REDS BLANK CARDINALS AS RED LUCAS CHOKES ST. LOUIS ATTACK Hornsby Men Manage Little Against Veteran - Cincinnati Takes Opener of Series at Redland Field

April 26, 1926

CINCINNATI — The Cardinals hit Cincinnati Saturday carrying the look of a first-place ball club.

They did not leave the field that way Sunday afternoon.

Before a loud Redland Field crowd, Red Lucas Fastones smothered the St. Louis attack nearly from start to finish and the Cincinnati Reds handed the Cardinals a hard 4 to 0 beating.

The loss dropped Rogers Hornsby’s club to 7 victories against 5 defeats and snapped the sharp edge the Cardinals carried out of Pittsburgh.

From the opening innings the Reds played faster baseball.

Cincinnati scratched out an early advantage while St. Louis struggled to solve Lucas's delivery. The big righty worked quickly and changed rythems that kept the Cardinal hitters pounding weak chances instead of driving the ball clean.

By the third inning the crowd had settled into the ugly business of riding the Cardinals hard.

Every strike against Hornsby brought noise from the grandstand.

Every failed St. Louis rally brought laughter from the lower boxes.

The Cardinals threatened briefly in the middle innings when men reached aboard, but Lucas tightened each time danger showed itself. St. Louis could not collect the needed blow and inning after inning died quietly around first base.

Meanwhile Cincinnati kept pressing.

The Reds added insurance before the afternoon ended and their pitchers never loosened their grip on the contest long enough for the Cardinals to breathe.

Not once all afternoon did St. Louis seriously threaten to overturn the game.

Hornsby grew darker as the innings passed.

The Cardinal manager barked from near the coaching lines while his hitters continued rolling harmless chances into Cincinnati gloves. By late afternoon the St. Louis bench had gone nearly silent except for scattered complaints at the umpiring.

The final outs arrived quickly.

Lucas walked off with the shutout while the Cardinals left the field dirty, frustrated, and suddenly staring at the danger of letting Cincinnati climb directly into the thick of the National League fight.

And if the Cardinals continue hitting like they did Sunday, this western road swing may yet turn poisonous before it ends.

— Mike Allen

Bird Chatter Express