 To the surprise of many, the Reds defeated the White Sox, five games to three (during 1919–21, the World Series was a best-of-nine affair).Rumors that the series was fixed began to circulate after gambling odds against the Reds winning dropped sharply before the series began, and gained more credibility after the White Sox lost four of the first five games.Cincinnati lost the next two games, and speculation began that the Reds were losing on purpose to extend the series and increase gate revenues.