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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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FENWAY'S FIRST TEAM September 5, 1912 ... The Washington Nationals delighted another big crowd at Fenway Park in their attempt to come back and beat the Red Sox, but were forced to the mat by a 4 to 3 score. The Red Sox have won nine straight and 17 of the last 20 games played. What is more important, is that the win put the Red Sox in the lead for the first time this season, in the series with Washington and their record now stands at nine wins and eight losses in favor of Boston. The game was intensely interesting right up to the last man, who sent a long fly out to Harry Hooper with a man at third. Both teams took desperate chances on the bases, with the Red Sox losing valuable ground by underrating the remarkable speed and skill of catcher John Henry. Henry gave a great exhibition of fast and accurate throwing, nailing the speedy Tris Speaker, even with a big jump, in trying for second and third. Not to be outdone his opponent's best work, Sox catcher Bill Carrigan also cut the ball to second three times perfectly. Both teams played on their toes. The honors were about even with the stick and in the field, but the wildness of the Nats' pitcher, Carl Cashion counted against his team. Tris Speaker got the honors with the bat for the Red Sox, knocking out a single, a double and a triple, while Kid Foster had two singles and a double for Washington. Outside of the fine throws made by the catchers, there was no real remarkable plays made by either team. The players on both teams crowding out of the dugouts and were forced back several times. Manager Griffith was thrown out of the coaching lines in the ninth-inning, because he went a little too far in trying to rattle O'Brien, by making remarks that might have upset a more nervous pitcher. Throughout the game Washington tried to get on the nerves of the Red Sox players, but there was nothing doing, as the Sox displayed a demeanor as cool as an iceberg. Washington was the first to score in the first inning on a single, a fumble by Speaker, a sacrifice fly and a passed ball. The Red Sox tied it up in the fourth on a pass, Cashion's wild throw to first and Larry Gardner's single to center. In this inning Speaker had led off with a double but was nailed trying for third with nobody out. The Red Sox put the game away in the fifth inning when Heinie Wagner worked a pass and made it to second on Carrigan's sacrifice bunt. Both men were safe however, as the ball slipped by Cashion. O'Brien moved them up with an out at first, and then Hooper hit one back to the pitcher who threw to third, but Wagner took off for home and was safe as thirdbaseman Foster sent the ball wide of the catcher Henry. A Texas leaguer was then dropped into left field by Steve Yerkes, that scored Carrigan. Hooper also tried to score but was thrown out easily, before Speaker came up and smashed the ball against the centerfield fence, scoring Yerkes. Speaker rounded the bases and he too was thrown out trying to turn it into a home run, but the Red Sox now commanded a 4 to 1 lead. However, the Nationals came back with a rush in the next inning. With one out, Cashion singled and both Clyde Milan and Foster drove the ball into the outfield gaps for triples. The Red Sox now found themselves only one run ahead with a man at third and one out. O'Brien pulled himself together and forced the Danny Moeller to hit one back to him for an easy out at first. Chick Gandil ended the comeback with a long fly ball out to Speaker. After this only Duffy Lewis in Speaker found Cashion for safe base hits. In the seventh, Moran and George McBride both got base hits but were thrown out by Carrigan when trying to steal second. The ninth-inning was a nerve-racker when Foster led off with a single and was sacrificed to second. A hit would now tie the score with good men coming up. Gandil hit one back to O'Brien and was thrown out, as Foster pulled into third. Frank Laporte next up, hit the first ball and sent it far into right-field, where Harry Hooper ran after it and caught it going away, for the final out of the game. |
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