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YANKS’ TEN-GAME MARCH HALTED BY LATE NAPS SURGE
By George F. Winthrop, Sporting Times
July 8th, 1914
Every streak, no matter how stout, must eventually find its end, and for the New York Yankees that moment arrived this afternoon as they fell 7–6 at home to the Cleveland Naps. The defeat brings the Yankees to 45–32 on the season and brings to a close their impressive ten-game winning run.
The contest was hard fought from the outset, with both clubs striking early and often. Runs were exchanged in quick order, and by the close of the second inning the score stood 3–3. Neither side was able to seize a lasting advantage, and after five innings the deadlock remained, now at 4–4, as pitching and fielding briefly reasserted control.
That balance was finally broken in the ninth inning, when veteran Jay Hughes faltered at a critical moment. A loss of command on the mound allowed the Naps to push across three runs, turning a tie game into a daunting task for the home nine.
The Yankees were not without a final reply. In the bottom of the ninth they mounted one last charge, highlighted by a home run from Heinie Groh, which accounted for two runs. It was, however, not enough, and the rally fell just short.
After the game, Hughes spoke candidly of the decisive inning. “I didn’t have the ball where I wanted it when it mattered most,” he said. “Against a club like Cleveland, that’s all it takes.”
Manager Chris Smith took a broader view of the setback. “You never expect a run like that to last forever,” he remarked. “We battled all the way through, but today the breaks went the other way. We’ll put this one behind us and get back to our work.”
Thus ends a notable chapter in the Yankees’ summer, their winning streak snapped, but their standing still strong as the long season presses on.
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