[2] The series showcased star pitching from Giant Christy Mathewson and Red Sox fireballer Smoky Joe Wood.

In the deciding game, Boston rallied for two runs in the tenth inning thanks to two costly Giants fielding misplays.

AL Boston Red Sox (4) vs. NL New York Giants (3) In batting practice before Game 1, Tris Speaker drove a ball not only over the right field grandstand but completely out of the Polo Grounds.

[1]: 52–53  Giants manager John McGraw surprised everyone by starting rookie Jeff Tesreau rather than the great Christy Mathewson against Boston ace Smoky Joe Wood.

Josh Devore walked with one out in the third, and advanced to third base on a single by Larry Doyle lost in the sun by Duffy Lewis.

[1]: 69  After Fred Snodgrass struck out, Red Murray's single scored Devore and Doyle for a 2–0 Giants lead.

Tesreau and his spitball[1]: 68  held the Red Sox hitless for the first five innings, but Boston then cut the lead to 2–1 in the sixth on a triple by Tris Speaker that fell to the ground untouched when neither Snodgrass nor Devore called for the ball (in an Alphonse-Gaston act),[1]: 70  and an RBI groundout by Lewis.

"[1]: 86 An error by Giants shortstop Art Fletcher led to three first-inning unearned Boston runs off Mathewson.

Left field at brand-new Fenway Park was unique for a 10-to-15-foot (3.0 to 4.6 m) incline in front of the wall (later to be called "The Green Monster").

In the ninth, Boston reliever Charley Hall, who had replaced Ray Collins in the eighth, got the first two outs but proceeded to walk Snodgrass, Larry Doyle and Beals Becker consecutively.

Fred Merkle led off the New York tenth with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly to give the Giants a 6–5 lead.

[1]: 96  Lewis followed with a double to put the winning run in scoring position, but Mathewson retired Gardner and Stahl to escape the inning with a tie.

After the Red Sox went down in order in the bottom of the 11th, the game was called on account of darkness tied at 6, Boston retaining a 1–0 lead in the Series.

Though there had been experimental affairs in the minor leagues, night baseball wouldn't become a regular fixture in the MLB for another 2 decades.

The next Boston hitter, Heinie Wagner, reached on an error by Merkle, with Henriksen, representing the tying run, advancing to third.

Wagner, the potential winning run, then stole second to get into scoring position but the next batter, Hick Cady, lined out to right field to end the game.

Although Josh Devore missed the ball with his glove, he managed to catch it with his bare left hand,[1]: 119  allowing the Giants to hang on for a 2–1 victory and even the series at a game apiece.

Mathewson then proceeded to retire the next 17 Red Sox batters in a row, but that was all Boston pitcher Hugh Bedient needed.

After left fielder Devore led off the inning with a groundout, Doyle singled and Snodgrass struck out, five Giants hitters in a row hit safely, with Buck Herzog scoring on a steal of home.

[11]: 9  O'Brien, meanwhile, was not told he was pitching until the morning of the 14th, too late to prevent him from going out drinking and starting Game 6 with a hangover.

Wood faced ten batters, threw them only 13 pitches[1]: 202  and retired only one of them, with the first out coming on a sacrifice and the third when Giant starter Tesreau was caught stealing second.

Tris Speaker, who was known for playing very shallow in center field, caught a liner by Fletcher with one out in the top of the ninth inning and ran in, stepping on second to double off Wilson.

Wood's awful start, the fact that he'd continued to pitch with a full windup instead of going into the stretch position with Giants on base,[1]: 200  and the sloppy play of the Red Sox led to ugly rumors.

In the Giants' third inning, Devore led off with a single, advanced on groundouts by Doyle and Snodgrass, and scored on Murray's RBI double.

New York held on to the 1–0 lead until the bottom of the seventh inning, when Stahl singled with one out and Heinie Wagner drew a walk.

Henriksen pinch-hit for pitcher Bedient and doubled to left to tie the game at one, but Hooper flied out to center to end the rally.

Clyde Engle, pinch-hitting for Wood, led off with an easy fly ball to Fred Snodgrass in center field.

Mathewson started three games, completed all three and compiled a 0.94 earned-run average for the Series, but was charged with two losses and a no-decision for his efforts.

After the Series was over, McAleer issued a statement apologizing to the Royal Rooters for selling their Game 7 seats out from under them.

The 1912 World Series was discussed at length in the 1966 book The Glory of Their Times, which featured interviews with Harry Hooper, Rube Marquard, Chief Meyers, Fred Snodgrass, and Smoky Joe Wood.