GUY MORTON

THE LAST ONE FOR 86 YEARS
Guy Morton one hits the Red Sox

May 23, 1918 ... One lonely base hit was all the Red Sox could get off the boy who was the pitching sensation of 1915.  The hit was registered by Amos Strunk in the seventh inning.  It was a Texas leaguer that dropped between Ray Chapman and Joe Wood.  Both made a great try for it and had Chapman kept away, Joe Wood he might have had it.  Cleveland won the game one to nothing.

Only four of the Sox saw first base.   Everett Scott, reaching on an error in the third, Otis Strunk on his hit in the seventh, and Fred Thomas and Wally Schang on passes in the eighth. Morton had everything going for him and it looked to be the real gem. 

Sam Jones pitched the first eight innings for the Red Sox. This was the second game he has started since coming here with Fred Thomas in the Tris Speaker trade two years ago.  Considering that Sam rarely gets the opportunity to ease into a real game, he did a good job and would have pitched the limit, but for the fact that Capt. Dick  Hoblitzell was shoved in to hit for him in the eighth inning, when the Red Sox had two on.

When George Whiteman gets the proper dope on playing balls that strike the fence in left field, and playing the rebound,  it will be immeasurable help to the Boston pitchers.  Duffy Lewis knew just where to play these balls, but the eager and conscientious Whiteman flirts too close to the wall and after the ball caroms off it, it rebounds away and usually shoots past Whitey.

Such was the case in the fourth inning yesterday when the Indians pushed over their only run. Chapman had singled to center, and after Speakers' hit to Strunk, Braggo Roth rapped one up against the fence in left. Chapman scored all the way from first, as the ball, after striking the fence, shot past Whiteman on the rebound and Roth got a double.  Had Chapman been held at third on that blow, there would've been no scoring, as the next two batters were retired.

Al Halt in Steve O'Neill hit safely before anybody was out in the fifth inning.  O'Neill hit sharply to the right side on the hit and run, but after passing second Halt got the idea that the ball had been caught and started back to first, where he was nailed. Later on in the game, he was doubled up before he could get back to second base after Eddie Miller had hit a fly ball to Dave Shean in short right field.

Visions of a Red Sox rally were seen in the eighth inning when Morton opened by passing Thomas.  Scotty tried to sacrifice, but popped up to O'Neill. Then Schang was walked and pinch hitter Dick Hoblitzell flew out to Halt, and Hooper flied out to Roth.