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amead17 · Yesterday, 11:35 AM

NAPS’ ELEVEN-GAME STREAK ENDS IN EXTRA-INNING HEARTBREAKER

Senators Rally Late to Win 4–2 and Keep Pennant Race Tight

By George F. Winthrop, Sporting Times
August 5th, 1908

After nearly two weeks of triumph, the Cleveland Naps finally met their match. Their eleven-game winning streak came to an end this afternoon in a hard-fought 4–2 defeat in ten innings at the hands of the Washington Senators. The loss, before a restless Cleveland crowd, not only halted the Naps’ surge but also gave the visiting Senators a boost in their own pennant pursuit.

Cleveland seemed poised for another victory as they carried a 2–0 lead into the late innings. Washington ace Smokey Joe Williams had been strong through seven and two-thirds innings, but the Naps managed to chase him from the mound and appeared in control. Yet, just when the home supporters began to sense a twelfth straight win, the Senators struck back.

In the top of the eighth, the Washington bats came alive with a two-run rally that leveled the score. The Naps turned to Lew Richie, who had been solid throughout the afternoon, to see them through extra innings. But fatigue told in the tenth, as Richie yielded the decisive runs that gave the Senators a 4–2 edge. Cleveland could not answer in the bottom half, sealing the end of their fine run.

Richie, who went the distance for ten innings, admitted afterward, “I gave it everything I had, but by the tenth my arm was tiring. They’re a good hitting club, and they made the most of their chances.”

Manager Gustavo Sanchez, though disappointed, was quick to praise his team’s effort. “You can’t win them all,” he said. “The lads have played fine ball for nearly two weeks straight, and one game won’t shake our belief. We’ll dust ourselves off and get right back to it tomorrow.”

Though their streak has ended, the Naps remain in the thick of the American League race, and if today’s fight was any indication, they are not ready to fade quietly.

Yesterday, 11:35 AM	#319
amead17 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2013 Posts: 8,715	Cleveland Naps streak ends at 11 NAPS’ ELEVEN-GAME STREAK ENDS IN EXTRA-INNING HEARTBREAKER Senators Rally Late to Win 4–2 and Keep Pennant Race Tight By George F. Winthrop, Sporting Times August 5th, 1908 After nearly two weeks of triumph, the Cleveland Naps finally met their match. Their eleven-game winning streak came to an end this afternoon in a hard-fought 4–2 defeat in ten innings at the hands of the Washington Senators. The loss, before a restless Cleveland crowd, not only halted the Naps’ surge but also gave the visiting Senators a boost in their own pennant pursuit. Cleveland seemed poised for another victory as they carried a 2–0 lead into the late innings. Washington ace Smokey Joe Williams had been strong through seven and two-thirds innings, but the Naps managed to chase him from the mound and appeared in control. Yet, just when the home supporters began to sense a twelfth straight win, the Senators struck back. In the top of the eighth, the Washington bats came alive with a two-run rally that leveled the score. The Naps turned to Lew Richie, who had been solid throughout the afternoon, to see them through extra innings. But fatigue told in the tenth, as Richie yielded the decisive runs that gave the Senators a 4–2 edge. Cleveland could not answer in the bottom half, sealing the end of their fine run. Richie, who went the distance for ten innings, admitted afterward, “I gave it everything I had, but by the tenth my arm was tiring. They’re a good hitting club, and they made the most of their chances.” Manager Gustavo Sanchez, though disappointed, was quick to praise his team’s effort. “You can’t win them all,” he said. “The lads have played fine ball for nearly two weeks straight, and one game won’t shake our belief. We’ll dust ourselves off and get right back to it tomorrow.” Though their streak has ended, the Naps remain in the thick of the American League race, and if today’s fight was any indication, they are not ready to fade quietly.