1920 Dodgers Week 19: Brotherly love

The 1920 Brooklyn Dodgers dropped the first two of their four-game series in Cincinnati, and fell behind the Reds in the National League standings in the last week, but the most memorable game came earlier in the week.

Before taking three days off for travel from Brooklyn to Cincinnati, the Dodgers hosted the Phillies on Sunday and trailed 5-4 in the bottom of the 12th at Ebbets Field. Ivy Olson and Jimmy Johnston singled against reliever Johnny Enzmann to open the inning, then advanced on a ground out. Philadelphia opted to intentionally walk Zack Wheat, then Hi Myers grounded to shortstop.

Art Fletcher threw home for the lead out, but the attempt at the game-ending double play was literally thrown away by catcher Mack Wheat, former Dodger and Zack’s brother. The errant throw to first base allowed both Johnston and Zack Wheat to score, giving Brooklyn a much-needed win.

Johnston drove in a run in all four games for Brooklyn during the week, going 7-for-19 (.368) with six RBI.

Brooklyn entered the series in Cincinnati tied for first place with the Reds, but after losing the first two games saw their biggest deficit in the standings in seven weeks. Saturday’s win brought the Dodgers to within a game of the Reds, with six weeks left in the season.

Week 19 summary

2-2 record
15 runs scored (3.75 per game)
18 runs allowed (4.50 per game)
.417 pythagorean record

Year to date

64-50 record
485 runs scored (4.22 per game)
400 runs allowed (3.48 per game)
.587 pythagorean record (67-47)

NL standing: 2nd place, a game behind Cincinnati

Game results

• Sunday, August 15: Dodgers 6, Phillies 5 (12 innings)
• Thursday, August 19: Reds 3, Dodgers 2 (13 innings)
• Friday, August 20: Reds 10, Dodgers 3
• Saturday, August 21: Dodgers 4, Reds 0

Up next

The Dodgers run the Kid Durbin gauntlet, finishing up their series in Cincinnati before moving on to Pittsburgh and Chicago.