropping briefly into fifth place, they rallied to end the month by winning 9 of 13 games, on their way to a 15-14 record for the month. They ended the month with a 26-20 record, a half-game ahead of the Washington Senators. But the race was far from over, as five teams were separated by a mere three games, and the last-place Athletics were merely 5 1/2 games out of first.

The Naps' bats took off in the last two weeks in May, and they ended the month with the most potent offense in the league. Once again, catcher Ted Easterly led the way, hitting .391 with a .517 slugging percentage, including six doubles, a homer, and 13 RBI's, and he ended the month with a .357 batting average for the season. First baseman Wally Pipp hit .333 with four triples and a team-high 14 RBI's. Backup outfielder Red Murray hit a blistering .397 with a .483 slugging percentage , and seized the starting left-field job from Fred Merkle. Defensive ace George Moriarty continued his strong season by hitting .289 with a team-high three homers and 10 RBI's for the month before being knocked out of commission with a series of nagging injuries. Of the starters, only third baseman George Perring struggled, hitting just .215, and he was 0-for-6 on the basepaths.

On the mound, righthander Elmer Steele rallied from his subpar April to go 4-2 with a team-best 2.31 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. George Mullin continued to pitch well with limited offensive support, as he went just 3-4 despite a 2.47 ERA and a stellar 0.98 WHIP. Vean Gregg took a step back, going 2-3 with a 3.09 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP. Willie Mitchell fell back to earth after a brilliant start to the year, going 3-2 with a 3.16 but a bloated 1.40 WHIP.

The Naps appeared well-poised to continue their strong start to the season, as they remained relatively healthy. Of their regulars, only Moriarty missed any significant time, and he was expected to return in early June. Backup shortstop Jack Barry, disgruntled with his limited playing time, broke his thumb and was expected to miss a month. Meanwhile, in the National League, the surprising Philadelphia Phillies, led by slugger Jack Fournier, jumped out to a 27-14 record and enjoyed a modest lead over the New York Giants.

[Dukie98]

Here's how the Indians look through the end of June:

[Dukie98]

After another up-and-down month, the Cleveland Indians found themselves holding onto first place by a narrow thread at the of June. The Naps had a middling 12-11 record, and they narrowly maintained a half-game lead over the Washington Senators in the standings. As has been the norm in recent years, the standings were a logjam, with six teams separated by just 4 1/2 games.

Offensively, the Naps were led by right fielder Eddie Murphy, who hit .346 with a sparkling .465 on-base percentage, and scored a team-high 17 runs. First baseman Wally Pipp matched Murphy, hitting .346 as well, with a homer and a team-high 17 RBI's. Red Murray, who had seized control of left field, hit a solid .306 with a homer and 9 RBI's. However, the decline of third baseman George Perring reached crisis proportions, as he hit just .130, with a meager .217 slugging percentage. Center fielder George Moriarty cooled off after his brilliant start to the season, hitting just .182 with a .227 slugging percentage; both Perring and Moriarty, however, continued to provide stellar defense.

The Naps continued to struggle on the mound, as they ended the month sixth in the eight-team league in runs allowed. Southpaw Willie Mitchell had a relatively strong month, going 4-0 with a 2.33 ERA and 1.16 WHIP, although he also gave up five unearned runs in just 38 innings. Vean Gregg went 3-3 with a 2.82 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. Elmer Steele's disappointing season continued, as he went just 1-4 with a 3.35 ERA and a 1.14 ERA. Veteran righthander George Mullin struggled, going 3-2, despite a 3.74 ERA and a bloated 1.47 WHIP

Although the Naps enjoyed a narrow lead, they were clearly overachieving, as they enjoyed just a +5 run differential. Similarly, in the NL, the surprising Phillies held on to a modest lead due to overachieving their expected record by five games.

[Dukie98]

Here's how the Naps look through the end of June:

[Dukie98]

The Cleveland Indians continued their stellar summer, but they were unable to get significant separation in the standings. The Indians went 19-11 in July, including winning 8 of 9 to start the month and 12 out of their first 15 games, finishing the month with a 57-42 record. Although they opened up a modest lead over the Washington Senators, the Senators finished strong to cut the Indians lead to a mere game and a half.

The Indians were solid, but not spectacular offensively. Catcher Ted Easterly again led the way, hitting .333 with eight extra-base hits and 14 RBI's. Right fielder Eddie Murphy hit .314 with a .405 on-base percentage and a team-high seventeen runs scored. Third baseman George Perring recovered from his dreadful start to the season to hit .291 with five triples-- although it may have been too little, too late to preserve his job. But center fielder George Moriarty continued to struggle offensively, hitting just .209 with a .242 slugging percentage.

The Indians had a strong month on the mound. George Mullin won the AL Pitcher of the Month award, going 6-1 with a 1.29 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP. Willie Mitchell matched Mullin's record, going 6-1 as well, with a 2.44 ERA and 1.10 WHIP, bringing his season record to a ridiculous 16-3. Vean Gregg was just 4-4, but he had a 2.36 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. Elmer Steele finally showed signs of straightening out his disappointing season, going 3-2 with a 2.14 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP.

Nonetheless, with the imminent return of Heinie Berger from an elbow injury, the Indians had five starters for four slots. In a controversial move, management opted to ship Steele and backup infielder Mike Mowrey to the Cardinals for third baseman Art Devlin. Devlin, a six-time gold glover, quickly moved into the starting lineup for Perring, where he was expected to hit for a higher average, but with less extra-base power, and elite defense. Meanwhile, in the National League, the Phillies continued to hold on to a narrow two-game lead over the surging Cardinals.

[Dukie98]

Here's how the Indians look through the end of July:

[Dukie98]

After a scorching August, the Cleveland Indians were comfortably situated to seize their first pennant since 1907. After an 18-9 month, the Indians ended the month with a 75-51 record and staked out an 8-game lead over the second-place Senators, as they were led by a brilliant teamwide pitching performance.

Surprisingly, the hot streak occurred just as the Indians' bats cooled off. Catcher Ted Easterly led the way once again, hitting .306 with a team-high 15 RBI's and 16 runs scored, including six triples. But the rest of the lineup struggled, with only second baseman Bill Wambsganss hitting over .250 for the month (he hit a modest .261, but smacked 4 triples). Infielder Ivy Olson hit just .231, but drove in 11 runs with just 12 hits on the month. Everyone else struggled; shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh and left fielder Red Murray each hit .200, and they combined for just three extra-base hits. First baseman Wally Pipp hit just .212, but he drew 18 walks and scored 16 runs. Center fielder George Moriarty's tailspin continued, as he hit an empty .205 with a .239 slugging percentage.

Needless to say, the Indians's success was driven by their pitching. Southpaw Willie Mitchell led the way, with a 4-1 record, a 1.46 ERA, and a sparkling 0.95 WHIP -- bringing his season record to a dazzling 20-4 with a 2.12 ERA on the year. Spot starter Herb Pennock, pressed into duty due to some minor injuries, went 4-0 with a 1.35 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 26 innings. Hard-luck Vean Gregg went just 2-1 despite a 1.98 ERA in six starts, and he sported a 1.12 ERA. Veteran righty Heinie Berger returned from an elbow injury to go 4-4 with a 2.70 ERA, carrying the load over a team-high 63 innings for the month. George Mullin went just 1-2 with a 3.10 ERA before landing on the disabled list with a groin pull, which is not expected to be serious.

The Indians appeared to ready to coast into the postseason, as only the Senators and White Sox were even within 12 games of first place, and the team was generally healthy. In the National League, the Philadelphia Phillies fell behind the St. Louis Cardinals after a disastrous stretch, including a nine-game losing streak, but rallied at month's end to force a tie in the standings.

[Dukie98]

Here's how the Indians look through the end of August:

[Dukie98]

The Cleveland Indians continued their blistering second half to coast to the American League title. The Indians went 17-9 in September and split two games in October, finishing with a 93-71 record -- thirteen games ahead of the second-place Washington Senators. Their lone hiccup was a four-game sweep at the hands of the White Sox, who briefly pulled within 5 1/2 games of the Indians, but a 13-2 stretch (including a 9-game winning streak) allowed the Indians to coast into the postseason, where they would face the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Indians were led by their breakout offensive star, first baseman Wally Pipp, who was named AL Player of the Month after hitting .347 with 2 homers and 18 RBI's in September. Pipp also smacked six triples and slugged .579 for the month, and he ended the season leading the AL with 84 RBI's. Right fielder Eddie Murphy continued his strong season, hitting .326 with 2 homers, 10 RBI's, and a team-high 14 runs scored. Center fielder George Moriarty rallied after a summerlong swoon, hitting .299 with 8 RBI's and 13 runs scored. Only third baseman Art Devlin struggled, hitting just .206 with a .279 slugging percentage.

The Indians' starting pitching continued to carry them. Willie Mitchell continued his brilliant season, going 4-0 with a microscopic 0.95 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP, including a 1-hit shutout against the Yankees, and he ended the season with a streak of 34 innings without allowing an earned run. Mitchell ended the year as the prohibitive Cy Young Award favorite, going 24-4 with a league-best 1.92 ERA. George Mullin finished strong, going 4-1 with a 1.44 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP. Heinie Berger went 4-2 with a 1.80 ERA and a 1.07 ERA. Vean Gregg brought up the rear with a still-solid 4-4 record, 2.52 ERA, and a 1.22 WHIP.

The Indians were favored over the 87-win Cardinals, who rallied from behind to overtake an overachieving Phillies squad in the final week of the season, ending the year on a 7-game winning streak. The Cardinals led the majors in runs, led by slugging first baseman Vic Saier, scrappy second baseman Jim Viox, and speedy shortstop Eddie Collins, who led baseball with 77 steals. The Indians entered the Series shorthanded, as Moriarty injured his wrist in the final week of the season, and was expected to miss the majority of the postseason.

[Dukie98]

Here's how the Indians look at season's end:

[Dukie98]

The 1915 World Series presented two surprise teams. In recent years, the Cleveland Indians consistently fell just a few games short of the pennant, but they had not appeared in the Series since 1907. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Cardinals had not finished above fourth place this century, and they only had a single season where they finished within ten games of first place. The balanced Indians, who finished second in the American League in both runs scored and runs against, were moderate favorites against the Cardinals, who stole over 300 bases on their way to leading baseball in runs scored, but had mediocre pitching and defense. In an interesting twist, the two teams had made a major deadline deal, with the Indians sending starting pitcher Elmer Steele in exchange for third baseman Art Devlin. Devlin struggled after the trade, hitting just .222 with a .299 slugging percentage, while Steele steadied the Cardinals' struggling rotation, going 7-4 with a 2.44 ERA.

Game 1: Indians 2, Cardinals 1

In a pitching duel,Cleveland's 24-game winner Willie Mitchell outdueled Biff Schlitzer. Although the Cardinals drew first blood in the second inning, the Indians promptly tied the game, with Bill Wambsganss singling in Eddie Murphy. The Indians took the lead for good in the 6th on an RBI double by shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh. Mitchell went 8 solid innings, giving up just 5 hits and 1 run. Ed Kusel pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for the save. The Cardinals were led by slugging first baseman Vic Saier, who set a postseason record with three doubles in his first three at bats.

Game 2: Cardinals 6, Indians 0

The Cardinals struck early and often against Heinie Berger, ripping him for twelve hits and five runs in seven innings. Vic Saier again led the way with three hits, including two more doubles. Cardinals center fielder Jimmy Johnston hit a double and a triple and drove in a run. Righthander Elmer Steele pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just four hits against his former teammates.

[Dukie98]

After two quiet games, the Indians' offense awakened, as they won both Games 3 and 4 in the final innings, taking a comfortable 3-games-to-1 lead over the Cardinals.

Game 3: Indians 7, Cardinals 4

After the Cardinals seized a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth inning on an Eddie Collins single, the Indians exploded for five runs in the bottom of the inning, aided by a defensive collapse by the Cardinals. The Cardinals could have escaped after surrendering only one run, but they allowed the Indians to break the game open by scoring four runs with two outs, following errors by second baseman Jim Viox and catcher Ray Schalk, an infield single by Ted Easterly, and a line-drive single by Wally Pipp. Vic Maier continued his sizzling postseason by adding two hits and two RBI's, including a homer, for the Cardinals.

Game 4: Indians 9, Cardinals 8

In a seesaw battle destined to become part of World Series lore, the Indians won a dramatic come-from-behind Game 4 on a walk-off double by George Perring -- one of three consecutive extra-base hits in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Cardinals took a one-run lead in the eighth inning, but the Indians erased it on a triple by backup centerfielder Doc Gessler and a single by second baseman Bill Wambsganss. The Cardinals took the lead again in the 9th following two crucial errors by shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh. The Indians, however, scored two runs off Cardinals' reliever Elmer Rieger, behind a double from Ted Easterly, a triple by Wally Pipp, and Perring's game-winning double. The Indians were led by left fielder Red Murray, who homered and drove in four runs. The Cardinals lost despite several superlative offensive performances: Eddie Collins went 4-for-4 with 2 RBI's and a walk. In addition, third baseman Doug Baird ripped two triples, and center fielder Jimmy Johnston had three hits and three stolen bases.

[Dukie98]

The St. Louis Cardinals knotted the series at three games apiece, after holding the Indians to a total of three runs in Games Five and Six. Game Seven will feature a showdown of Willie Mitchell, who led the AL with 24 wins and a microscopic 1.92 ERA, against the Cardinals' Biff Schlitzer, who won 20 games but sported a hefty 3.48 ERA.

Game Five: Cardinals 2, Indians 1

In a win-or-go-home setting, the Cardinals prevailed behind the strong arm of Elmer Steele, who beat his former teammates for the second time in the series. Steele outdueled Heinie Berger, who struggled with his control, walking five in eight innings. Once again, Vic Saier was the offensive hero for the Cardinals, ripping two hits, including a tie-breaking single in the seventh inning. The Indians threatened in the ninth inning, but Ted Easterly grounded into a game-ending double play to quash the rally.

Game Six: Cardinals 4, Indians 2

One swing of the bat was all that Rube Manning and the Cardinals needed, as left fielder Ted Cather smacked a bases-loaded triple off Indians' lefty Vean Gregg in the fourth inning. The Indians scored two unearned runs in the top of the frame, but Cather's triple put the Cardinals back in the lead, and he scored on an error by George Perring. Manning surrendered just three hits the rest of the way, as the Indians did not mount another serious threat to score.

[Dukie98]

Good wasn't good enough. The Cleveland Indians failed to seal the deal, losing a dramatic Game 7 of the World Series by a 3-2 score, and thus losing the series four games to three. Cardinal first baseman Vic Saier was named MVP after hitting .462 with a homer, five doubles, four RBI's, and a stellar .762 slugging percentage.

The Cardinals jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, aided by a Jim Viox RBI double to center field, a crucial error by first baseman Wally Pipp, and an RBI single by Cardinal outfielder Bunny Brief. The Indians cut the lead in half in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly by Sam Rice, but Viox pushed the lead back to 3-1 with a solo homer off of Indians ace Willie Mitchell in the bottom of the frame. The Indians cut the Cardinals lead to 3-2 in the top of the sixth on an RBI single by left fielder Red Murray. The biggest play of the series occurred in the top of the eighth inning: speedy centerfielder George Moriarty was thrown out at the plate by his Cardinal counterpart, Jimmy Johnston, on a medium-depth fly ball by Rice. Biff Schlitzer threw a complete game masterpiece for the Cardinals, giving up just four hits and one earned run. Mitchell surrendered three hits and three runs (two earned) in seven innings for the Tribe.

[Dukie98]

Here are the major award winners for 1915:

AL MVP- Braggo Roth, CF, WAS: .299/ .408/ .473, 161 hits, 18 doubles, 26 triples, 8 HR, 80 RBI, 74 runs, 93 walks, 34 SB, 163 OPS+, 6.8 WAR
Second place- Willie Mitchell, SP, CLE: 24-4, 1.92 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 296 IP, 153 K, 81 BB, 162 ERA+, 2 shutouts, 5.2 WAR
Third place- Steve O'Neill, C, DET: .340/ .415/ .447, 163 hits, 43 doubles, 2 HR, 78 RBI, 62 walks, 5 SB, 150 OPS+, 7.2 WAR

AL Cy Young- Willie Mitchell, CLE: 24-4, 1.92 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 296 IP, 153 K, 81 BB, 162 ERA+, 2 shutouts, 5.2 WAR
Second place- Dutch Leonard, SLB: 21-16, 1.96 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 354 IP, 203 K, 93 BB, 152 ERA+, 30 CG, 4 shutouts, 7.7 WAR
Third place- Frank Lange, CWS: 23-15, 2.21 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 346 IP, 197 K, 118 BB, 136 ERA+, 30 CG, 5 shutouts, 6.6 WAR

AL Rookie of the Year- Rogers Hornsby, 3B, NYY: .309/ .373/ .411, 185 hits, 16 doubles, 15 triples, 5 HR, 83 RBI, 64 runs, 64 BB, 20 SB, 129 OPS+, 6.1 WAR

NL MVP- Jack Fournier, RF, PHI: .369/ .466/ .562, 149 hits, 20 doubles, 8 triples, 14 HR, 71 RBI, 76 runs, 69 BB, 20 SB, 200 OPS+, 6.0 WAR
Second place- Vic Saier, 1B, STL: .308/ .398/ .478, 179 hits, 28 doubles, 16 triples, 13 HR, 88 RBI, 104 runs, 90 BB, 34 SB, 157 OPS+, 6.3 WAR
Third place- Jim Viox, 2B, STL: .324/ .378/ .459, 201 hits, 42 doubles, 15 triples, 4 HR, 80 RBI, 98 runs, 54 BB, 25 SB, 145 OPS+, 6.7 WAR

NL Cy Young- Chief Bender, NYG: 21-5, 2.11 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 290 IP, 168 K, 91 BB, 139 ERA+, 22 CG, 4 shutouts, 5.3 WAR
Second place- Babe Ruth, PIT: 20-11, 2.47 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 291 IP, 154 K, 113 BB, 123 ERA+, 23 CG, 4 shutouts, 5.0 WAR
Third place- Red Ames, PIT: 19-19, 2.45 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 346 IP, 197 K, 137 BB, 124 ERA+, 25 CG, 2 shutouts, 5.2 WAR

NL Rookie of the Year- Dave Bancroft, SS, CHC: .269/ .356/ .365, 154 hits, 29 doubles, 6 HR, 54 RBI, 77 runs, 78 BB, 20 SB, 102 ERA+, 5.0 WAR

[Dukie98]

Expectations were high in Cleveland after the Indians came tantalizingly close to winning the 1915 World Series, falling one run short in a climactic game 7. The Indians made some relatively minor moves, clearing out veteran deadweight by releasing backup center fielder Doc Gessler and backup infielder Ivy Olson. They also attempted to upgrade - again - at third base by trading backup catcher Bob Coleman to the Giants for infielder Buck Herzog. Herzog was expected to fill the void created by the stunning decline of George Perring's bat and the failed acquisition of Art Devlin. Management toyed with the idea of cutting one or both of them, but ultimately decided to keep them both for the time being.

Although recent drafts featured numerous budding superstars, league management opted to cancel the annual draft, instead allowing players to sign directly with their real-life franchises. The 1916 draft pool, in any event, was decidedly underwhelming, with Yankees starter Urban Shocker constituting the best player available The Indians picked up backup catcher Hank DeBerry, who appeared to be the only viable major league newcomer.

The Indians had an underwhelming spring training, going just 12-18 as the team's bats went cold. On the whole, several of their young pitchers had strong springs, with reliever Stan Baumgartner supplanting Rube Benton in the bullpen, and Al Mamaux also earning a trip north. Preseason predictions for the Indians were surprisingly pessimistic: they were projected for a dismal 70-84 record and a seventh-place finish, which would represent a 23-game tumble from last season.

[Dukie98]

After a sluggish spring training, the defending American League champion Cleveland Indians struggled out of the gate, spending most of April hovering around .500, and ending the month in fifth place with a 9-9 record, three games behind the league-leading Browns and Yankees.

The Indians were led offensively by first baseman Wally Pipp, who built on his explosive 1915 by hitting .319 with two homers and 5 RBI's. Left fielder Sam Rice hit .333 with a homer, 4 RBI's, and scored a team-high 9 runs. Steady Ted Easterly hit .306 with a homer, a team-high 12 RBI's, and stole four bases. But several regulars slumped mightily: leadoff hitter/ right fielder Eddie Murphy hit an empty .216 with a .235 slugging percentage, and second baseman Bill Wambsganss hit just .200 with a .254 on-base percentage -- resulting in no small part in Rice's and Pipp's depressed RBI totals. But center fielder George Moriarty was the weakest of all, hitting .129 without a single extra base hit.

The Indians' pitching staff was solid but unspectacular. Southpaw Vean Gregg went just 1-3 despite a team-leading 2.12 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. Defending Cy Young Award winner Willie Mitchell fell short of repeating his brilliant 1915 form, going 1-1 with a 2.43 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP. Heinie Berger went 2-2, with a 2.65 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP, but his rapidly declining strikeout rate (just 14 in 37 innings) was cause for alarm. Berger departed his final start of the month with a minor elbow injury, but he was expected to miss his next 2-3 starts. Veteran George Mullin struggled, going 1-1 with a 3.63 ERA and a bloated 1.43 WHIP. While never a power pitcher, Mullin's strikeout rate evaporated to literally nothing, as he failed to whiff a single batter in 22.1 innings.

The Indians remained in contention, although they had several teams to leapfrog. But they would have to do it without backup outfielder Red Murray, who suffered a torn meniscus, and was expected to miss the next four months. Meanwhile, the National League standings were very tightly condensed, with six teams within 1 1/2 games of first place, and all eight teams separated by just 3 1/2 games, with the Pirates and surprising Brooklyn Robins sharing the league lead.

[Dukie98]

Here's how the Indians look at the end of April:

[Dukie98]

After fumbling around the .500 mark for the first six weeks of the season, the Cleveland Indians closed May on a seven-game winning streak, bringing their record for the month to 15-11, and they ended May with a 24-20 record, tied for third with the White Sox, 4 1/2 games behind the Red Sox.

The Tribe was led offensively by second baseman Bill Wambsganss, who rallied from a slow start to hit .340 with a .480 slugging percentage, including 6 triples and scored a team-high 16 runs. First baseman Wally Pipp hit .308 and drew 19 walks, good for a team-high .425 on-base percentage. Ted Easterly's average dipped to .284, but he slugged .432, including 5 triples, drove in 12 runs, and scored 13 times. However, right fielder Eddie Murphy continued to struggle, hitting just .209 with a .232 on base percentage, and he starting to lose playing time. Shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh hit just .207, but he ripped 7 extra-base hits and drove in 12 runs for the month.

The Indians survived multiple injuries to their pitching staff. Heinie Berger missed a couple weeks with a groin injury, and George Mullin missed the entire month with an elbow injury; he was expected to return in early June, but rookie Carl Mays may have seized his spot. Mays was a pleasant surprise, going 3-2 with a 2.34 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. Heinie Berger returned to form, going 3-2 with a dazzling 1.75 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. Willie Mitchell continued to be solid despite limited offensive support-- he went just 2-2 despite a 2.34 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. Workhorse Vean Gregg ended the month with a 4-4 record and a 4.25 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. Finally, Herb Pennock started three times in Berger's absence; although he went 1-0, he struggled mightily, with a 6.00 ERA and a hefty 1.58 WHIP.

The Indians appeared to be righting their course despite a series of injuries, as they ended May within 4 1/2 games of the league-leading Red Sox and two games behind the surprising Browns. Meanwhile, in the National League, the Pirates opened up a comfortable 4 game lead over the defending champion Cardinals, with the Cubs closely behind in third place.