Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-23
BY J. ED GRILLo.

There is good chance of Walter john
son increasing his consecutive winning
record this afternoon, when he will be
asked to pitch one of the two games
against the Detroit Tigers. Johnson has
won fifteen straight. and he is very apt
to make it sixteen today, and incidentally
bring his total victories up to twenty
eight.
1t is likely that the Nationals star
twirler will perform in the second game.
and that he will be opposed by Mcclellan.
a youngster recently secured by Jennings
from Vicksburg. Jennings is also going
to use his star. Jean Dubuc, during the
afternoon, but he does not want him to
oppose Johnson, figuring that Dubuc Will
have a better chance against Cashion
On form it looks like easy picking Tor
johnson. for while Mcclellan may be
good pitcher it is hardly to be expected
that he can wrest a victory from the
leading twirler of the American League
on the occasion of his debut in fast COM
pany A victory for Johnson would place
him within three games of the remarkable
record made by RUDE Vanguard this
spring Johnson will undoubtedly pitch
one game against st. Louis next week,
and also aga INST the Athletics, who FOL
low the Browns here If he retains his
it would have to be again. It Boston that
he would have to equal Marquard's
record.
Had the Nationals been blessed with
any sort of pitching yesterday they would
have won their seventh straight victory.
AS it was. the pitching was too weak
and the six runs which Grif1ith's men
scored We're not sufficient to carry the
day. 1t was an off day for the locals
all around. Luck broke against them
time and time again, but primarily
young man named Onslow, who is cover
ing first for the Tigers. made a lot of
trouble when with the bases full in the
first and two men out he hit for home
run far over Milans head. That vir-
tually put the game on ice. Hughes
worked only in this inning, Vaughn TAX
ing his place. Vaughn pitched both good
out of several tight places, the visitors
managed to score five runs off his de-
livery, and this was more than the Ma
tionals could overcome, though they
made game uphill fight.
It is very evident that the local infield
needs attention. There appear to be
rough spots along short field which make
the ball take all sorts of unexpected
bounds, with the result that the infield
ers are never sure of any ball that is
hit in that direction. There were several
ugly bounds which Mcbride had to con-
tend with yesterday. One of these came
with two out, and cost a run, the ball
bounding over McBrde's head just as he
was ready to make play.
Ray Morgan is developing into splen-
did fielder around second base. He is
covering a lot of territory and handling
all sorts of grounders and bounds in a
finished manner If Ray could only con-
meet with the ball more often he would
fill the bill to perfection.
President Ban Johnson of the American
League will attend the funeral of the late
Thomas C. NoyeS tomorrow. James X.
McAleer, president of the Boston cruz,
will also come down from Boston.
Clyde Milan had narrow escape from
serious injury in the fourth inning yes
terday, when with but one run needed
to tie he attempted to steal home. There
was a close play at the plate, and as
Milan slid in kocher stepped on him, his
spikes tearing the stocking off Milan's
right leg and badly scraping his leg. For
tunately the spikes did not penetrate the
flesh to any extent and Milan was able
to continue in the game.
After having lead of six runs in the
first two innings Muilin was forced to
retire in the fourth and Willett took his
place. Mullin does not appear to be in
any sort of shape, and had he remained
on the slab the Nationals would have