John McGraw, the Giants' manager, had previously referred to the Athletics as a "white elephant", which the club defiantly adopted as a symbolic mascot.

At the conference at home plate before Game 1, A's team captain Lave Cross gave McGraw a wrapped package, which turned out to contain a toy white elephant.

NL New York Giants (4) vs. AL Philadelphia Athletics (1) The opening game was a pitchers' duel between Christy Mathewson and Eddie Plank.

In the Athletics' half of the sixth, Ossee Schreckengost doubled and advanced to third on a wild pitch, but did not score, and was the lone runner to reach third base against Mathewson in the entire series.

After a groundout by Topsy Hartsel moved Schreckengost to third, Bris Lord singled to left and drove Ossee home with an unearned run.

Bender continued to cruise, got out of late-inning jams and ended up with a complete-game shutout that tied the series at one game each.

Opposing him this time was Andy Coakley, who hit the first batter he faced, Roger Bresnahan, with a pitch.

Bill Dahlen walked, loading the bases with one out, but Art Devlin hit into a double play to end the rally.

Donlin was walked intentionally, setting up a possible inning-ending double play, but things continued to crumble for Coakley and the A's.

Both left men on base in scoring position early on, and kept the game scoreless until the bottom of the fourth, when Sam Mertes led off the inning by reaching on an error by Monte Cross.

With two outs, Billy Gilbert singled to left, bringing Mertes home for the only run of the game, McGinnity outdueling Plank 1–0 and giving the Giants a three-games-to-one lead.

The Giants looked to wrap up the series behind the perennial Christy Mathewson, who faced Chief Bender this time.