Season 4 Championship, Game 3

What a night of baseball! This game was epic from start to finish -- an amazing way to close out a great season! 

We began with a rematch of our Game 1 starters, with Tim Keefe going for the Canaries and Mickey Welch for the Haymakers. In a shocking twist, Keefe was injured in the second inning and left the game. The Canaries went to Kid Nichols, but the loss of their longtime ace was a crippling blow.

With no choice but to carry on, the Canaries went to work against Welch. They broke through in the top of the fourth when Hugh Duffy and Ed Delahanty -- recently returned from an injury of his own -- hit run-scoring singles to give the Birds a 2-0 edge.

Nichols, however, couldn't hold the lead. In the bottom of the frame, he gave up an RBI triple to Roger Bresnahan, a sacrifice fly to Deacon White, and a solo homer to light-hitting shortstop Bobby Wallace. It was now 3-2 in favor of the Haymakers.

In the top of the fifth, Buck Ewing drove in a run to tie the game. Later in the inning, with two on and two out, the Canaries lifted Nichols for pinch hitter Pete Hill, but they failed to tally any more runs. The next inning, though, Roger Connor doubled home a run to give the Canaries the lead once more at 4-3. In the seventh, Monte Ward picked up an RBI single to stretch the lead to 5-3. 

Needless to say, the momentum was shifting in favor of the Canaries. Rube Foster had taken over for Nichols in the bottom of the fifth and was pitching well, as he'd done all season. 

Meanwhile, the Haymakers suffered another setback when catcher Roger Bresnahan was pulled from the game due to injury. White moved from third to catcher, Joe Kelley came in from center field to man third, and reserve outfielder Elmer Flick took over in center. 

In the bottom of the seventh, with the pitcher's spot up first, the Haymakers removed Welch for pinch hitter Jake Beckley, who singled up the middle to start a potential rally. A few batters later, Cap Anson hit an RBI groundout to make it 5-4, but the Haymakers were unable to tie the game.

Cy Young took over in the eighth, making his first career relief appearance -- regular season or playoff. He fared little better than Welch, giving up a home run to Honus Wagner that restored the Birds' two-run lead. The Canaries put men on base again in the top of the ninth and removed Foster for pinch hitter Frank Chance, although Frank blew his chance and the score remained 6-4 heading into the bottom of the ninth.

Joe McGinnity became the Canaries' fourth pitcher of the night and had the unenviable task of shutting down the heart of the Haymakers' lineup. McGinnity was making his first-ever playoff appearance on the mound, and quickly found himself with runners on first and second with only one out. Next up was Cap Anson. After that, Sam Thompson. Gulp! 

With the tying run aboard and cheering Haymaker fans clamoring for a walk-off win to seal their threepeat, McGinnity started dealing. He got Anson on a shallow fly. Two down. Thompson stepped into the batter's box, looking to homer for the third straight game. Bat met ball, but this was not the towering home run that Thompson had blasted in the ninth inning the night before. It was a lazy pop fly that landed in the glove of center fielder Hugh Duffy. 

Game over! The Canaries have won the Season 4 championship and claimed their first title in franchise history!