Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-08
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
DETROIT, Mich, July Sit is not al
ways poor playing that loses for Wash
ington-sometimes it Is because the god
dess of luck turns her head away from
the Washington team and smiles on the
adversaries who are much higher in the
rating of team ability.
When the Nationals played their first
series OF the season here they put up the
worst exhibition Of base ball that has
ever been witnessed in Detroit as far as
an entire series goes. But they did not
play particularly bad ball yesterday;
they lost because Detroit had the luck and
Washington didn't.
Gray outpitched LATTE When the
Nationals were here before they got to
this same Lafitte for eighteen hits, the
worst beating and the only real beating
he has suffered this year. And Wash
ington should have done yesterday what
few clubs will accomplish this year
beaten him again They would had they
had aforementioned luck.
Ten good. ripe. honest-to-go GOODNESS
drives were made off Lafitte and only
three runs. Gray held Detroit to eight
hits. and he had some good fielding be-
hind him, but that did not rnatter-Gray
didn't have the luck. and 1t was luck that
counted in this game.
Just an instance to illustrate-Drake
who plays left field whenever the left
handler pitches against Detroit because
he is a right-handed batter. hit a dinkey
try for the ball. So did Gessler The two
f1elders nearly collided. The ball dropped
and Elberfeld grabbed to trap it, but the
ball took a false bound, dropped over the
bleacher wall near there, a wall about
three feet high. and 1t was a home run.
That is the kind Of luck Jimmy McAleer's
athletes had to face all afternoon
Gray did one thing yesterday that only
one other twirler has accomplished in the
last fortyfour games Detroit has played.
He held Tyrus Cobb hitless. Cobb had
the record of forty flames with at least
a single in each game. When the Tigers
played the White Sox Tuesday morning
he failed to get a hit off Walsh in four
times at bat and spoiled his record. He
got a few hits in the afternoon and got
some more on Wednesday. but yesterday
Gray sent him down four times. and Cobb
did not even get a close decision at first
base. He was easy on every trip to the
plate. Cobb believes that Gray is one of
the four best pitchers In the league. He
set Dolly down for that In recent inter-
best twelve box performers in Bans
circle.
doc" Gessler played a smart game in
right yesterday. but Doc" came near
giving Crawford single by playing wise
~ for that gentleman. In the third in
ming Gessler went back to right field
bleachers. When Crawford gets a fair
crack at a ball he generally sends it to
the bleachers in right and Gessler was
bound to be on the job. Crawford. how
ever, happened to hit a fly in back Of sec
ond this time. Gessler came in on it on
the run and he pulled off a pretty shoe
string catch.
Besides pitching good ball after the
first inning Gray was in rare hitting
mood. Every time the left-hander con-
skip records. He drove the sphere
against the left-field bleachers for a dou-
BILE the first time up. and the next time he
made Drake go to the bleachers for his
long drive. The third time he smashed
the ball on line to right for single,
play of the day from the Detroit side on
Gray's last drive. Dolly hit the ball
to short right. O'Leary ran far out.
made a glove-handed stab and threw the
hurler out while on hard run.
Clyde Milan was again in Detroit form.
Clyde may not play the same swell brand
of ball in Washington that he plays
here. and If he doesn't Washingtonians
are missing something. Cobb does many
remarkable things, but in as many games
as Milan plays here Milan Is Cobb's su-
perior in fielding. He got two assists
Yesterday, and one Of his plays was re-
hanty on first and Moriarty at bat. with
two gone in the first inning. Moriarty
hit a mean low line smash into left CEN
ter. Milan with his speed was able to