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BABE RUTH |
THE LAST ONE FOR 86 YEARS
Ruth wins and Joe Bush loses in Cleveland
August
4, 1918 ...
The Red Sox left Cleveland for Detroit tonight, still 3 1/2 games ahead of the Indians, the teams breaking even today in a doubleheader at Dunn Field. The Sox battled the Indians to a standstill in the first, winning 3 to 1 in 12 innings, and losing the second game 2 to 0, when rain put an end to the
contest in the sixth inning.
Babe Ruth was the hero of the first game. Not only did he drive in the Sox first run, but he also put a classic game of pitching on display, holding the tribe to just four hits. Ruth had to pitch a great ballgame, but his work was only a shade better than that of
Indians' starter, Guy Morton, who went the first eight innings, and then relieved by Johnny Enzmann, who pitched the next four in great relief.
In the first inning. Amos Strunk was on second base with two out, when the Babe came to the plate. There was a three and two count on Babe, when Morton was ordered to walk him. Morton failed to do so because he threw a pitch where Babe could reach it, and singled,
sending Strunk across the plate with the first run of the game.
No more scoring was done until the eighth inning, when Cleveland brought up three pinch-hitters. Bob Bescher and Jack Farmer both singled and Bescher scored on an infield out to tie the game and keep it going until the 12th inning. The Sox scored the winning run when
George Cochran got on, stole second and came home on Wally Mayer's single to left.
In 10 of the 12 innings the Babe retired the Indians in order. The final score was 2 to 1 in favor of the Red Sox.
The second game was a pitcher's battle with Stan Coveleski again on the mound, registering his second victory of the series, and getting the edge on Joe Bush. Bush kept out of trouble until the sixth inning, when Ray Chapman singled, took second on Tris Speaker's out,
stole third, and scored on Braggo Roth's infield hit. Roth then stole second and scored on Joe Wood's single. Soon after, the rains came and the game was called, giving Cleveland a 2 to 0 win, and therefore taking three out of four games in the series. |
