100 years ago today, on Tuesday, July 15, 1924, the Cubs hoped to snap a 4-game losing streak in the last of 4 games at home against the Giants.

When the game ended, the Cubs were on the short end of a 9-4 score. But the loss subsequently was voided and the contest declared a tie. The Cubs have not played another game whose outcome was nullified in the century since then.

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DECISIVE DEFEATS

The Cubs had been in second place, 4.5 games behind the front-running Giants, after sweeping a doubleheader at home against Brooklyn on July 10. A loss to the Dodgers the next day, then 3 in a row to the Giants, had left the Cubs 8.5 games to the rear.

In only 1 of the 4 losses had the Cubs come within 3 runs of winning, as they had lost to the Dodgers, 9-1, then to the Giants, 14-3, 9-6 and 7-0.

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BRIEF LEAD

The Cubs trailed, 2-0, midway through the fifth inning of the series finale. Back-to-back singles, an RBI double by Gabby Hartnett and a 1-out 2-run single by Jigger Statz put the Cubs in front, 3-2.

But George "High Pockets" Kelly of the Giants clubbed a 2-run homer in the sixth, then New York tallied 5 runs in the seventh on 3 singles, two walks, a fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly.

The Cubs mustered only a solo homer by Hartnett the rest of the way.

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READ ALL ABOUT IT

The ruckus that led to the Cubs avoiding a loss had come in the second. Here is how James Crusinberry of the Chicago Tribune described it:

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Nobody was greatly surprised when the Champion Giants knocked our young Cubs flat again yesterday in the final game of the series, thus making a clean sweep of the four combats.

The verdict at the finish was 9 to 4, but that victory was officially protested last night by the Cubs who believe that when President [John] Heydler of the National league hears their complaint, he will throw the game out and make the fellows play it over. That may help and it may not.

However, when a decision by Ump. [Bill] Klem in the second inning was reversed by Ump. [Frank] Wilson upon appeal it spoiled a big chance the Cubs had of getting away to a commanding lead.

The reversal of Mr. Klem's ruling changed the entire status of the battle, for instead of the Cubs having the bases filled with no one out, they found they had only one man on second and two out. Here's what happened:

[Hooks] Cotter was on second, [Bernie] Friberg on first, both on passes, and the call on [Denver] Grigsby was three balls and two strikes. Naturally the men on bases were on the go with the pitcher's arm on the next delivery. It was a low ball outside and Grigsby started to swing then tried to pull away. Umpire Klem called it ball four.

Grigsby started to jog to first. Cotter pulled up in his dash for third, but Catcher [Frank] Snyder of the Giants, feeling sure Grigsby had swung at the ball, pegged it to third. [Heinie] Groh got the ball and tagged Cotter as he walking into the base, exactly as Mr. Klem's ruling made it possible for him to do.

The Giants rushed at Klem and protest that Grigsby had swung at the ball and had struck out and that Cotter had been doubled at third. Klem finally appealed to Wilson who ruled that Grigsby had struck out and that Cotter was out stealing.

In their protest, the Cubs claimed that no player can be put out while doing exactly what the umpire's ruling called for and therefore Cotter must have been safe at third when compelled to advance to third by the first ruling.

They made the strong point of the protest and to most experts it seems they have the rules on their side. Regarding the point of whether Grigsby had swung at the ball or not, they will not make so strong a stand but will claim that Klem was the umpire in chief, that he is considered the expert of them all in calling balls and strikes, and for that reason always works behind the plate while Wilson is considered weak on such work and always labors on the bases.

Also they claimed that Klem was within a few feet of the play while Wilson was out near second base.

It may be the Cubs can win their argument, but unless the north side kids perk up a lot before the time to play the game over it will do no good in the end.

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WHAT CAME NEXT

The Cubs' protest was upheld and the game was ordered to be replayed. When the Giants visited Chicago again, Aug. 24-26, the teams played a doubleheader on Monday, the 25th. Game 2 presumably was the makeup of the game that had been declared a tie, as the schedule and results page for the 1924 Cubs at baseball-reference.com do not show the second game as a weather-related add-on.

If so, the Cubs lost the replay, 11-9. They wound up the season in fifth place, 12 games behind, at 81-72, including 9-13 vs. Giants, who won pennant by 1.5 games over Brooklyn, 93-60 to 92-62.

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LATER FORFEITS

There have been only 11 total forfeits in Major League Baseball since the one featuring the Cubs and Giants in 1924. Six took place in the American League and 5 in the National.

The most recent, on Aug. 10, 1995, was the first in the NL in more than 4 decades, since one at St. Louis on July 18, 1954.

The 1995 game took place at Dodger Stadium, where fans had been handed souvenir baseballs when they entered the park. Some of the balls were thrown onto the field in the seventh inning. When Raul Mondesi, leading off the bottom of the ninth, was called out on strikes, more balls came flying from the stands.

The umpires ordered the Cardinals defenders to leave the field, then waited for the grounds crew to pick up all the balls.

But when play resumed, the field was bombarded with still more balls and the Cardinals, who were leading, 2-1, were declared the victors.