July 31, 1928: Sand's Boneheaded Play Helps Lifts The Birds To Victory

     On July 31, 1928, the Cardinals picked up 20 hits en route to an 18-5 beatdown of the Philadelphia Phillies at the Baker Bowl in Philadelphia. The two clubs were knotted up at two after three innings of play, before the Birds blew the door open with a five run frame in the fifth. That five run fifth featured a boneheaded play by Philadelphia's shortstop Heinie Sand, who thought he had picked up the third out, but as it turned out it was the second out. Sand and his teammates began trotting off the field, while Chick Hafey who was standing at first flew around the bases before they realized the err of their ways. It was like a string was pulled, and from there the Phillies began to unravel like an old sweater. The Cardinals scored a total of sixteen runs over the next four innings, as they pounded the home team into submission. Taylor Douthit led the way for the Cardinals in the 20-hit attack with five hits in six trips, and he was joined by four players who had three hits apiece, which included the pitcher Pete Alexander who went the distance. The 18 runs was the most runs the Cardinals would score in a game that season, and it was a game that ole Heinie Sand would surely never forget.

Check out the box score here: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/PHI/PHI192807310.shtml