The Giants may have lost the 1913 Fall Classic. But a record was set by their timeless legend. He won his last World Series game. And it was a classic! Plus, it set a record that stands to this day. Matty mopped the floor!
It was game two, and Christy's New York Giants were visiting the Philadelphia Athletics. Ironically, it was the same team he'd shutout three times in 1905. Matty was in his '05 form in this one. But it sure wasn't easy.
The A's put two men on in the bottom of the first before Mathewson K'd Home Run Baker. Stuff McInnis flied out to left to end the threat for good!
Eddie Plank was the opposing pitcher. And he had it on this day, too! 1-2-3 went the Giants in the top of the first. Same deal in the top of the second. In the third, New York got a pair of singles. One of them was by Mathewson. But nothing touched home.
Matty seemed to settle down after this. A hit and walk, the Athletics got in the bottom of the fourth. But from there, Christy was on fire. He fanned two of the three batters in a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth. After a faily easy seventh, he set down the first two batters in the bottom of the eighth. Here's where things got a little difficult. Eddie Collins singled to centre. Home Run Baker came to the dish. Baker didn't go yard, but did single. Matty got McInnis out to end that.
It was the bottom of the ninth that Mathewson cemented his spot as baseball's best clutch pitcher of his time. Or maybe any time. The first two A's singled, and an error on the play moved runners to second and third. And then, Matty got into god mode! This game was tied, but the winning run was on third. No matter. Here comes Matty!
Ground ball by Jack Lapp to first. Runner out at home, trying to score. Ground ball by Plank to first. Runner out at home trying to score. Ground ball by Eddie Murphy (Not the actor), Matty gets it and throws him out at first. We got to extras!
Matty helped win it. His single scored pinch runner Eddie Grant. Matty then touched home himself as the Giants scored twice more. Matty was doing it all!
Matty then got 'em 1-2-3 in the bottom of the frame. The great pitcher had his fourth shutout all-time in the Fall Classic. No one has ever equaled that mark!
The Giants went on to lose this World Series, four games to one. Matty himself would lose the finale. And he never returned to the Fall Classic. But Matty had unquestionably left a World Series standard for pitchers like Koufax, Gibson, and maybe someday Kershaw to match. Can Clayton be the guy to top that?
References
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Snyder, John S. World Series!: Great Moments and Dubious Achievements. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1995. Print.
It was game two, and Christy's New York Giants were visiting the Philadelphia Athletics. Ironically, it was the same team he'd shutout three times in 1905. Matty was in his '05 form in this one. But it sure wasn't easy.
The A's put two men on in the bottom of the first before Mathewson K'd Home Run Baker. Stuff McInnis flied out to left to end the threat for good!
Eddie Plank was the opposing pitcher. And he had it on this day, too! 1-2-3 went the Giants in the top of the first. Same deal in the top of the second. In the third, New York got a pair of singles. One of them was by Mathewson. But nothing touched home.
Matty seemed to settle down after this. A hit and walk, the Athletics got in the bottom of the fourth. But from there, Christy was on fire. He fanned two of the three batters in a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth. After a faily easy seventh, he set down the first two batters in the bottom of the eighth. Here's where things got a little difficult. Eddie Collins singled to centre. Home Run Baker came to the dish. Baker didn't go yard, but did single. Matty got McInnis out to end that.
It was the bottom of the ninth that Mathewson cemented his spot as baseball's best clutch pitcher of his time. Or maybe any time. The first two A's singled, and an error on the play moved runners to second and third. And then, Matty got into god mode! This game was tied, but the winning run was on third. No matter. Here comes Matty!
Ground ball by Jack Lapp to first. Runner out at home, trying to score. Ground ball by Plank to first. Runner out at home trying to score. Ground ball by Eddie Murphy (Not the actor), Matty gets it and throws him out at first. We got to extras!
Matty helped win it. His single scored pinch runner Eddie Grant. Matty then touched home himself as the Giants scored twice more. Matty was doing it all!
Matty then got 'em 1-2-3 in the bottom of the frame. The great pitcher had his fourth shutout all-time in the Fall Classic. No one has ever equaled that mark!
The Giants went on to lose this World Series, four games to one. Matty himself would lose the finale. And he never returned to the Fall Classic. But Matty had unquestionably left a World Series standard for pitchers like Koufax, Gibson, and maybe someday Kershaw to match. Can Clayton be the guy to top that?
References
Enders, Eric. 100 Years Of The World Series. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. 2005. Print.
Neft, David S., Richard M. Cohen, and Michael L. Neft. The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, 1992. 12th ed. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1992. Print.
Nemec, David et all. 20th Century Baseball Chronicle: A Year-by-year History of Major League Baseball. Collector's Edition. Lincolnwood, Ill: Publications International, 1993. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major
League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/.
Web. 20 Jan. 2015.
Snyder, John S. World Series!: Great Moments and Dubious Achievements. San Francisco: Chronicle, 1995. Print.
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