Dueling zeros -- a pitching match-up for the ages

Today, May 15, marks the anniversary of one of the greatest pitching duels of all time. 91 years ago, early in the 1918 season, the Washington Nationals' ace, and future Hall of Famer, Walter Johnson and the Chicago White Sox' Claud "Lefty" Williams squared off in Washington and posted zeros for almost 18 complete innings. For when the game finally ended in the bottom of the 18th inning and Johnson and the Nats had posted a 1-0 victory, it established a new mark for the longest shutout by a single pitcher in major league history.

Johnson, at age 30, was in the midst of compiling his ninth straight 20-win season. His 23 wins, 8 shutouts and 162 strikeouts in 1918 would eventually lead the American League and his ERA of 1.27 that season was more than half a run better than any other hurler in either league. His opponents that day, the White Sox were the defending American League champions. And, despite losing outfielder "Shoeless" Joe Jackson to military service just two days prior to the game, the Sox were stilll fielding one of the most potent line-ups in baseball.

Williams, age 25, had won a total of 30 games for the White Sox over the previous two seasons and would subsequently put together back to back 20-win seasons for Chicago in 1919 and 1920. However, today he's best remembered for his part in the fixing of the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. At 5'9" and 160 pounds, Williams was a diminutive left-hander and a complete contrast in style to the gangly, fireballing right-hander, Johnson.

But in the early innings, it was Williams who dominated on the mound. In fact, he didn't allow Washington hitters a single safety until the bottom of 7th inning. Then there were already two outs in the inning when Nats centerfielder Clyde Milan stroked a single over Chicago second baseman "Swede" Risberg's head for the first hit of the day for Washington. Williams, whose control had been impeciable, then walked Howard Shanks to produce his only base on balls of the afternoon, but escaped the inning by getting Joe Judge to fly out to Sox center fielder Shano Collins. In the eighth, Williams would load the bases with two outs but wriggle out of trouble by retiring Washington shortstop "Doc" Lavan to end the threat. Washington's next scoring chance wouldn't occur for another eight-plus innings.

Johnson, by comparison, was equal to the task. After allowing a pair of one-out singles in the very first inning, he settled down to make easy work of the Sox hitters. Chicago was unable to mount any type of threat until the the top of the seventh when a lead-off single by rightfielder Eddie Murphy was immediately followed by a sacrifice bunt by Buck Weaver moving Murphy to second with one out. It was also the first Sox baserunner to reach second base since the first inning. But Johnson got Chick Gandil and Shano Collins to fly out to end Chicago's scoring opportunity. Johnson and the Nationals wouldn't permit another scoring threat until the top of the 18th, when a one-out double by Risberg was followed by Johnson retiring Sox third baseman Fred McMullen on a fly-out. But the drama suddenly escalated when Johnson immediately uncorked a wild pitch moving Risberg to third with two outs. The next batter was catcher Ray Shalk. Johnson ran the count to 3-2 before attempting to intentionally pass Shalk to face the pitcher's spot in the order. Shalk tried to cross up Johnson by reaching out and rapping a sharp grounder towards right field that was run down by Nats second baseman Eddie Morgan and relayed to Judge at first to end the inning.

As a result, when Washington came to bat in the bottom of the 18th, the game remained scoreless. Williams got the first Nats batter to fly harmlessly out to center before catcher Eddie Ainsmith rapped a solid single over second base. Walter Johnson then followed up by driving a solid liner into the left-centerfield gap moving Ainsmith around to third with just one out. Williams bore down on the next Washington batter, rightfielder Burt Shotton, getting him in an 0-2 hole with two quick swinging strikes. But the game suddenly came to a screaching halt when the next pitch by Williams sailed behind Shotton and went all the way to the back stop, allowing Ainsmith to race home with the winning run for Washington. It was only the second time all day that Williams had allowed a Nats baserunner to safely reach third base and it proved his undoing.

So, despite allowing Washington just eight hits in 60 at-bats over 17-plus innings, Williams was charged with the loss. Johnson, who gave up 10 hits, while striking out 9 and walking just one (over 18 full innings) got the victory. In another oddity, neither team committed a single error and both teams used just nine players with neither side making a single substitution. Not much chance any of these marks will ever be threatened again any time soon.