His speed was dazzling, and the ball zipped over the plate as though propelled by a gun.
“Why don’t you line it out?” growled the Boston manager, as one of his players came back discomfited to the bench.
“How can I hit ’em if I can’t see ’em,” the player grunted in excuse.
But Joe did not rely wholly upon speed. Every once in a while he mixed in a slow one that looked as big as a balloon as it sailed lazily toward the plate. But when the batter almost broke his back in reaching for it, the ball would drop suddenly beneath the bat and go plunk into the catcher’s mitt.
“If I only dared to pitch that boy in all the remaining games of the Series!” thought McRae to himself. “He’s just making monkeys of those fellows.”
For six full innings the score remained unchanged.
Then the storm broke, and a perfect deluge of hits rained from the Giants’ bats.
Becker began it by whaling out a terrific drive to center that netted three bases. Iredell followed with a one cushion jolt between second and short that scored Becker. Joe pumped one to center that was good for a base; and on the futile throw made to third to catch Iredell, Joe by fast running got as far as second. Mylert went out on an infield fly, but the burly Burkett clouted a screaming triple to right, scoring both of his mates while he rested, grinning, at third.
Pandemonium broke loose among the Giant rooters. Roth, at a signal from his manager, drew off his glove, and Landers took his place.
But the Giants were on a batting spree and would not be denied. Larry and Denton cracked out singles. Willis went out on a long fly to right, but Curry pounded out a two-bagger that cleared the bases. A moment later he was caught stealing third and the inning ended.
It had netted the Giants six runs, and they were now in the lead by seven to nothing.
“Talk about a Waterloo!” shouted Jim, as he fairly hugged Joe in his delight.
“What do you think they’re doing around the bulletin boards in New York just now?” Joe laughed happily.
He was about to pull on his glove to go into the box when McRae stopped him.
“I guess you’ve done enough for to-day, Joe,” he said. “I want to save that arm of yours all I can, and with the lead we’ve got now the game seems to be cinched. I’m going to put Markwith in for the rest of it.”