1924 World Series recap

Senators defeat Giants, 4 games to 3

September 22nd, 2022
President Calvin Coolidge receives the ball for the ceremonial first pitch from Senators manager Bucky Harris prior to Game 1 in Washington.

The story of the World Series was Walter Johnson, finally getting a chance to pitch in October after 18 seasons with the traditionally-lowly Senators. Johnson started the opener against Art Nehf, and after 11 innings both pitchers were still in the game, the score tied at two apiece. But the Giants scored two in the 12th against a tired Johnson, and the Senators could answer with only one run off Nehf in the bottom of the inning.

Game 2 saw more late-inning heroics, as the Giants scored twice in the ninth to tie the game 3-3, only to see Senators shortstop Roger Peckinpaugh double home Joe Judge with the winning run in the bottom of the inning. Both clubs used four pitchers in Game 4, the Giants winning 6-4 when reliever Mule Watson escaped a bases-loaded jam in the ninth. Washington evened the Series the next day, 7-4, behind George Mogridge's solid pitching and Goose Goslin's three-run homer. Walter Johnson took the hill for Game 5, but allowed 13 hits in eight innings as the Giants won handily, 6-2.

Facing elimination, the Senators came back to take Game 6, 2-1. Tom Zachary pitched a seven-hitter for Washington, and player-manager Bucky Harris accounted for both runs with a two-run single in the fifth.

In Game 7 the Senators fell behind 3-1, but caught a break in the eighth when Harris' apparently routine ground ball hit a pebble and took a bad hop over Giants third baseman Fred Lindstrom. Two runners scored on the play, tying the contest at three. Walter Johnson came in to pitch the ninth, and the score was still 3-3 when Washington came up in the 12th. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Earl McNeely shot another grounder at Lindstrom, and again the ball took a bad hop, scoring Muddy Ruel with the Series-ending run.

Managers: Bucky Harris, WAS; John McGraw, NYG