Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-05
NATIONALS SHINE
IN UPHILL GAME
Batting Rally in Seventh Puts
Team in Second Place
in Race.
AKERS MAKES SPLENDID
IMPRESSION ON SLAB
Holds Boston in Check, While
Teammates Overcome Lead.
Recruit Pitchers Suffer.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

One does not wonder at the
popularity OF base ball after wit
Messing game such as the
Nationals and Red Sox furnished
yesterday. which incidentally
proved the medium by which the
men of Griffith crawled into sec
ond place in the championship
race. The score, 8 to 7, itself i'm
plies a struggle, but it does not
even give an inkling of the thrills
the 5000 or 5000 fans in the in
closure experienced. There have
been many better games from an
artistic standpoint, but few which
proved more interesting or
brought more credit on the home
team
Whatever Grifdth's players may
lack it isn't nerve or staying quail
ties. This they proved yesterday,
when only sheer grit and deter
mlnatlon prevented their going
down to defeat. No team ever
made gamer uphill fight from
start to finish, and victory could
not have been bestowed on more
deserving lot OF players. Few
teams would have hung to their work
after SO miserable a start as the Ma
tonals made yesterday. when Boston
scored three men in the very first inning
on a single base hit. But the disad-
vantage seemed but to stir them on, and
before the round was over they had
pulled themselves on even terms with
their rivals They even managed to take
the lead. only to again be passed, and
this time apparently hOpelessly. But
they never stopped. They kept working
and hustling, waiting for the oppor-
tunity to make their final rally. This
came in the eighth, and amid the widest
scenes imaginable they again forged to
the front and held the deciding tally to
the end
But the game served for more than ad-
vancement for the team to second place
in the race, In that 1t proved that Crit
fifth has at least one more pitcher who
will be of service. He is Jerry Akers,
Young man who made his debut yester-
day under conditions which were most
unfavorable. but came out of 1t with a
regular performers. OF Akers accom-
plishments We will speak elsewhere.
On three different occasions Boston held
lead. Once by three runs. another by
one, and just before the locals rallied
by two. yet they failed to hold this ad-
vantage at the end. The Nationals
simply refused to be denied or accept de-
feat. Things loked gloomy for them
most of the Time but they never became
discouraged. and the reward was VIC
tory.
Both teams started out with recruit
pitchers working. and both were forced to
change after the first two innings were
over. Griffith sent Cashion to the firing
line. but that youth failed to show any
taken out with the score tied by Speak
ers home run, and with one man on the
bases. Here Akers took up the running.
but he could not check the advance OF
the Red SOx, and before the inning was
ended Boston was again leading by
brace of runs
From that out, however. Akers per-
formed like master. and once his team
gave him lead he held 1t without much
trouble. Bedient. for Boston. was not
puzzle and he retired under q fusdllade OF
hits after the second inning.
Cashion started by walking Hooper and
Engel and. of course. Speaker had to
come along with hit to left, which
Moeller fumbled long enough to allow
run to score and send Ensel and Speaker
to third and second, respectively. Brad
ley struck out and 80 did Gardner. but
the third strike was a wild pitch and
Engel ran home. Then Lewis forced
Gardner and while this was going on
Speaker came home with the third run.
Wagner also famed.
1t did not take the Nationals long to
even up matters in their half. Moeller,
by clever bunt. which he beat out.
reached first and Foster sent him home
with a triple to left center. Milan sent
one down TO Gardner too hot to handle
and Foster scored. wild pitch put
on
moved him to third. from where he scored
on Knights long ny after Flynn had
walked. tying the score.
Though Cashion gave a couple of
passes In the second he was saved by a
double play which Mcbride executed.
After Bedient had struck out Williams.
sas a iifed the ball far over the right
ing by run. But the pleasure was
shortlived. for in the third the Red Sox
got busy. Speaker opened the inning
Cashion walked Bradley and had three
balls on Gardner. where he finished and
Akers came in to take his place. He
walked Gardner. but struck out Lewis.
and Bradley came home. Nunamaker hit
TO Akers. who threw poorly to third. and
Gardner scored. He followed by walking
IIenrikson. who batted for Bedient, but
struck out Hooper. ending the inning
With two runs behind. the Nationals
went TO work and pulled up within one
= OF their rivals In the last haIf OF this
inning. scoring OF of Cicotte, who took
Bedients place. He walked Schaefer as
a starter, but struck out Flynn and
Knight. Schaefer stole second and took
third when Nunamaker threw wild
Mcbride was hit by a pitched bail and
tlien Williams dropped a single into left
which scored Schaefer.
Here the two teams stood Until the
sixth. when Boston scored q run. which
seemed TO cnch the game. II came after
two We're out. Speaker hitting along the
left field foul line for two bases Nc
bride fumbled on Bradley. and then
Gardner hit safely, scoring Speaker!
two-run lead. with Cicotte pitching
: Continued on Second Page.)