Sox Tie A's Amidst Ejections (4/16/15)

After the Philadelphia Athletics won on Opening Day and the Boston Red Sox took the rematch yesterday, the rubber match didn't give a clear cut winner. The two teams fought to a 6-6 tie as guys were getting thrown out left and right before the game was called. The prevailing issue that's the A's are far less formidable now that Home Run Baker, Jack Barry, Eddie Collins and Chief Bender are gone. The Sox could have the inside track to the pennant this season if it all goes well.

                                                   The repeat champion A's are gone

As for the game, there was a lot of offense and not much pitching. 20 year old George Ruth couldn't get it done but the offense picked him up big time. The Sox bolted to a 6-1 lead on the backs of Larry Gardner, Duffy Lewis, Heinie Wagner, Everett Scott and Tris Speaker. Then Ruth got hammered in the fifth inning as the A's fought back to make it 6-5. Then Dutch Leonard, Smoky Joe Wood, Ernie Shore, Wally Rehg and Raymond Haley were all thrown out of the game for running out onto the field.

                                  "Hey Smoky Joe Wood yer outta here!" - Tommy Connolly

When action resumed, Ralph Comstock gave up the tying run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Carl Mays, fresh off his opening day win, pitched a scoreless ninth to preserve the tie. There was no winner or loser in this one.

There is no Jackass or Hero of the Night since the game ended in a tie.



The Good:

Harry Hooper walked 3 times in 5 plate appearances and scored 2 runs.

Heinie Wagner was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Dick Hoblitzell was 1 for 1 with 2 walks, a stolen base and a run scored.

Everett Scott was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Carl Mays pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Bill Carrigan was 0 for 3.

Olaf Henriksen was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Hal Janvrin was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Tris Speaker was 0 for 5 but drove in a run, stole a base and scored.

Duffy Lewis was 0 for 2 but walked, drove in a run and scored.

Larry Gardner was just 1 for 4 with an rbi.

Babe Ruth got lit up for 5 runs and got knocked out in the 5th inning however he was 1 for 2 at the plate and scored a run.

Ralph Comstock allowed the tying run to score in four innings pitched although he walked in his only at-bat.



Honorable Mention:

Pinch Thomas caught the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

If the A's are going down this year, the Sox may be the ones to beat them. It took a near perfect effort from Herb Pennock for the Sox not to have taken 2 out of 3 in Philly to start the year. The Sox need Joe Wood to return to 1912 form and for Leonard and Shore to have good years. Anything else is a bonus really. Tomorrow the Sox travel to our nation's capital to play the Washington Senators. Rube Foster makes his season debut opposite Jim Boehling.

Sox Late Rally Sinks A's (4/15/15)

After a pathetic opening day performance by the Boston Red Sox, they redeemed themselves a day later by stunning the defending American League champion Philadelphia Athletics with a late rally in the ninth inning to take home a 5-3 victory at Shibe Park.

                                                 John L Sullivan approves of the win

The Sox jumped out to a 2-0 lead but starter Ray Collins faltered and left the game trailing 3-2. Olaf Henriksen pinch hit for Ray and walked, scoring on the rbi single by Harry Hooper. Rookie Carl Mays made his major league debut in the bottom of the seventh inning and shut-out the A's the rest of the way. The Sox added two runs in the top of the ninth with Mays slamming in the door in the bottom of the frame to win their first game 5-3.

Hero of the Night is Carl Mays. In his very first professional game he tossed 3 shut-out innings for his first major league win.

                                             The submarine pitcher is the Hero

The Good:

Heinie Wagner was 2 for 4 with a walk and an rbi.

Tris Speaker was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, a stolen base and a run scored.

Duffy Lewis was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and a stolen base.

Dick Hoblitzell was 3 for 5 with an rbi.

Larry Gardner was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Ray Collins got a no-decision as he pitched 6 innings of 3 run ball.

Olaf Henriksen walked and scored as a pinch hitter.



The Bad:

None.



The Ugly:

Harry Hooper was just 1 for 4 but made the hit count as it was an rbi single.

Everett Scott was just 1 for 4.

Bill Carrigan was 0 for 2 but walked and drove in a run.




Final Thoughts:

Now that's more like it. After their freezing cold performance against Herb Pennock and the A's yesterday, this was a nice bounceback win to show that they can hang with the AL champs. After all the Sox and A's are arguably the two best teams in the American League so it may come down to one of them winning the pennant. The Sox have the offense to match the A's but the question is if they have the pitching. It remains to be seen although the big 20 year old lefty George Ruth takes the mound tomorrow in the finale against Rube Bressier at Shibe Park.

Sox Almost No-Hit on Opening Day (4/14/15)

Talk about a horrible opening day for the Boston Red Sox. 21 year old Herb Pennock of the Philadelphia Athletics was just one out away from no-hitting the Sox until Harry Hooper hit a chopper over the mound and beat out Nap Lajoie's throw. That salvaged the day in near sub-zero temperatures for the Sox who were defeated 2-0 in front of about 8,000 hearty souls at Shibe Park.

                                "That's all they got, one goddamned hit?" - Woodrow Wilson

The play of the game came when Pennock himself drove in Wally Schang to give the A's the lead. With Pennock pitching a no-no, that's all they needed.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one since they only had one hit but I'll go with Duffy Lewis. He's the cleanup hitter and had one of the only chances to do any sort of damage when Tris Speaker drew a walk just before he came to bat. A bloop or a blast could have tied the game.

                                                       Lewis the Jackass

The Good:

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the good list. Ernie Shore pitched the best he could, pitching a complete game and only allowing 2 runs. Any other day that would have been enough for a win.

The Bad:

Heinie Wagner was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Dick Hoblitzell was 0 for 2.

Del Gainer struck out as a pinch hitter.

Everett Scott was 0 for 3.

Larry Gardner was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Hick Cady was 0 for 3.

Wally Rehg was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Harry Hooper was just 1 for 4.

Tris Speaker was 0 for 2 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Nothing like opening the season almost getting no-hit on a freezing cold day. God bless the A's fans that put up with it until the end. I'm sure the offense will come eventually but that was as bad as it gets for opening day. Ernie Shore pitched his ass off but had nothing to show for it. Tomorrow the Sox look for revenge when they send Ray Collins to the mound opposite "Bullet" Joe Bush at Shibe Park.