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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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FENWAY'S FIRST TEAM September 10, 1912 ... It was a close call in Chicago, but Jake Stahl's team held on to win 5 to 4 over the White Sox. The win gave Joe Wood his 15th straight victory, but he needed help in the ninth-inning from Charley Hall, to preserve the win. For seven innings it looked like a walkover for the Red Sox, with the score 5 to 1 and Wood pitching his usual good game. It was intensely hot and Wood seemed to pitch himself out of tight corners in the first second and sixth innings. He had knocked in one run himself, on a fine double and scored the fifth and winning run in the seventh inning. Then the White Sox got to him in the eighth-inning and filled up the bases. The first three men up all singled and then Steve Yerkes allowed a ground ball to go between his legs to allow two runs to score. Now with men at first and third Wood hit Ray Schalk with a pitch to load the bases. Needing two runs to tie, manager Jimmy Callahan sent up a bunch of pinch hitters. The fans were going crazy and the first pinch-hitter, Ping Bodie, smashed a fast ground ball that hit the base runner, Ernie Johnson, for the second out. Babe Borton, who had crossed the plate, was forced to return to third. The bases were still full, but Larry Gardner turned in a nice play on Morrie Rath's bunt and the Sox got out of trouble. As the game progressed, it became obvious that Wood was being bothered by the heat. His uniform was wet and he tried to make it through, but was weakening and it was plain to see. In the ninth-inning, with the score 5 to 3 in the Red Sox favor, Wally Mattick doubled and Harry Lord lined a base hit. Then Wood tossed the ball over to Charley Hall, who had been warming up since the eighth-inning, and took up the task. Hall got Shano Collins on a weak pop up to Engle and the second man hit a fly ball out to Duffy Lewis, scoring Mattick from third. Now it was a one run game and knowing that Lord would in all probability, steal second, Hall threw at least a dozen balls over to Engle at first to drive Lord back. Finally Hall threw a fastball to the batter and Lord took off for second. Cady's throw was perfect and Heinie Wagner slapped the ball into Lord's ribs for the third out and the win. The Red Sox scored three runs off Doc White in the second inning. Larry Gardner started with a base hit and went to second on a wild pitch. Clyde Engel drew a pass and Heinie Wagner beat out a bunt that scored Gardner. Hick Cady hit a fly ball out to Lord to score Engle. It was Joe Wood who smashed the ball for two bases and scored Wagner, giving the Red Sox a 3 to 0 lead. Harry Hooper opened the fifth with a base hit but was forced at second by Yerkes. After Speaker grounded out, Lewis singled and Yerkes scored to make it 4 to 0. After the White Sox came back with their own run in the sixth inning, the Red Sox got one more in the seventh. Wood opened with a single and Hooper sacrificed him to second. After Yerkes was thrown out at first, Speaker beat out an infield grounder that was knocked down by White, allowing Wood to score, making it 5 to 1. The White Sox put up a marvelous game all around the infield with Buck Weaver and Rollie Zieder killing off several potential hits. For the Sox, Gardner, Lewis and Speaker did some fine work as did Clyde Engel at first. The White Sox got to Wood more easily than any team has done this season. The Red Sox were extremely pleased to get the victory and they were eager to see Wood keep after the record made by Walter Johnson of 16 straight. Wood will try to tie the record at St. Louis next Saturday. C.H. Randall, a large stockholder in the Red Sox, gave the Boston party a dinner at the Union League Club. Randall is a friend of manager Jake Stahl and a large Red Sox supporter. |
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