Peckinpaugh singled for the second time to start things off (in the fifth), and then Ruel came through with the anticipated sacrifice to move him up to second. Zachary then grounded to Bill Terry, but this put Peck on third with two down. With the pressure on him, Earl McNeely, the late-season spark, drew a walk on four straight pitches. McNeely promptly stole second, Gowdy not risking a throw that could have resulted in the run coming in from third. This brought up the boy manager, Bucky Harris, who came through for his men. His single to right brought in both runs and the Senators were up 2-1.
The Nats stayed ahead as a result of Zachary's masterful pitching on this day. In the ninth, George Kelly singled past first base with just one out. Irish Meusel then slashed a hard grounder through the box which could well have signified the beginning of the end of the Senators' hopes for staying alive. Roger Peckinpaugh had been playing the righthanded Meusel in the hole and came back toward second, leaped, made a terrific stab, and then miraculously flipped to Harris. This forced pinch-runner Billy Southworth, but Harris's relay to first conked Joe Judge on the knee. Judge went down in pain, but it turned out that he was not seriously injured and would continue. After Judge fell, everyone noticed that Peckinpaugh was also on the ground -- and he wasn't moving.
Peckinpaugh was escorted from the field, bloodied and obviously in agony, his weight supported by his teammates. He would not be back during this World Series. Once again, Ossie Bluege moved over to short. With the Nats ahead, 5'8" rookie Thomas Livingston Carlton Taylor, a better fielder than Ralph Miller, was sent in to man the hot corner. This was the same Tommy Taylor who had hurt his throwing hand during the pennant-party festivities and had had it in a splint ever since. Harris, who didn't have much choice, decided to send the injured player into the fracas anyway.
With Meusel standing on first and two out, Zachary threw three pitches to rookie Hack Wilson. Wilson, who would strike out nine times in the Series, did what came naturally. Yes, Virginia, there would be a seventh game! A coin toss would determine where the deciding game of the first seven-game Series in 12 years would be played. Commissioner Landis presided, and just as they had won when a flip of the coin had decided where the Series would open, the Nats were lucky again.
We will now enjoy a pause. Expected next post: 16 April.
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