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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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FENWAY'S FIRST TEAM May 27, 1912 ... The champion Philadelphia Athletics came back at the Speed Boys from Boston and in a long and drawn out game, catching their second victory of the series in a 12 to 6 slugfest. The Red Sox made one splendid rally in the fifth inning, scoring four runs and coming within one of tying the score. The veteran Eddie Plank, for the first time in years, was taken out in the middle of the game during that inning. The Red Sox had been weak at the plate and on the bases, up until that time. The game seemed lost, but the fans got a lot of pleasure from the spurt and the uncomfortable feeling experienced by Philadelphia. Buck O'Brien started the game for the Red Sox and was knocked around until he was relieved by Ray Collins in the third inning. Although Collins was hit hard, he gave evidence of having good stuff left in his tank. The Athletics got to him in one inning for three hits and two runs and then he settled down to effective work up until the eighth-inning, when manager Stahl sent in himself as a pinch-hitter. Connie Mack was not sleeping, for he had another great pitcher in Chief Bender ready for business and sent in to pitch for the last two innings, even with his team two runs up the best that the Red Sox could manage off him was a double by Tris Speaker. Hugh Bedient worked the last inning for the Red Sox and was given a bad pounding on a pass and four singles that brought four runs over the plate. The Athletics smashed the ball safely 17 times, with every man getting one or more hits except the pitchers. In fact the Boston pitchers seems like easy money for every one of the Philly batters. The Red Sox lacked their usual snap and but for the free hitting of Duffy Lewis and Speaker, it would've been a total disaster. Speaker also made a great one-handed running, jumping catch on the edge of the bank in the ninth to add to his highlights. He was four times at bat, turning in a single and two doubles, scoring three of the Boston six runs. Connie Mack once more made it clear that he will relieve his pitcher with the first evidence of their weakening and sending in Bender, under the circumstances, showed how carefully was to hold his ground after taking the lead. Eddie Collins was the headliner at the plate for the Athletics, with four safe hits in his many times at bat. They've shown high-class ball in the last three games here, and with very good pitching, the champions are more than likely to worry anyone who may want to be in the lead in the American League. The Red Sox have slumped in the last two games in every department, but may come back to their natural stride in any future game. They must be at their best however to hold the men from Philadelphia who will all take advantage of an opening, no matter how small. Boston furnished the openings and their pitchers were not able to stop the great bunch of hitters that Philadelphia employs. The Athletics started off the game by getting a run in the first inning and a run in the second inning. They then knocked in three runs in the third. Amos Strunk opened it with a scratch single and Harry Lord sacrificed him to second. Eddie Collins doubled him in and then Ray Collins came into pitch. Baker popped out back to the Ray and Eddie Murphy singled to score Eddie Collins. McInnis lined a double to the bank to score Murphy and Lewis took one of Jack Barry's flyballs close to the bank. With Philly in the lead 5 to 0, the Red Sox got one back in the fourth inning when Speaker drew a pass and Lewis hit the bank in left center to score him. The Athletics got another run in the fifth but the Red Sox came back with four in the bottom half of the inning. Plank gave Ray Collins a free pass and Harry Hooper beat out a slow roller down the first base line. Yerkes got a base hit and Speaker singled to right sending Hooper across and Yerkes to third. Speaker took second on the throw and that was it for Plank. Brown came in, in relief, and got Lewis on a ground ball, but on the play Yerkes was able to score. Larry Gardner came up next and drew a pass and immediately stole second base. He was the tying run and as Bradley beat out a base hit he went to third. But Heinie Wagner hit a sharp one down to Barry who tossed it over to second for the force out that ended the inning with the score 6 to 5. The Athletics put it away by adding one more run in the fifth and two more in the sixth and finally beatng down Hugh Bedient in the ninth with four big runs. The Red Sox added one more in the seventh on Speaker's double to the left-field bank, a passed ball that moved him to third, scoring on Lewis' ground out. Speaker got another double in the ninth only to see Lewis close the game with a pop fly to Ira Thomas, ending a 12-6 long afternoon. |
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