We are at the Friendly Confines, Wrigley Field, for the second of three games between the Giants and Chicago.
The Giants improved their record to 4-0 with a thrilling come-from-behind, 11 inning win in the opener.
Here are the lineups. Settle in. The first pitch is just ahead.
With one out, Giants right fielder Mel Ott hits a line drive that goes off Hack Wilson’s glove and Ott is safe at second on a two-base error.
Tough start for Wilson who’s starting in right today in a Chicago lineup that had to be rejigged after the injury to their catcher Gabby Hartnett in the last game.
The Giants fail to capitalize on the error. After half an inning there’s no score.
A lead off single and nothing more for Chicago in the bottom of the first.
Orlando Cepeda steps in to lead off the second for the Giants. He hits in the air high and deep to right. Wilson is on his horse. Back to the warning track. He reaches up and gloves the ball as he crashes into the wall.
Wilson is getting up. He’s waved off the trainer. He’ll stay in the game but this can’t be how he imagined the day going when the manager told him he was in the lineup.
In the bottom of the second, Frank Chance’s one-out single is erased on a 6-4-3 double play hit into by Kiki Cuyler.
The Giants get a couple of base runners in the top of the third as Brown walks two but they fail to capitalize.
Santo draws a lead off walk for Chicago and advances to second on a wild pitch but he goes no further. Still no score after three innings of play.
A walk, a single, and two men stranded in the top of the fourth for the Giants.
Mathewson retires Chicago in order. To the fifth we go.
Frisch leads off the fifth for the Giants with a double. Ward lines out to Sandberg and Ott flies to left.
The throw sails over the head of Chance at first! Frisch rounds third. He’s going to score and Mays is in safely at second on a two-base throwing error by Santo.
Cepeda keeps the inning going with a single.
Bill Terry flies to right to end the inning but the Giants have broken it open here in the top of the fifth. They score three unearned runs on a 3 hits including a two-run bomb by Willie McCovey. They leave a runner.
Frank Chance steps in to lead off the bottom of the fifth for Chicago. Mathewson into the wind up and the pitch is down and it hits Chance on the foot.
Mathewson didn’t want to do that. Not after getting the lead in the last half inning. Here’s Cuyler.
He flies to right for the first out of the inning.
Santo goes down on strikes and Sandberg grounds to short to end the inning.
Lindstrom singles with one out in the top of the sixth but he’s erased in an inning-ending double play by Frisch. The top of the order is coming up for Chicago. So far they’ve been held to just two hits by Mathewson.
Ward, Ott, and May are retired in order and it’s stretch time here at Wrigley.
Here’s Hack Wilson with a ball deep to left. McCovey ranges back to the wall. He leaps. But the ball is into the stands. Wilson gets Chicago on the board with his first home run of the season.
Here’s Kiki Cuyler. 0-2 on the day. He grounder into an inning-ending double play in the second.
Mathewson winds. Cuyler drives it into the gap in left centre. It rolls to the wall. Chance is rounding third. He’ll score. Cuyler around second digging for third. Here’s the throw. Cuyler slides. He’s safe with an rbi triple! Chicago trails 3-2. Still no one out in the 7th.
Santo grounds to Ward at short. Ward has no play at the plate. Cuyler scores as Santo is retired at first and this game is tied.
Sandberg grounds to short and Kelly gets aboard with a single. That’s the fourth hit for Chicago in the inning.
Torriente singles and Chicago threatens again. That’s going to be the end of the line for Mathewson.
What a turn of events for the Christian Gentleman.
The leftie Carl Hubble is making his way in from the bullpen.
And Banks goes down on strikes. That’s the end of the seventh. Chicago ties the game with 3 runs on five hits and two left aboard.
McCovey with a double to lead off the 8th!
Cepeda line out but Terry singles and the Giants have runners in the corners with one out. Roger Bresnahan steps to the plate.
Bresnahan singles! McCovey scores and Terry moves around to third. The Giants are back on top 4-3.
The manager is out of the dugout and he’s signalled down to the bullpen. Brown is headed for the showers.
That’s not the start he wanted. Freddy Lindstrom singles and plates Terry. Bresnahan moves up to second. 5-3 Giants.
Ward with a ground ball to Sandberg who fields it cleanly but the throw is in the dirt. It pulls Chance off the bag. Ward is safe. Lindstrom scores and Frisch moves to third. That’s the third error of the game for Chicago and their 8th inning nightmare continues. 7-3.
Mel Ott now with a ground ball to Chance at first. He fires to Banks for one. Banks back to Chance and they get Ott by a step to end the inning. 4 runs, 2 earned, on five hits for the Giants. An error and a wild pitch and a huge mental error by Chicago leaves them down by 4.
Anson singles off Hubble to start the bottom of the 8th.
Anson is stranded as Hubble strikes out Wilson and Chance and Cuyler both fly to centre.
McCovey lines out to Sandberg.
Cepeda lifts this one to left. Cuyler back to the wall and all he can do is watch it sail into the stands. The Giants extend their lead to 8-3 with two outs in the 9th.
Walsh walks Bill Terry.
Bresnahan draws another walk as the inning continues.
Lindstrom lines out to Banks and that’s the end of the inning. Last ups for Chicago now and they trail by five. Hubble will try and close it out for the Giants.
Santo walks.
Sandberg singles.
Kelly grounds to Lindstrom at third. The ball pulls Lindstrom towards second. Santo advances to third and Lindstrom forces Sandberg at second. Kelly safe at first on the fielder’s choice.
Torriente strikes out and Chicago is down to their last out. Their hopes ride on Ernie Banks.
Banks lifts a soft fly ball to centre. Mays moves in and gloves it to end the game. The Giants win 8-3.
Hubble records the victory as the Giants improve to 5-0. Brown takes the loss as Chicago falls to 2-3.
