05 September 1918 - On this day ninety years ago, the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs opened the 1918 World Series, with Babe Ruth and the Red Sox winning Game One of the scheduled seven-game championship series 1-0 over the Cubs at Comiskey Park. The 1918 Fall Classic was played far earlier than any other series in major league post-season history; due to the ongoing World War, baseball had agreed shortened its season. It was also decided that, due to travel restrictions that had been placed during this time of war, the first three games of the series would take place in Chicago, where the Cubs chose to play at Comiskey rather than their usual home field of Weeghman Park (better known today as Wrigley Field), and the remainder of the series would be played in Boston at Fenway Park. The Red Sox, winners of the American League pennant, had finished 75-51, 2-1/2 games in front of second-place Cleveland, while the Cubs, the National League title holders, finished 10-1/2 games ahead of New York at 84-45.

Ruth, who was still used at this stage of his career primarily as a pitcher, extended his post-season scoreless innings streak to 22 consecutive innings with a complete-game effort, scattering six hits while striking out four and walking one. Three times, the Cubs had a runner on third with two outs but failed to score off the southpaw. Meanwhile, the Sox scored their lone run in the fourth on a one-out single to left by first baseman Snuffy McInnis that scored second baseman Dave Shean as 22-game winner Hippo Vaughn went the distance in the loss for Chicago. Boston would need six games to earn its fourth title in seven years as Ruth’s streak of consecutive scoreless innings ended at 29 after pitching seven innings of no-hit ball in Game Four at Fenway. Unfortunately, it would be another 86 years before the Sox would win another world championship, while the Cubs have failed to take home a World Series title since their championship season of 1908.

Tags: Babe Ruth, Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park, Stuffy McInnis