Clyde Engle, pinch-hitting for Wood, led off with an easy fly ball to Fred Snodgrass in center field. Snodgrass dropped the ball, and Engle reached second base. The next day's "New York Times" described the play as follows: "And now the ball settles. It is full and fair in the pouch of the padded glove of Snodgrass. But he is too eager to toss it to Murray and it dribbles to the ground." Hooper flied out to deep center—Snodgrass making a fine running catch right after his error—but Engle advanced to third. Yerkes was then inexplicably walked by control expert Mathewson, putting the winning run on base. Tris Speaker, who hit an even .300 in the 1912 World Series, lifted a foul pop on the first base side, but first baseman Merkle, pitcher Mathewson, and catcher Meyers allowed the ball to fall untouched in foul territory. Snodgrass later claimed that the Red Sox bench jockeys had disrupted the players' timing. Strangely, Mathewson called for catcher Meyers to take it even though Merkle was closer. Meyers couldn't reach it and it fell to the ground. Speaker then shouted, "Well, you just called for the wrong man and it's gonna cost you the ball game!" Given new life, he singled home Engle to tie it at 2, Yerkes advancing to third. Mathewson walked Lewis intentionally, loading the bases and setting up a force at every base, but the next hitter, Larry Gardner, flied to Devore in right field deep enough for Yerkes to tag up and score, and the Red Sox won the 1912 World Series.