On October 9, 1916 — Babe Ruth outpitches Sherry Smith of the Brooklyn Robins as the Boston Red Sox win the longest World Series game, 2 – 1, in 14 innings.
In the top of the first inning at Braves Field, after Ruth retired the first two Robins, center fielder Hi Myers drove a ball between Tillie Walker in center and Harry Hooper in right. Hooper dove but the ball rolled all the way to the fence and Walker fell trying to field the rebound. Myers legged all the way around the bases for an inside-the-park home run.
The Red Sox tied it in the bottom of the third, Ruth himself knocking in the run, scoring Everett Scott who had tripled with a fielder’s choice. The game stayed noted at one for the next 10 innings. Babe Ruth had not given up a hit since the eighth inning. He set Brooklyn down again 1-2-3 in the top of the 14th. The Sox came up in the bottom half and Smith walked Hoblitzell, the fourth time in the game that Hobby had worked a walk. Lewis sacrificed the walking man to second, first-pitch bunting. A hit now could win the game. Larry Gardner was due up, but he was 0-for-5 and Carrigan decided to try something different. He put the speedy Mike McNally in to run for Hobby and sent up “Sheriff” Del Gainer (a .254 hitter in 1916) to pinch-hit for Gardner (.308 in the regular season, and 1-for-4 in Game One, and reached on an error). Despite his overall better numbers, Gardner was 1-for-9 in the Series at this point and had struggled against the left-handed Smith. The switch paid off. Gainer singled, a low liner to left, and Zack Wheat had to play it on one hop and hope the throw home could beat McNally. Not a chance. McNally burned around the bases and crossed the plate. The Red Sox had their second run and the game.
Ruth and Brooklyn starter Sherry Smith both pitched the entire game. Ruth gives up only 6 hits, walks 3, and strikes out 4, Smith gives up 7 hits, walks 6, and strikes out 2 over 13.1 innings.
The 14-inning game set a World Series record for longest game by innings. That mark was equaled in Game 3 of the 2005 World Series between the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros, and then again in Game 1 of the 2015 World Series between the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets, before being broken in Game 3 of the 2018 World Series between the Red Sox and Dodgers.
Time of game: 2 hours 32 minutes.
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Retrosheet.org Boxscore:BOS191610090
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