Evening star., 1909-06-02
NATIONALS BREAK
EVEN WITH YANKEES
Locals Shut Out in First Game,
But RetaIiate in the
Second.

In the first double header of the season,
in the local ball park yesterday, the
Nationals and the Highlanders broke even
on the day and the series, after one OF
the prettiest exhibitions of base ball
which have been seen in these parts in
many moons The visitors corraled the
first game by four-to-nothing score
while the Nationals retaliated by hand
ing George Stallings' youngsters a row OF
nine goose eggs in the second and them
selves scampering home with two runs.
Il do not understand why this Wash
ington team has been losing so many
games," said one of the New York base
ball critics. as the locals were taxing
the Highlanders into camp in the second
game. This judge of ball players mas
been following his team around the cir
cult and his opinion may give faint
idea of the classy exhibition which the
Nationals put up in their own ball yard
Yesterday and it lends still further pow
er to Manager Cantillon'S oft-repeated
statements that the locals would come
home with the candy as soon as the wicks
of their batting lamps should be properly
trimmed.
In the second game i'm particular Marse
Joe's boys climbed into the spotlight, and
so strong was their defensive play that
the visitors were practically helpless.
Three times in that ginger-hlled session
did the locals pull off lightningfast dou-
BILE plays, and still another time was a
threatened run nipped in the bud when
"Gabby" whipped the ball to Groom on a
fake attempt to catch Austin stealing,
and the tall twirer did his part by snap
ping the pellet to Conroy in time to
catch Knight several yards off the third
sack.
Strong in Pinches.
The Highlanders assembled a total Oh
FIVE bingles off Groom's delivery. but the
lad from the wild and woolly west had
the Indian sign on them when hits might
have meant runs. In the second in
ming Hemphill and Chase led off with
hits, but the lanky Californian let out
a couple of extra links and for the
first time in the game the visitors hopes
went a-slimmering. Hemphill went to
third when Knight forced Chase at sec
ond, and Groom nipped the speedy CEN
ter fielder at the pan by taking AUS
tins nasty bounder with one hand and
without slackening his pace tossed the
ball to Street Then came the play
which caught Knight mapping at third.
and one of the most threatening periods
of the game passed into base ball his
tory. Not only with his nifty right arm
did Groom scramble into the honor class
in that second game. but he also COW
cred himself with dust and glory by ac-
chances that came his direction, and his
inside work helped materially in spelling
the undoing of Manager Stallings' boys.
The ''rooters' had every chance to per-
forate the circumambient atmosphere
with optimistic yaps from the very tap of
the gong in the Nationals half of the
first inning of the said second session,
because George Browne the first man up.
uncorked drive into deep right center
which landed him on the third sack. Con-
roy proved equal to the occasion by send
ing sacrifice fly far past the end of the
four-bit beachers in left field. After
that unpromising beginning Warhop. who
did the twirling for the Highanders, set
tied down and gave a masterful exhibit
fion of heaving the horsehide. Besides
Brownies three-bagger only two hits were
made off his delivery, a single in the first
by Donohue and another bingle in the
seventh by Ote Clymer. This latter slam
helped toward the Nationals second run,
because Milan, who had drawn a pass
on Streets sacrifice fly to the center
garden.
Smith Weakened.
For the first five innings in the opening
game Charley Smith, for the Nationals
and Manning. for the Highlanders, were
pitted against each other in pitchers
battle which gave promise of np-and-
tuck struggle to the end. If anything
Smith seemed to have a shade the better
of the argument. because his teamma ties
managed to annex three SafetieS, while
the best the visitors had shown was a
very scratchy single off Engle's bat
which dropped just out of Delehan $
reach. But Mannng's control of the
leather lasted through the remaining four