Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-28
BY J. ED GRILLo.

With a lead of two and half games
and the end of the season but a week
away. il would seem that the Nationals
seem assured of finishing second in the
race. though their hold is not absolutely
secure, by any means. There Is still
chance for the Athletics to pass them.
though IL is rather remote. For the next
three playing days the Nationals viii
have Boston as opponents. while the
athletics will be hooked up with the weak
New York team. This seems an advan-
taec. but before the season ends the
situation will change. and the Nationals
will have New York to play While the
Athletics will be up against Boston d
der these conditions two-and-a-hait-
game lead surely seems safe margin
1t has been years since a team which mas
been hopelessly last for decades has up
set all calculations by suddenly jumping
into prominence as a pennant CONTENDER.
The most encouraging feature OF tne
Nationals performance Is that their Norh
bas beeu consistent ever since they
started to show their good f1orn. mere
have been no flashes in the pan. ana the
team must be figured az one OF the CON-
tenders in the next campaign
That Understanding game at Pniladel
phia Yesterday was filled with thrlils ou,
had il not been for some Yer! stup,u :.
work on the bases by the Athletlcs II
vonId not have gone into extra innings
and would most likely have been a VIZ
tory for the champions Mack piaS &c
behaved like lot of bushers on the pdses
and twelve hits in eigh: innings rallied W
Trodnce n run for them. There were OF
course lot of good plays cro"deu i,'o
those nineteen innings. but the Pias
which featured the day was one os EuuIe
Foster which saved the game IN the UNI mn,
ftI two.
tripled Johnson purposely walked BAKER
and took chance on Mclnn1s. NaturaiiE
Foster played deep. for theAthie.!c iitsl
haseman hits hard in that dlfectloh, 90
that when slow swlning punt 'diie
down his way II looked as II the game
was over Foster, however, came IN ~
full speed, grabbed the ball with one mana
and without steadying himself mace the
throw to first and got MS man. II M"s
one of the fastest plays ever made by
third baseman.
II was AN off day for Bob Groom. He
did not have his usual stun and was i.il
unnercifulIy hard. but. aided by the
stunid base work of his opponents ana
some mighty good luck. he manager ~
60 through eight innings with nut one
run scored against him. But 1t was cyl
dent that unless he improved ne "ould oe
unable To get away. The break came III
the ninth and ordinarily Griffith would
have had a pitcher warmed UP at this
stage. but he wanted to save Johnson
for today and allowed Groom TO stay;
with the result that the score was tied
in this inning Then. of course. john
son had TO he sent in. and for the next
ten innings he gave a marvellous exhioi-'
ton OF brilliant pitching III the pihcnes
He was forced to do his best on seVeIai
occasions. but when such conditioiis
arose re was equal to the occasion.
But for the violation of the rules three
games would have been played In Pniia-
de phia instead of two. only one OF which
came To a decision. After yesterdays
game Connie Mack was anxious TO nave
the Nationals come over there next
Wednesday which is an on day for botn,
and play a doubIe-header. but Grimth
natly refused The attendance at Phila-
delphia is decidedly weak just now Inc
fact that the athletics have proven dls-
appofntment has soured the public, ana
even doublc-headers are not drawing
crowds.
Since he has been playing regularly
Alva Williams has been showing remark
able ability as hitter. In only one game
ont of ten has he failed to get one or
more hits He has been the most timely
hitter on the team. and many OF the
games which the team won on ITS last
trp were made possible by his timeiy
and hard hitting. Inc dentalIy, "liiams
* catching splendid ball. and his throw
ing has been especially good
Unless il should be absolutely necessary
to use him i'm order to retain second place.
Walter johnson has pitched his last game
for the present season. This was decided
upon by Manager Griffith after yester-
day game Griffith figures that Johnson
has cone seasons work. and now that
there is no further ambition to satisfy, so
far as the tearl's position is concerned. he
does not intend to do anything to hamper
Johnson future. So long as Johnson re-
tainS his powess q pitcher the Ma
tionals "A dangerous team IN any
seres or Campaign. and Griffith does not
want Ia injure MIN by working i.iln when
there i nothing at stake.
Frank Baker came within a foot and a
half OF duplicating his oft-repeated per-
forr,lance Of hitting a home run at a
critical stag" Of the game yesterday. In
that ninth inning. with TWO on bases. he
sent line drive 10 right field which hit
the fenC" not more than two feet from
Tic top !; was good for two bases and
drove IN tw" runs. and III fact was d.
rectiy responsible fo~ the tying Of the
score.
Eddie. Plank gav, wonderful axhfb;-
ton nf pitching after the second inning
In tire trst two rounds he was hit decid-
ediy hard. ard thu Nationals rolled t1p
fnGr runs. hut from thar time ON h. was
almost inViucihls. and but for errors be-
lind him would hav.. had TN. satisfaction
ing scored But Il * questionable