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“DIARY OF A WINNER”
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WORLD CHAMPS AGAIN April 17, 1915 ... The result of the first meeting between the rival baseball teams from Washington and Boston at Nationals Park was perfectly satisfactory to the visiting team, as they won a 7 to 5 victory after a great back and forth scrap. To make the result even more interesting, the great Walter Johnson was the victim. Johnson was ordered in to kill off Boston's chances in the last inning, with two down and men on second and third. He had been warming up for 20 minutes, and when ordered to the firing line, you heard a cheer from the home crowd, that should have wracked the nerves of the Sox players. But Duffy Lewis, who was at the plate, had nerves of steel, and only smiled as Johnson took his warm-ups. Johnson fired one wide to size up his opponent, and Lewis allowed it to pass without a move. Then Johnson took a long preliminary swing and cut the ball to home, fast enough to crack a piece of lumber, but Lewis timed it nicely and with very little effort, shot the ball over second resulting in a cheer from the Boston dugout as Heinie Wagner and Tris speaker bounded over home plate with the go-ahead runs. Washington quit right there and were easy picking for Ernie Shore, who struck out the first two batters he faced and retired the side for the victory. Shore pitched a remarkable game as he struck out three men in succession in the seventh inning, with a man on third, but his good work was spoiled when Hick Cady missed the third strike and allowed the man to reach first while he was trying to find the ball. The blunder cost two runs and allowed the home team to tie the score. George "Rube" Foster started the game and was working smoothly until the third inning, when the Nats commenced to hit him in a savage manner and he was finally relieved after a double, a single and a triple were followed by a base on balls in the fourth inning. Shore prevented any more runs from getting in by striking out George McBride and forcing the third man. He could have scored a shutout to the close, but for Cady's failure to pick up the ball after that third strike. Joe Boehling started for Washington and was very wild, failing to stop the timely hits knocked out by Everett Scott and Heinie Wagner. Boehling failed to show any of his old stuff, in fact, Shore was the only pitcher who went through the game and looked good. The Red Sox scored one run in the second inning when Lewis singled, went to second on a sacrifice fly by Dick Hoblitzell and to third on a single by Scott. He scored on a long fly ball to center by Hal Janvrin. Washington matched the run in the third inning as McBride singled and came home on a double to right by Boehling. The Red Sox scored four in the fourth inning on two singles and the wild pitching of Boehling. Lewis drew a pass and Hoblitzell was hit in the ribs. Scott moved them over with a sacrifice bunt, but was safe on the throw to fill the bases. Janvrin forced his man, scoring Lewis. Cady next, hit one back to the pitcher and Hoblitzell was run down at the plate. Foster then walked to fill the bases once again, and Hooper was walked to force home Janvrin with the second run of the inning, and leaving the bases still full. Heinie Wagner lined a single over second that scored two runs, and left runners at second and third on the throw. That made the score 5 to 1 in favor of the Sox. In the bottom of the inning Washington got two of those runs back and then the other two back in the bottom of the seventh to tie up the game. Then came the fireworks in the ninth-inning. With two down, Wagner went to third on a muffed fly ball by Joe Moeller in right field. Speaker worked a base on balls and then stole second. It was at that point that Walter Johnson came into pitch to Duffy Lewis. President Joe Lannin failed to arrive at the park today as he said he would. Tomorrow will be the first Sunday off for the Red Sox since they left Hot Springs. |
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