1912 World Series: Game 4

We're back at The Polo Grounds for today's game.  Both teams took the 6PM train out of Boston after yesterday's game ended arriving in New York well before midnight.

Yesterday, Tris Speaker received the 1912 version of the MVP for the American League.  Today it's the turn of Larry Doyle, the Giants second baseman, to receive the Chalmers Award as the most valuable player of the National League.

The pitching matchup is the same as for Game 1 - Joe Wood for the Sox and Jeff Tesreau for the Giants.  Both are pitching on only two days rest.

It's another close game with the key sequence occurring in the bottom of the 7th.

But at the start it is looking like Tesreau is in trouble.  The first two Sox batters reach base and the rookie looks shaky but he gets out of danger when Speaker grounds into a double play.

The Boston club strikes in the second when Gardner triples and scores on a wild pitch.

In the 4th the Sox add another run when, with two out and a runner on third, Hick Cady hits a ground ball past the diving Giants shortstop, Art Fletcher.  

(Across the nation, fans gathered to watch the pitch by pitch progress of each Series game on outdoor electric-mechanical scoreboards.  These are fans in Washington watching the progress of one of the series games courtesy of a board operated by the Washington Post)  Photo from Shorpy Archives

Entering the bottom of the 7th, the Sox lead 2-0 and Smoky Joe Wood is dominating, striking out six in the first six innings.  Buck Herzog singles and then, with two out, Art Fletcher doubles scoring Herzog and bringing the Giants within a run of tying the game.(Art Fletcher, John McGraw & Christy Mathewson)

Moose McCormick steps to the plate, pinch hitting for Tesreau.  He hits a ball up the middle which looks like it will reach the outfield but the diving Red Sox second baseman, Steve Yerkes, slows it down by getting a glove on it behind the base.  Nonetheless, John McGraw coaching third base, waves Fletcher around third towards home.  Yerkes makes a good throw to Hick Cady and Fletcher is clearly going to be out but with McGraw screaming at him, Fletcher slams into the catcher knocking him down.  Hick holds onto the ball for the final out of the inning and the Sox still lead 2-1.                                              (Hick Cady)

Cady goes after Fletcher and players swarm onto the field but order is restored.

In the top of the 9th, the Sox add an insurance run when Joe Wood hits an RBI single.

Red Sox wins 3-1 and lead the Series 2-1 with one tie.  Wood has won two games, striking out 19.

Now it's back to catch the night train to Boston for another game in Fenway tomorrow afternoon.

Game Summary from Baseball-reference.com

 Friday, October 11, 1912 at Polo Grounds V (New York Giants)

                                 1  2  3    4  5  6    7  8  9     R  H  E
                                 -  -  -    -  -  -    -  -  -     -  -  -
    Boston Red Sox               0  1  0    1  0  0    0  0  1     3  8  1
    New York Giants              0  0  0    0  0  0    1  0  0     1  9  1

    PITCHERS: BOS - Wood
              NYG - Tesreau, Ames (8)

               WP - Smoky Joe Wood
        LP - Jeff Tesreau
             SAVE - none

   HOME RUNS: BOS - none
              NYG - none

  ATTENDANCE: 36,502