In May, the passenger liner "Lusitania" was returning from New York to with 1,959 passengers and crew on board. There was sinking of merchant ships off the south coast of Ireland with reports of German u-boat submarine activity. On the afternoon of May 7th a torpedo struck the "Lusitania" and exploded amidships on the starboard side. A heavier explosion followed and within 20 minutes the passenger ship had sunk with 1,198 people drowned.

The loss of the liner and so many of its passengers, including 128 U.S. citizens, aroused a wave of indignation in the United States, and it was fully expected that a declaration of war would follow, but the U.S. government clung to its policy of neutrality for the time being.

Back at home, after four days of rain, the Washington Nationals squared off against the Red Sox at Fenway Park for two games. Both were close games and were shutouts, one by George Foster, 2-0, and the next by Ernie Shore, 1-0.

It was Foster who went up against Walter Johnson on May 4th. Triples by Tris Speaker and Duffy Lewis, along with Dick Hoblitzell's single, gave the Sox their two runs. Foster gave up six hits and was aided by three doubleplays, in situations that prevented runs from scoring.

Ernie Shore only gave up three hits in the 1-0 win the next day. The Sox won the game on a wild pitch by Joe Boehling in the ninth inning. Speaker had smashed the first pitch he saw up against the right field fence and ended up on third. Lewis was intentionally passed and stole second uncontested. With the infield in, Del Gainor was thrown out at first. Everett Scott had struck out twice and next came to bat. Boehling's first pitch hit the front of the plate and took a high bounce over his catcher, John Henry's shoulder. It allowed Speaker to sprint home with the walk-off winning run.

Winning 4 of the 7 games played at Fenway, the Sox took the train to New York, where they split a four game series with the Yankees.

BABE RUTH, BILL CARRIGAN, JACK BARRY & VEAN GREGG

Babe Ruth took the ball in the first game on May 6th. With the Sox up by one in the last of the ninth, the Yankees tied the score. Ruth had pitched a wonderful game, but gave up two successive singles in the ninth, which with a stolen base, allowed the Yanks to tie the game, 3-3. Then Babe gave up a single to Hugh High to open the 13th inning. High stole second and was brought home by Doc Cook's walk-off base hit.

The Sox won the next game behind Dutch Leonard. Up 3-2 in the ninth inning, Harry Hooper sealed the deal with a two-run homer into the right field grandstand. Leonard pitched an excellent game with pin-point control, although he allowed a ninth inning home run to Roger Peckinpaugh to make the final score 5 to 3.

The Sox were blown out in the third game but came back to win the finale on May 10th, by the score of 3 to 1. Even though there were men on base in almost every inning, George Foster tightened up when a Yankee hit would have produced a run. Foster had a shutout going until the final frame. Then two base-on-balls and a base hit produced a run for the Yankees.

Babe Ruth made his third start in Detroit on May 11th and lost 5 to 1. Down by three runs, he walked three men in the sixth inning that produced another run for the Tigers. He was replaced by Carl Mays, who pitched hitless ball for the rest of the day.

Ernie Shore pitched his second straight winning game the next day and won 4 to 1. Backed by Del Gainor's home run, Shore gave up eight hits, but got out of every situation except once. He forced the Tigers to leave ten men on base.

Dutch Leonard notched another win in the next game by a 4-2 score on May 13th. He had perfect control, limiting the Tigers to six scattered hits.

Foster made it three straight, winning 5 to 2 in the final game of the series. It was a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning, when Duffy Lewis homered over the left field fence. Hoblitzell followed with a triple and walked home on Everett Scott's base hit.

The Sox continued their winning streak in Cleveland on May 16th, by shutting out the Naps, 3-0 in 14 innings. Joe Wood pitched 11 shutout innings until going out for a pinch hitter. Hoblitzell got the Sox first hit in the eighth inning off Guy Morton, who was perfect up until then. Wood got another hit in the ninth, but that was all Morton gave up until the 14th. Then Carl Mays, who came in to pitch for Wood, lifted a fly to center with one out. Jack Grainey lost it in the sun and Mays was on. Hooper then laid down a bunt that went for a hit, when both Morton and his catcher Josh Billings collided over it. Heinie Wagner next hit a line drive over second for a two-run double and Duffy Lewis drove another hit down the third base line that scored Wagner. Mays picked up his second win of the season.

On May 17th, 128 Americans died when the British passenger ship "Lusitania" was sunk ny a German submarine. President Woodrow Wilson was determined not to get drawn into a foeign war and demanded an apology, but got none.

The Red Sox (13-9) were now only two games out of first place behind the first place White Sox. So the next three games were important in Chicago and the Red Sox lost all of them, falling back to five games out.

The game at Comiskey Park on May 22nd was a thriller. It went 17 innings with Shore and Mays combining for 14 consecutive innings of shut-out baseball. Buck Weaver's double in the 17th started the finishing burst for Chicago. The White Sox loaded the bases on a wild throw and got the walk-off game winner on a clean single down the first base line by pinch-hitter Tommy Daly.

Meanwhile, the rival Federal League was not doing well. The players who had jumped over and signed lucrative contracts had little inspiration to play well in front of empty stands. The run by the "Miracle Braves" in 1914, sweeping their way through the World Series was a primary factor of the fans' loss of interest and current Major League players now playing their hearts out, knowing anything was always possible. Plus the lucrative pot at the end of the World Series rainbow was not available to Federal League season winners.

Off the field, the Red Sox found themselves involved in a major controversy. After five straight losses, in a newspaper interview, Dutch Leonard stated that Sox had a lot of dissension in the locker room. Also he believed that Sox owner, Joe Lannin was interfering with the on-field decisions of manager, Bill Carrigan and mistreating members of the Red Sox. Lannin was incensed and as a result, Leonard was suspended for insubordination without pay and sent back to Boston. Lannin felt that many of Leonard's comments were not true and that he was just acting disgruntled and immature, because he was out-of-shape and not being used as much as he felt he should be.

But the Red Sox next went into Philadelphia and beat-up on the last place, Athletics. On May 28th, Duffy Lewis (.300 BA), who was having a great year, added another star next to his name. He drove home Hooper and Wagner with the game-winning runs in the ninth inning to give the Sox an 8 to 5 decision.

The Sox and A's split a doubleheader the next day. Babe Ruth pitched great, but lost the first game by a close 2-1 decision. The Sox came back in the second game, then saw the A's erase a 6 to 2 deficit in the ninth inning, but falling short with the Sox winning out, 6 to 5.

Another doubleheader was played on May 31st and the Red Sox swept both games, winning 2 to 1 in the morning and 9 to 2 in the afternoon. Tris Speaker had two hits in the first game and three in the second game, with two doubles in nine times up.

Connie Mack was disgusted. His World Champion Athletics were in last place and he paying big money to his veteran stars, who were aging and not producing. On May 29th the Red Sox acquired future Hall-of-Famer, Herb Pennock, who had been waived along with many of the A's veterans, in a salary dump.

The Sox (17-15) had basically been playing .500 ball thus far and started June in 4th place, five games behind the White Sox and one behind the Yankees.

On June 1st at the Polo Grounds against the Yankees, Joe Wood pitched an incredibly heroic game. The first three Yankee batters hit him for a home run, a double and a single. In spite of the excruciating pain in his shoulder, Wood settled down. He had no fastball and pitched on guts and guile, but on this day he somehow hung on for 13 remarkable innings and emerged with a 4 to 3 win.

Wood was not the only Red Sox player to battle injuries. Tris Speaker had been beaned and suffered from a concussion, Ty Cobb had spiked Everett Scott and Heinie Wagner was playing with a sore arm.

BABE RUTH

Babe Ruth took the ball on June 2nd and easily beat the Yankees, 7 to 1. He was never in much danger and got the following batters out whenever a New Yorker happened to reach base. Fritz Maisel's triple and a wild pitch accounted for the only Yank run in the first inning. Ruth also slugged a two-run homer into the right field grandstand to help his cause. Larry Gardner had four singles in five times up.

Upon returning to Fenway, the Sox next opponent was the first-place Chicago White Sox on June 4th. The Red Sox lost 2-0 on two errors by Heinie Wagner and excellent pitching by Jim Scott. Scott was equally matched by Ernie Shore, but the two unearned runs cost him the game.

The Red Sox scored two runs in the first inning of the next game and were never in danger of losing. A passed ball and an error by Dick Hoblitzell accounted for the two runs allowed by George Foster. Del Gainor had three hits, including a triple, and the Red Sox won, 4 to 2.

The third game was another win for the Red Sox, 3-0. On June 7th, Joe Wood was on the mound again and was only in the hole once. In the fourth inning, he loaded the bases with two outs, and struck out Jim Benton to end the threat. He gave up four hits and struck out five.

The final game of the series belonged to Chicago, 4 to 3. The Red Sox enjoyed a 3-1 lead going into the seventh inning. A fumble by Gardner and a wild throw by Mays let White Sox back into the game. Then another wild throw to first by Mays, gave Chicago the game in the eighth inning. For the Red Sox, Dick Hoblitzell had a grand game, with a single, a double and a home run.

The White Sox left town still enjoying a four game lead over the Red Sox, but tied for first with the Tigers, who were the next opponents at Fenway Park.

The Tigers blasted the Red Sox 15-0 in the first meeting. It was the worst beating any Sox team had ever endured at Fenway Park.

But the Sox bounced back in the next game on June 10th. Ernie Shore worked four innings and a part of the fifth, having poor control and giving up three runs. Dutch Leonard, who was back on the team after his punishment by Joe Lannin, pitched poorly for the next 2 2/3 innings and gave up two more runs. Joe Wood was finally given the ball and held the Tigers scoreless, while his teammates came back and won the game, 6 to 5.

Down 5-4 in the seventh inning, Duffy Lewis made a "web gem" catch on a drive by Oscar Vitt running up the left field bank. Leonard started off the Sox half of the seventh with a sharp single to right and was sacrificed to second by Olaf Henriksen. Heinie Wagner's base hit moved Leonard over to third base. Bill Rodgers took Leonard's place on third and scored the run that tied the game, when Tiger pitcher, Tug Cavet, tried to pick Wagner off first and threw the ball away. Wagner scampered over to third and was brought home with the game winner when Tris Speaker singled past second.

The third game also went to the Red Sox, 5-3. George Foster and Hooks Dauss had a pitcher's duel going until the Sox scored three runs in the sixth inning to grab a 4-2 lead. Foster's best work happened against the two Tigers stars, who he easily tamed, Ty Cobb and Sam Crawford.

The Sox won the next five games against Cleveland and St. Louis. On June 12th, the Red Sox won the game, 5 to 4. Vean Gregg was on the mound for Boston and although a bit wild, pitched well. Carl Mays pitched five scoreless innings in relief, allowing only three scattered singles. With the score tied 4-4 in the fifth inning, the Sox scored the game winner. Hoblitzell's triple to the bank in deep center, followed by Hal Janvrin's single to left was the difference. Mays was sharp and preserved the lead.

Joe Jackson had three hits off Joe Wood in the next game, but it wasn't enough. Wood had excellent command, walking only one man and won 4 to 1. Heinie Wagner with three hits, was not only the star with the bat, but had an excellent game defensively.

The first game with the Browns was an 11-10 slugfest on June 17th. Ruth pitched a great game for seven innings, leading 9-1, until St. Louis got to him, sending 12 men to the plate and scoring seven runs and cutting the Sox lead to one run. Larry Gardner's four hits led the Sox and Ruth's two hits were good for 3 RBIs.

A 3-1 pitching gem by George Foster in the second game, gave the Sox their seventh straight win and 16th of their last 20th. Tris Speaker made two superb catches after long runs, and he knocked in the two runs that gave the Sox the win. They moved into second place and were only 2 1/2 games out of first.

A quick trip to Washington for five games, where the Sox lost three, pushed the Sox back into third place, six games behind the White Sox and one behind the Tigers.

Babe Ruth earned one of their wins on June 21st, allowing the Nats six hits, winning 8-3. Harry Hooper led the Sox at the plate with a double and three singles. Hooper was the star in the other Sox win on June 24th, 12-4. He had three hits, including a triple, scored five runs, with 4 RBIs.

The Red Sox and Yankees faced off at the start of a Fenway Park homestand on June 25th. The score was 9 to 5 in favor of the Sox. The highlight of the game was a home run by Babe Ruth. With two men on, in the second inning, he drove the ball over the fence in front of the bleachers in right-center field. It was only the second time a homer had been hit in that area.

The two teams split two doubleheaders over the next two days. After losing the opener on June 26th, Joe Wood was responsible for the Sox winning the second game, 4 to 2. He had allowed only one hit thru eight innings. Another hit in the ninth inning and two consecutive passes end his day. At the plate, Joe slugged a ball high over the left field wall in the seventh inning.

After losing the first game two days later, the Sox again won the second match. Vean Gregg started that game and lasted only three innings, giving the ball to Carl Mays who pitched the Sox to a 6-3 win.

The final game of the Yankees series, on June 29th, went to the Sox in a dramatic, 4 to 3 win in 10 innings. The Sox were leading 2-0 in the ninth inning. The Yanks had made only five hits off Ruth thru eight innings, but got to him, to tie things up. They then scored another run in the tenth to take a one run lead. A diving catch by Speaker kept the Yankees from scoring a second run in the tenth.

In the bottom of the inning, now losing 3-2, Olaf Henriksen drew a pass to start the inning. Del Gainor, batting for Ruth, popped up to the pitcher Ray Caldwell, but Caldwell threw the ball away, trying to double-up Henriksen at first. With Henriksen on second, Hooper hit a high hopper to first and in the race to the bag, Henriksen rounded third and headed for home. The throw to the plate by firstbaseman Charlie Mullen, was dropped by the catcher, Les Nunamaker. Henriksen was safe, tying the score. Heinie Wagner was up next, laced a single to left and then took off for second base. Nunamaker's throw short-hopped the secondbaseman, Luke Boone, and bounded into centerfield, allowing Wagner to scamper over to third. Speaker, who already had four hits, spanked a line drive over Hugh High's head in deep center, scoring Wagner with the walk-off game winner.

June ended with another doubleheader, this one against the Philadelphia A's. The games weren't close. The Sox won both games, 10-5 and 10-7. Both teams knocked 50 base hits in total and Speaker led the Sox hitters with four hits.

Two days of rain followed and during that time, Joe Lannin paid Connie Mack $8000 for the Athletics' shortstop Jack Barry on July 2nd.

Another doubleheader was played with the A's on July 3rd and the two teams split it. The second game was won by the Red Sox, 11-0. Joe Wood had little trouble of disposing of his opponents for six innings and Vean Gregg finished the game. Jack Barry made his first appearance for the Sox, in the second game, taking over for Heinie Wagner.

The homestand was finished by sweeping the Washington Nationals in three doubleheaders. George Foster and Babe Ruth each shut out the Nats on July 5th. Foster won the first game, 4-0. Pinch Thomas and Hal Janvrin supplied the offense.

Ruth, who passed six batters and hit another, always got out of trouble, finished and won the second game, 6-0. He also tripled in the fifth inning. It made three consecutive shutouts for Red Sox pitchers.

The next day saw another doubleheader won by the Red Sox. This day, Sox pitchers, Ernie Shore, Vean Gregg and Carl Mays, in relief, allowed just one run in each game. That was just two runs allowed in 42 innings. Larry Gardner had five hits, with 3 RBIS and Hal Janvrin had four hits.

On July 7th, the third doubleheader went to the Red Sox also. Joe Wood had another easy game, winning 9-4 in the morning and Dutch Leonard cut loose and threw another shutout, winning a close game, 1-0.

Seven twin bills had been played in the Fenway homestand, and the Sox won a total of 13 in the 16 games they played. They batted .331 on the homestand and Sox pitchers had held their opponents to a .237 BA. They were now only one game behind the White Sox, as the team headed out on their next road trip.

In Detroit, the best they could do was earn a split. The first game was a disaster and the Sox got trounced, 15-4. But they bounced back the next day, winning 6 to 3. George Foster was the winning pitcher, striking out six and hit a three-run homer over the left field wall. Errors cost the Sox the third game, 5 to 4.

Bad pitching on both the Tigers and Sox resulted in a 12-12 tie after nine innings on July 12th. Four Red Sox pitchers were belted around until Ray Collins was given the ball and kept Detroit quiet for three innings. In the tenth, Hooper reached on an error by secondbaseman, Marty Kavanaugh. He was sacrificed to second by Hal Janvrin. Speaker brought him home with a base hit to put the Sox up a run. Speaker then stole second and rode home on another single by Del Gainor. Duffy Lewis singled Gainor to second and then Gainor tried to steal third. Catcher, Del Baker's throw went into left field however, and the Sox were ahead to stay, 15-12. Janvrin, Speaker and Gainor each had three hits, and two of Speaker and Janvrin's were doubles.

In Cleveland, the Sox took three out of five. The first four games were played in two doubleheaders which they both split. Babe Ruth pitched a good game in the first game on July 13th. Errors kept him from throwing a shutout, but he won the game, 7-3. Cleveland won the second game, 6-5, with a ninth inning rally.

The next day, the Indians took the first game from Joe Wood, 3-2. The two hottest hitters on the team, Tris Speaker and Hal Janvrin failed and both left men on base in scoring position. Ray Collins pitched the second game and was well supported by Del Gainor, who had two doubles and a triple in four times up.

The rubber game, on July 15th, went to the Red Sox. Speaker starred in the field and at the plate. He made two brilliant running catches, threw a runner out at home, and lined out four base hits in four times up, giving the Sox a 4 to 3 victory.

The "Speed Boys" left Cleveland for an important series with the first place White Sox in Chicago, trailing them by 1 1/2 games.

The two teams split a doubleheader on July 17th, the first day. In the first game, Lewis led the Red Sox with four base hits. Dick Hoblitzell drove in two runners with a ninth inning triple, and the Red Sox down 4-2. Then Duffy Lewis doubled Hobby home and Boston won 6 to 4. The Red Sox were shutout by Reb Russell, 4-0 in the second game.

Then the next day, July 18th, Joe Wood asked Bill Carrigan for the ball to pitch the third game of the series against future Hall-of-Famer Red Faber. Wood again was dazzling. Relying on a changeup rather than a fastball, no White Sox base runner made it past first base after the first inning. Wood knocked out two hits himself and scored a run in the Red Sox biggest victory of the season to that point. 

JOE WOOD

Wood was an inspiration to his Red Sox teammates, and they won the next two games. On July 19th, Ray Collins shutout the White Sox until the sixth inning, letting the White Sox tie the game at 4-4. Then in the seventh inning, Olaf Henriksen batted for Collins and drew a pass. Hooper bunted and Henriksen beat the throw trying to get him at second. Janvrin then also bunted and beat the throw to first. Speaker was up now with the bases loaded and grounded to Eddie Collins, who threw out Henriksen at the plate. Hoblitzell's single to center scored Hooper with the go-ahead run, and Duffy Lewis brought in Speaker with the insurance. Dutch Leonard pitched the final two innings and the Red Sox were in first place by 1/2 game, with the 6 to 4 win.

Ernie Shore pitched the finale and shut-out the White Sox 3-0. He only allowed the White Sox two hits and only two baserunners made it to second base. Not only did Shore do his job on the mound, but he drove in the first run he would need to win, with a double in the second inning. The Sox left town in first place, up a full game in the standings.

On July 21st the Babe treated the St. Louis fans to a glimpse of the future. In four at-bats, the 20-year-old phenom socked a single, two doubles, and a remarkable home run that cleared the bleachers in right field and landed on Grand Avenue behind Sportsman's Park. He also pitched the Sox to a 4 to 2 win.

The second game was a 7-3 Sox win also. Tris Speaker turned the trick for the Sox, as he knocked out three hits and drove in three runs. The third game was another win which the Sox led from the start with a final score of 8-3. Speaker had two more hits, including a double and an RBI.

The Sox split a doubleheader with the Browns on July 24th. The Sox won the first game easily, 7 to 3 behind George Foster. A fumble by Jack Barry cost the Sox the second game in the ninth inning, 3 to 2. Duffy Lewis had five hits, with two doubles on the day and drove in a pair of runs.

The Red Sox had won 13 of 20 games on the road trip and returned to Boston as conquering heroes, in first place.

On July 27th, in their first home game in nearly a month, Joe Wood won his 11th game of the season, scattering four hits in a 3 to 1 victory over the White Sox. He had excellent control and the only man he passed, scored the lone Chicago run, on a sacrifice and a hit.

Two straight losses put the White Sox and Red Sox back in a tie for first, but on the last day of the month, the Sox beat the Tigers, 4 to 1 and regained first place. George Foster deserved much of the credit, taming the Tigers with four scattered hits to 30 batters in nine innings.

The fourth game of the Tigers series on August 3rd, was a pitcher's duel between Ernie Shore and Harry Covaleski. Shore came out on top 2-1, splitting the four game series.

The Naps were next and the Sox found them easy pickings. After three days of rain, Joe Wood shut them out in the first game of a doubleheader, on August 7th, 2-0. He was perfect until the fourth inning when he loaded the bases with two outs. Then he dropped a curveball over the plate to strike out Elmer Smith.

Dutch Leonard gave up two quick runs and then settled down in the second game, striking out nine men. Speaker's two run triple and "Hobby"s fly ball gave them the lead for good in the third, eventually winning 6 to 2. Speaker (.328 BA) had five hits in the two games.

The Browns came to Fenway for the next six games. George Foster shut them out 2-0 in the first game. Speaker had two more hits, both doubles. He sent home the first run with the first two-bagger and scored the second run himself after hitting the second one.

TRIS SPEAKER

The two teams split a doubleheader the next day. After losing the opener, the Sox stormed back and won the nite cap, 10 to 3. The Browns turned in a triple play in the second game, the first ever turned in by an American League team in a game in Boston. With Speaker on first and Janvrin on third, Hoblitzell drove a line drive to left-center. Leftfielder, Burt Shotton was after it and speared the ball for the first out. He shot it to first, doubling-up Speaker, who had started for second and couldn't get back in time. Janvrin had tagged up at third and was cut down trying to score for the third out.

Babe Ruth was on the mound in the second game. He gave up a quick run which the Sox got back in their half of the first inning, just before Hobby hit into the triple play. The Sox took the lead in the third inning with three runs and cruised home. Ruth chipped in two hits, good for 2 RBIs and Speaker added three more hits.

A second doubleheader was played on August 11th and the Sox won both games. The Sox knocked out 15 hits in the first game, good for 11 runs. Speaker, with his hot bat went 3 for 5 with 3 RBIs.

Speaker slammed a triple into the right field corner in the third inning of the second game, scoring on a wild pitch to give the Sox a quick lead. The Browns tied the game but the Sox quickly came back, scored another run and took a 2-1 lead. In the ninth inning Duffy Lewis saved the game. Del Pratt hit a vicious line drive to left. Lewis climbed the bank, twisted and turned, falling down and caught the ball to save the game. Dutch Leonard struck out eight and only allowed four hits, taking the win.

The final game was won by the Sox also, 4 to 0. George Foster threw his second consecutive shutout and blasted  two doubles, scoring two runs and knocking in one.

Washington came to Fenway and lost three straight in the next series. The Sox won all three games by one run. The score on August 13th was 3 to 2. The game was won in the ninth inning. With one out, Duffy Lewis on second, Larry Gardner on first and Jack Barry at the plate, Walter Johnson, who had come in to pitch the ninth, threw a ball that bounced in front of the plate. It bounded to the backstop and Lewis scampered all the way home for the game winner.

The next game was won 4 to 3 by the Sox. Walter Johnson started this game and his opponent was Babe Ruth. Ruth outpitched Johnson, giving up five hits and also whacked out two singles, scoring one run and knocking in another.

Joe Wood took the ball in the third game on August 16th. He allowed five hits and didn't allow anyone to cross the plate, winning 1-0. He opposed Bert Gallia, who only gave up two hits, but one was a triple by Hooper, who scored the only run of the game on Everett Scott's fly ball.

The Sox won seven straight games and won a total of 13 games of the 17 played in the homestand. The team left for Chicago with a 2 1/2 game lead over the Tigers and six over the White Sox.

In Chicago, the Red Sox lost two straight games, the second one by one run, 2-1 in a battle between George Foster and Red Faber on August 19th. It was Foster's first loss after winning eight straight. The Red Sox wasted a chance in the ninth with Olaf Henriksen on third, but nobody could bring him in.

The final game was won by Ernie Shore, 4 to 1, with his teammates jumping off to a three run first inning that allowed him to cruise. They left to play in St. Louis with their lead cut to just 1/2 game.

In St. Louis the Red Sox won four straight. Ruth came through in the clutch and pitched the Sox to a 4-1 win on August 21st. He forced the Browns to leave 11 men on base.

A doubleheader went to the Sox the next day. George Foster won the first game, 6-1, the only run for the Browns coming in the ninth inning on an error. And Dutch Leonard struck out 14 batters in the second game and won 5-3.

The fourth game was a 7 to 0 shutout by Vean Gregg. It was the only complete game he had pitched all season. He also had two hits and knocked in a run.

The second place Tigers needed to win the next series with the Red Sox that was played in Detroit. On August 24th, Ernie Shore allowed them one run and won a 3-1 decision. Three hits, two of them bunts and two wild throws gave the Sox their three runs in the first inning. Ty Cobb and all the Tiger players had done everything they could to rattle Shore, but he pitched with ice water in his veins.

It took 13 innings and the Red Sox prevailed, 2 to 1 in the second game with the Tigers on August 25th. Ruth was pitching a great game with a 1-0 lead, but let the Tigers tie things up in the ninth inning. Dutch Leonard took over and shut down Detroit through the 13th. Leonard started the winning rally off himself with a single. He went to second on a bunt by Hooper and cruised home in front of a double by Everett Scott. Cobb was stranded at second in the Tiger's half of the 13th, when Tris Speaker made a running catch at full reach on a drive by Sam Crawford for the final out.

The Tigers came back and took the third game in 12 innings, but the Sox still were still up by 2 1/2 games over them.

In Cleveland, after losing the first game, the Sox took three straight. In an August 30th doubleheader, the Sox won 5 to 3 and then 3 to 1. In the opener, everything was running smoothly for Babe Ruth, with the Sox up by five runs, when a pass and two triples turned into three runs. Carl Mays took the ball and recorded his fifth save. Ernie Shore allowed five hits in the second game and Harry Hooper, with a double and a triple, knocked in a run and scored one himself. He also had two hits in the first game.

The last game was a beautiful 1-0 shutout thrown by Dutch Leonard the next day. The only time he was in trouble was the ninth inning. With the bases loaded, Dutch struck out Jack Graney and Jay Kirke to end the game.

The Sox next went to Philadelphia and beat the A's four straight games. George Foster won his 17th game and shut them out the first game, 6-0, allowing only three scattered hits on September 1st.

Dick Hoblitzell wielded the big stick the next day, knocking out three hits, including a triple and driving in three run. Harry Hooper also tripled and was 4 for 5, as the Sox beat the A's, 8 to 3.

The third game was all Red Sox, as they whipped the A's 10-2. Ernie Shore was never in danger after the first inning when a hit and a throwing error put runners on second and third. Tris Speaker then speared a line drive and threw the runner from third out, trying to score. Harry Hooper had two doubles in the game and Jack Barry, with a pair of hits, drove home two runs. But Duffy Lewis, with four hits and an RBI, was the star at the plate in this one.

The final game of the series on September 4th, was won by a close 3-2 score. Dutch Leonard gave up the two runs the A's scored in the first inning and then shut them out the rest of the way. It was the 23rd win for the Sox in their last 28 games, due to their superior pitching. They headed home with a three game lead over Detroit. Hooper led the team with 28 hits in 78 at bats on the trip, batting .359 in the 18 road games.

At Fenway the Sox weren't as fortunate, losing three straight to the Yankees and one to the A's. But they rallied and came back winning seven straight.

On September 8th, in the first game of a doubleheader against the Athletics, Bill Carrigan let Ruth pinch-hit for him. With the bases loaded, the over-anxious slugger-to-be swung at three pitches and looked foolish. The Sox were losing 1-0, and Babe was trying to hit a home run.  But the Sox belted the A's, 13-2 in the second game. Olaf Henriksen got the start in left field and answered with three hits, including a double.

The next day saw a pitching gem by Ernie Shore. Jimmy Walsh's first inning single was the only hit he allowed, winning 5-0. It was his sixth win in his last seven games, with a 1.22 ERA during that span.

Ruth got the start, gave up five hits and struck out six in the final game with Philadelphia on September 10th, and led the Sox to a 7 to 2 victory.

The White Sox next fell victim to the Red Sox, winning only one game of the five they played. Leonard won the first two games of the series. The first game on September 11th, was a 5-4 victory and one of the most exciting games of the season. Losing 4-1, a ninth rally tied the score. Tris Speaker started the inning with a double down the left field line. Larry Gardner doubled to the same area and scored Speaker. After one out, Jack Barry singled home Gardner. Bill Carrigan grounded out, but Barry moved to second on the play. Olaf Henriksen came up to hit for the pitcher and sent home the tying run with a clean single to center.

Dutch came in and pitched perfectly in the 10th and 11th, striking out four of the six men he faced. Then in the bottom of the 11th inning, with one out, Barry singled up the middle. Carrigan waited out Jim Scott, who had come in to pitch, for a walk, and Leonard followed with a second consecutive free pass, that loaded the bases for Dick Hoblitzell. Hobby slammed the first pitch he saw, down the first base line into right field and Barry romped home with the game winner.

Two days later was a doubleheader. Dutch Leonard started and won the first game, 2-1, giving up three hits and striking out six. Jack Barry went 3 for 3. The second game was another pitching  masterpiece. Ernie Shore gave up just three hits and won by a 4-1 score. Harry Hooper had three hits, including a triple, and drove home two runs.

Babe Ruth won the third game pretty much by himself on September 14th, 2 to 1. He allowed just two hits and struck out five. At the plate he was 2 for 3 with a double against off the left field wall, that sent home the winning run.

Next was a Fenway Park showdown with the second place Detroit Tigers. The Red Sox held a two game lead over them in the American League pennant race.

The first of four games went to the Tigers, 6 to 1. The Tiger batters hit Rube Foster very hard and he was relieved by Ray Collins and then Carl Mays.  The Sox just failed to play championship baseball and showed nothing.  Ty Cobb made himself quite conspicuous, as usual, around home plate, looking for those in the stands making remarks at him.  In one instance during the game, he threw his bat at Mays, who Cobb thought threw the ball a little too close to his head.  The bad blood between the teams continued as both Foster and Dauss threw balls at each other's head during the course of the game.

The Tigers lost the second game to the Red Sox by a 7 to 2 score on September 17th.  There was some nice hitting by Dick Hoblitzell and Dutch Leonard, who sent a liner to the bank in left field, with the bases loaded in the third inning, putting the game on ice.  Leonard pitched a masterly game for eight innings.  In that time he only gave up one hit.  But in the ninth inning, he became a bit careless, hitting a batter.  After that, Ty Cobb came up and got a little glory for himself, smacking one of Leonard's straight ones into the right field bleachers for the Tigers' only two runs.

Then on September 18th, a crammed Fenway Park (more than 37,000 people, meaning fans were lining the outfield and foul lines) witnessed Ernie Shore pitch a 12-inning, 1-0, shutout.  Detroit rallied in the final inning to load the bases, but Shore pitched out of the jam when Marty Kavanaugh made the third out by passing Sam Crawford on the base path. The Sox made the most out of their lucky break, with Carrigan pinch hitting for Shore, and Duffy Lewis on second base, knocked him in. 

The Red Sox staged an uphill fight and defeated the Tigers, 3 to 2 in the final game of the series on September 20th. Thanks to a timely drive by Dick Hoblitzell and a great three bagger by Duffy Lewis, with a couple of timely free passes, the Sox were able to push their way past their visitors and win one of the most important games of the season. 

In the sixth inning and trailing 2-1, Tris Speaker drew a pass.  Duffy Lewis smashed on down the right field line for a triple, scoring Speaker with the tying run.  Larry Gardner followed with a ground ball to second base, and Ralph Young, seeing Duffy breaking for home, threw to the plate, with Lewis beating it by a close margin to put the Sox out front 3-2.  Babe Ruth started the game and did splendid work until the eighth inning when he grew unsteady and retired in favor of George Foster.  Foster struck out four of the next five he faced and struck out Del Baker in the eighth with the bases loaded.  The win gave the Red Sox a four game lead with 14 games left to play. 

Two doubleheaders were next played with the Cleveland Naps at Fenway Park. The Sox won all four games. In the first game of the doubleheader on September 22nd, it was Dutch Leonard on the mound. He gave up two runs in seven innings and left down 2-0. But in the eighth, the Red Sox scored three runs and held on for a 3 to 2 win. 

In the second game the Red Sox trotted out George Foster.  Foster gave up a run in the first inning but Harry Hooper saved more runs from being put up with another great running catch.  Then Foster settled down and pitched an excellent game. The Red Sox cut loose in the fourth inning and scored four runs on a double by Hooper, a safe bunt by Del Gainor, a base hit by Speaker, and a screaming double by Duffy Lewis.  The Sox got three more runs in the eighth inning and coasted to a 7 to 1 win.

In the first game of next day's doubleheader, Joe Wood made an appearance after a long rest. He used curves and control to work the corners of the plate for six innings.  He was hit hard in the seventh inning and retired in place of Carl Mays for the last two innings. The Sox won out 5 to 4.

In the second game Bill Carrigan called on Ernie Shore, who pitched an easy game because his batters gave him an early lead. The Sox hit for multiple extra base hits in the game, with Shore, himself, driving home two runs in the second inning with a nice double, winning 6 to 2. The Sox lead over the Tigers increased to 4 1/2 games, with 10 left to play.

George Foster won his 19th game, beating the Browns at Fenway, 3-2 on September 25th. Ernie Shore won his 19th against the Browns two days later.

The Sox took to the road in Washington. In his final start of the summer, a 3-1 loss to Walter Johnson on October 2nd, Joe Wood was seen clinging to his shoulder in pain.

The Sox then lost a doubleheader in New York. Their lead in the American League was now just two games with three left to play.

On October 6th, they played another doubleheader with the Yankees. In the first game Ernie Shore pitched great, striking out the first three men.  Leonard, Wood and Mays finished up the game, winning out by a score of 2 to 0. Although Joe Wood pitched three innings, when he came out, he told Carrigan his arm was just not right and felt he could not start a game in the World Series, but could pitch an inning or two if needed. But in reality, his season was over.

Babe Ruth pitched the second game, gave up five hits and struck out six, also slugging out a double, winning 4 to 2. The Red Sox clinched the American League pennant. The Sox would wait another 31 years before seeing 100 wins again. The Sox finished with 101 wins and 50 losses, 2 1/2 games ahead of Detroit (who had four more losses in their own 100-win season). 

The World Series was a competitive Series, but one in which the Philadelphia Phillies clearly choked. Three times the games entered the ninth inning tied. And three times the Red Sox pushed across the winning run in their half of the ninth.

The Phillies rode their horse, Grover Cleveland Alexander, to a 3-1 Game #1, win at Baker Bowl. Ernie Shore started and pitched well, but Alexander got all the breaks in a 3-1 Philadelphia victory. Philly was able to win despite only getting five hits. Even as an elderly man, Shore recalled that if the Phillies’ hits were lined up end-to-end, they still wouldn’t reach the outfield grass.

In Game #2, Woodrow Wilson became the first ever President to watch a World Series game. He saw a good one, as the two teams entered the ninth inning tied at one each. Not only did George Foster pitch superbly for the Sox, throwing a complete game three-hitter, but he was 3-for-4 at the plate and drove in the tie-breaker in the top of the ninth. In that inning, Larry Gardner, reached second base and scored on a single by Foster, to even the Series at 1-1.

Dutch Leonard rounded out his season in impressive fashion, facing Alexander in Game #3 in Boston. Since Braves Field had more seats than Fenway Park, the Sox were allowed to play at the new home ball park of their National League counterparts.

DUFFY LEWIS, ED BURNS, DUTCH LEONARD, GAVVY CRAVATH, HARRY HOOPER

The Phillies continued to struggle at the plate. Leonard held the Phils to one run and three hits, and the two teams entered the bottom of the ninth again tied at one apiece. Harry Hooper singled off Alexander, and moved to third with two outs.  Duffy Lewis came to the plate and the Sox left fielder cracked a single into right, for a walk-off 2 to 1 win.

Ernie Shore came back and then faced George Chalmers in Game #4. This time the luck was all on his side. Sensational fielding and pure luck saved him several times. Lewis knocked in the winning run again on a ninth inning double, while also making his second game-saving catch in the last two games. The Phillies lost their third straight game by a another score of 2-1.

The two teams headed back to Philly with the Sox ahead in the Series, by a comfortable 3-1 margin. In Game #5, Foster was given the ball again. The Phillies shot out to a 4-2 lead, which they took into the eighth inning. Lewis played the hero again. After hitting only two homers in the regular season, he hit a two run blast to tie the game at 4-4.

Then, in the top of the ninth, Hooper hit a solo shot to put the Sox up 5 to 4. Foster struck out the first batter in the bottom of the ninth and then induced two easy grounders to close out the game and win the World Series.

Foster went 2-0 in the Series with a 2.00 ERA. He was 4-for-8 at the plate. Hooper saved his best work for the World Series, with a .350 batting average and two home runs, both of which came in the final game, making him only the second player in World Series history to homer twice in the same game. (Both homers bounced into Baker Bowl’s temporary stands. Today they would be considered ground-rule doubles.)