Snodgrass was safe in the sixth on Wagner's fumble, but was doubled off first when Murray drove a line hit straight to Stahl. The seventh was the undoing of the Giants. With one out Wagner batted safely to center field. Cady followed with another hit to the same place. Wood batted to Doyle, who made a beautiful stop, but with a double play in hand, was overbalanced and unable to complete it. That cost New York three runs, although it was unavoidable. Cady was forced out, but Hooper hit to right field for two bases sending Wagner and Wood home. Yerkes followed with a clean hit to left field for a base and won the first game for Boston with that hit.
In New York's half of the inning, with one out, Meyers was hit by a pitched ball, but no damage was done other than to Meyers' feelings. In the ninth Wagner batted Crandall for a two-base hit, Crandall having been substituted for Tesreau in the eighth inning, as McCormick had batted for Tesreau in the seventh. Cady made a sacrifice, but the next two batters were easily retired.
Then began the exciting finish, and if the Giants had made but a single more they probably would have begun the series with a victory instead of a defeat. With one out Merkle batted the ball over second base for a single and the spectators, who had started toward the exits, halted. Herzog followed with a slow low fly to right field, which fell safely. Meyers crashed into the ball for a two-bagger that struck the wall in right field and the crowd began to believe that Wood had gone up in "smoke."
The Boston players encouraged him with all their best vocal efforts, and when Fletcher came to the plate Wood was using all the speed with which he was possessed. It was evident that Fletcher's sole desire was to bat the ball safely to right field, for if he did so, both of the runners could cross the plate and the Giants would win. Twice he met the ball, and both times it sailed in the right direction, but with no result, as it was foul. Then he struck out. Crandall, perhaps one of the best pinch hitters in the major leagues, also struck out, and the Boston enthusiasts who were present fell back in their chairs from sheer exhaustion, but when they had recovered, with their band leading them, marched across the field and cheered Mayor Fitzgerald of Boston, who was present as a spectator of the contest in company with Mayor Gaynor of New York. Governor Foss of Massachusetts was also present at the opening of the game. Klem umpired behind the bat in this game.
SECOND GAME
Boston, Oct. 9, 1912.
New York 6. Boston 6 (eleven innings).
Hits—Off Collins 9, off Hall 2; Mathewson 10.
Struck out—Collins 5, Bedient 1; Mathewson 4
Bases on balls—Hall 4, Bedient 1.
Attendance 30,148.
In the second game of the series, which was played October 9 at Boston, Mathewson pitched for the New York team and Collins, Hall and Bedient for Boston. The game resulted in a tie, 6 to 6, at the end of the eleventh inning, being called on account of darkness by Umpire O'Loughlin, who was acting behind the plate. This contest was remarkable more for the misplays of the New York players, which gave the Bostons a chance to save themselves from defeat, than for any undue familiarity with the pitching of Mathewson. It was the universal opinion of partisans of both teams that Mathewson deserved to win because he outpitched his opponents. The weather was fair and the ground in excellent condition. In the first inning Snodgrass began with a clean two-base hit into the left field seats but neither Doyle, Becker nor Murray was able to help him across the plate. A run scored in that inning, with such a fine start, would probably have won the game for the Giants.
In Boston's half Hooper hit safely to center field and stole second base. Yerkes batted a line drive to Fletcher, and had the New York shortstop held the ball, which was not difficult to catch, Hooper could easily have been doubled at second, but Fletcher muffed it. Speaker hit safely toward third base, filling the bases. Lewis batted to Herzog, who made a fine play on the ball and caught Hooper at the plate. This should have been the third out and would have retired Boston without a run. Gardner was put out by a combination play on the part of Mathewson, Doyle and Merkle, scoring Yerkes, and Stahl came through with a hard line hit for a base, which scored Speaker and Lewis. The inning netted Boston three runs, which were not earned.
With one out in the second inning Herzog batted for three bases to center field and scored on Meyers' single. Fletcher flied out and Mathewson forced Meyers out. Hooper got a two-base hit in the same inning, but two were out at the time and Fletcher easily threw out Yerkes, who was the next batter.
In the fourth inning Murray began with a clean three-base hit to center field. Merkle fouled out to the third baseman, but Herzog's long fly to Speaker was an excellent sacrifice and Murray scored. Meyers again hit for a single, but was left on the bases. The Bostons got this run back in the last half of the fifth. With one out Hooper hit to center field for a base, his third hit in succession against Mathewson. Yerkes batted a three-bagger out of the reach of Snodgrass and Hooper scored. Murray batted safely in the sixth, with one out, but died trying to steal second, Carrigan catching for Boston. In the Boston's half of the sixth Lewis began with a single and got as far as third base, but could not score.
The Giants started bravely in the seventh when Herzog hit the ball for a base and stole second. There were three chances to get him home, but Meyers, who had been hitting Collins hard, failed to make a single and Fletcher and Mathewson were both retired.