Evening star., 1911-08-12

nave Deen In serious trouble.
The happiest man over the second vic
tory was Schaefer, whose hit scored Leli-
welt from third and ended the game.
After Lelivelt had tripled with one down,
Cashion was sent to bat for Hughes, and
his three hard swings missed the ball.
This brought Milan up, and Clyde had
been hitting Caldwell hard all afternoon.
He was therefore figured a dangerous
man, and 1t was decided to walk him and
take chance on schaefer, who had done
little or nothing in hitting way Ger
many took this as a reflection on his abil-
ity as a batter. and he told both Cald-
Well and Blair that they were making a
serious mistake. and he then proceeded to
prove it by hitting the first ball pitched
to left field, winning the game.
When worked after sufficient rest and
on days that are bright and hot, Tom
Hughes proves himself just as good a
pitcher as he ever was, but he must have
proper conditions to do good work. His
performance in the second game against
the Highlanders was second only to that
of Johnson in the first. Hughes had per-
feet control, the one man he walked, Cree,
being given pass purposely In the sixth
when a base hit meant disaster. Hughes
actually improved during the closing in
nings of the game, and was going much
better in he final inning than in the mid
die Of the game.
If the Nationals can keep up their
present clip, and there is no reason why
they should not with their pitchers. going
as they are. there is still hope of their
bettering their position in the race.
though they are lengths behind Cleve-
land just at present. But winning four
teen out of nineteen is a terrific pace and
bound to land a team higher than seventh
If the clip can be continued. The team
is making its share of runs; in fact, it
has done that all season. but the weak
ness OF its pitching early in the season
made victory impossible. Now that the
pitchers are going along nicely the team
looms up splendidly. It only goes to show
that IL McAleer had been blessed with
good pitching in the spring there would
have been a different story to tell. 1T
should not be overlooked. either. that the
Nationals started to win just about the
time the lively ball was put on the shelf
This may be a mere coincidence but the
chances are that that lively ball proved
handicap to a team which is not strong
with the bat
What pity it is that Jack I-eliyelt
has not developed into a good fielder in
some position. for as a hitter he COM
parcS favorably with some of the best in
the league. He had two strikes yester-
day when he drove the ball far into left
stretched 1t into home run, but it. was
the play to keep him AT third with but
one out and run needed to win
No sooner had the second game been
decided than it began to rain. While
IT had been threatening for some little
time the rain came much sooner than
was expected. or the chances are that
Chase would have delayed long enough
to make it impossible to finish the
game.
Johnson struck out Quinn, wolter
and Hemphfll in the third and Chase.
the nrst man to face him in the fourth
Ihe remarkable part Of this feat was
that he pitched but fourteen balls to
these four batters
cashion is down to pitch today The
DIG ieilow has had four days rest. and
should be in good form IL his control is
good. Fisher or Vaughn will probably
90 the twirling for the visitors.
Gesslers only hit in the two games
Yesterday was a scratch Dagger I'm
the nrst inning of the first game,
which Tell just out of reach of Hart
Zeil ana cree That hit was responsible
for the victory in the first game for
there wele two out at the time
Clarence Walker is gradually working
himself into the select class of 300
hitters. He has played something like
sixty games now, and during the recent
stretch OF games at home has been hit
ting at a terrific clip. He got q rounle
of hits in the first game yesterday, but
failed TO land safely on any thing that
Caldwell offered CsldweIl, by the way.
pitched a splendid game of hall and. bar
| ring Cunningham and Milan none Of the
| other members of the team hit him
| safely until Lelivalt and Schaefer
/ pulled off their rescue stunts in the
eleventh
Milan is making a peciaity Of hitting
the first ball pitched and he Is making