Table of Content
Ties have long vanished from Major League Baseball, but a rare 1919 matchup between the New York Yankees and Washington Senators ended in a scoreless draw after 12 exhausting innings.
A Makeup Game in New York
Early in the 1919 season, the Yankees hosted the Washington Senators on May 11th. The fixture served as a makeup game after a scheduled meeting two days earlier was postponed because of wet grounds, a frequent occurrence in the era before modern drainage systems and stadium roofs.
New York faced a formidable challenge on the mound as Washington countered with future Hall of Famer Walter Johnson. However, Yankees starting pitcher Jack Quinn rose to the occasion, though his path through the game proved far more perilous.
In the second inning, the Senators placed their first two runners on base via a single and an error, but Quinn escaped by recording two crucial strikeouts. In the third, Quinn allowed a single to Johnson before ending the frame with a double play. The Yankees starter navigated another tense moment in the fourth by securing an out on a fielder’s choice at home plate and subsequently stranding the bases loaded.
Johnson Sets Down 28 Straight Batters
Meanwhile, the New York offense struggled to mount any sustained pressure against Johnson. Although Roger Peckinpaugh singled during the team’s second at-bat of the day and reached second base, Johnson proceeded to retire the next 28 consecutive batters.
As the Yankees offense provided zero run support, Quinn continued to fend off constant threats. He escaped further bases-loaded jams in both the sixth and eighth innings as the contest stretched into extra frames.
In the 10th inning, Quinn worked around two baserunners. The Yankees’ offense finally broke a long dry spell when Home Run Baker drew a two-out walk, though his subsequent attempt to steal second base ended in an out.
Darkness and Laws Force a Stalemate
The Yankees arguably generated the better opportunities during extra innings. Quinn permitted only one runner in extras and quickly picked him off base, while New York placed two runners on against Johnson without capitalizing.
The game finally concluded in the 12th inning when George Halas grounded out to end the frame. Umpires and managers conferred and decided to call the game as a clock neared 6:00 PM, reflecting a belief that a local law required Sunday games to finish by that hour. Although reports later indicated the law did not mandate an exact ending time, the afternoon was cold and damp, and neither lineup appeared close to scoring.
Both starting pitchers logged complete games across all 12 frames, though their statistics contrasted sharply aside from the zero runs allowed. Quinn surrendered 10 hits and four walks while facing 49 batters, whereas Johnson yielded just two hits and one walk, facing 37 batters—only one over the minimum required for his outing.
