The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1911-09-13
GABBY DIDN'THT,
NATIONALS LOSE
Catchers Failure to Connect at Critical Moment Gives
Game to Red Sox-Tris Speaker in Stel-
lar Role
By SENATOR"

, A hit, a hit, my kingdom for a hit!
This was the plea of Mr.. Gabby Street.
Of Williamsport and Washington, as he
stood at the plate in the closing inning
of yesterdays game, but hit, hit there
was no hit and as a result the Boston
Rex Sox eked out a victory over the
Nationals by the narrowest margin
known to ancient or modern baseball.
When the man with the highway
name took his position at bat in the
ninth there were Nationals on second
and third, and with his retirement van
cop the contest.
But 1t was really the mighty iris
Speaker, captain of the Beaners and
outfielder extraordinary, who caused the
real downfall Of the homers.
Twice timely taps by the field leader
Of the visitors drove in runs, and in
the ninth inning, with a tie threatened,
he crossed over into left field and made
circus catch from Mcbride that rob-
bed the acting manager of at least a
double, and the club here of at least
one run. Speaker was the real thing
eighteen ways from the ace and to his
finished exhibition of national pastim-
ing Boston may attribute its victory.
Groom Unsteady.
Bob Groom, on the firing line for the
Nationals, got away well enough, but
as the game progressed he grew un-
steady until the Sox obtained a lead
that apparently cl;nched the contest
Coupled with Groom's uncertainty at
times came errors by his team mates
that made possible the maximum num-
Der Of runs on the minimum number of
hits. 1t was not the best game tina.
Groom has pitched. neither was 1t his
worst, for had he received standard
support he would have come home with
the long instead Of the short end of the
tally sheet.
Opposed to Groom was Eddie Ccotte,
mighty good pitcher, who has received
lot of advertising because of the num-
Der Of near-deals in which he has fig
ured since the beginning of the year.
Cicotte went half the distance in good
shape. but in the fifth the Nationals
whaled his offerings for three hits, and
In the seventh miserable support in the
field, coupled with wobbly pitching, let
the Nationals thrice spike the home
rubber with but one hit.
Then Cicotte got the hook and in his
place came Denver O'Brien, whose
principal claim to fame is his feat of
having shut out the Athletics last week
right in the throes of an execrable
slump by Boston. O'Brien did not look
like anybody's wonder, but he was good
enough to withstand the rush of the No
tionals and stopped them when even
the most conservative looked for extra
innings or a Washington win in the
regulation number OF sessions.
Neither team got a man to second I'M
til the third. when the Red Sox scored
without the formality OF a hit. With
one. gone Cicotte reached first on Nor
gan's error and advanced when Hooper
walked. When Yerkes bounded to short
Mcbride tried for a double play, bu.
Elherfeld dropped the throw and CT
cote crossed the rubber. .-.-.... ..
Fer Washington in the third Street
singled, was sacrificed by Gray, and
got to third on an out, but he expired
there.
In Boston's half of the fourth Duffey
Lewis made what was probably the
longest hit ever registered In the new
park when he clouted the ball between
Milan and Walker so hard that IL rolled
all the way to the centerf1eld fence.
DESPITE fast relay. started by long
throw by Milan. Lewis beat the sphere
home run. The Nationals came back
with an unearned run in their half of
the fourth.
FlLerfeld and Long were easy. but
Clarence Walker got a life on Yerkes'
error at third, took second on a poor
heave by Cicotte. made third on q
passed ball. and came in on McBride's
inield grounder to short which went
for q hit