STUFFY McINNIS

THE LAST ONE FOR 86 YEARS
The Sox start big in the Cleveland showdown

August 17, 1918 ...  The first game of the crucial series between the Red Sox and the Indians at Fenway Park is just a memory now, and the Sox have and Indian scalp tucked safely away in the strongbox. Over 15,000 fans, the largest crowd of the season, saw Babe Ruth register a 4 to 2 triumph over the second-place contenders.

The strategy employed by Cleveland help to beat them. It boomeranged to say the least. With men on second and third in the eighth inning, and one out, Babe Ruth was up. Jim Bagby purposely walked the slugger to pitch to Stuffy McInnis. McInnis promptly ripped a single to left driving in the two runs that would prove to be the difference. Two times, at the plate, the Babe was passed purposely with men on base. The other time in the fourth inning, he beat out an infield hit.

Guy Morton threw the first seven innings and held the Sox to four hits, only one of which went beyond the infield. In the fourth inning, it was the only time that Babe found himself in trouble. The Indians attacked him, scoring the first run of the game.

Jack Graney opened Cleveland's fourth inning with a triple to center. Harry Hooper's pin point throw to the plate, after taking Ray Chapman's line drive, held Graney at third. Tris Speaker's double to left field scored him to take a 1 to 0 lead.

In the bottom of the inning, Ruth and Stuffy McInnis beat out infield hits. Babe scored from second when Hack Miller singled to left. Stuffy came all the way from first, as Graney's throw went wide. The ball was recovered rapidly by Steve O'Neill, but he was too late to nail McInnis. The Sox now led 2 to 1.

Joe Wood opened the seventh with a double, which hit the scoreboard in left, but he was doubled up when Bob Bescher lined out to Harry Hooper in short right field. Wood evidently thought the ball got by Hooper because he already was at third base when Hooper tossed to Everett Scott to get him out, back at second base.

In the eighth inning, after Hooper singled and Dave Shean forced him at second, Amos Strunk doubled to right, putting Shean on third. Then the Babe was passed, and Stuffy McInnis ripped his game winning single.

The Indians tried to stage a rally in the ninth. Jack Graney singled and galloped to third when McInnis' threw wild trying for him at second. He scored on Joe Wood's infield out, but the Babe closed the door on any hopes they had of tying up the game.