Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-19
NATIONALS, GOING AT PRESENT
GAIT, ARE INFERIOR TO NONE
Game Yesterday Proved Griffith's Men Are
Not Outclassed Even by Worlds Cham
pions -PlayedBette Defensive Game.
By J. ED GRILLo.

By J. ED GRILLO.
That the class Of ball now being played
by the Nationals is good enough to make
the team troublesome for any OF It's rivals
was made plain yesterday, when the team
scored over the worlds champion Ath-
letics. thereby gaining It's seventeenth
consecutive victory.
1t can safely be said that this game
proved that Griffith's team is not out
classed by the champions. In fact, in the
game of yesterday the locals gave a su-
yerior exhibition to that Of their oppo-
nents. II they had not there would be
different story to tell. That victory was
rather encouraging. and gives rise TO the
hope that though the Nationals nave
seven straight games to play with the
worlds champions there is. to say the
least. a good chance for them not to lose
any ground by reason OF these games.
II is. of course, not to be expected that
the Nationals will go through the next
six games retaining their unbroken rec
ord. but there are reasons for believing
that the six games will cause the cham
pions tust as much worry as their OPP
ponents.
The defensive end OF the locals game
Yesterday was far superior to that of the
visitors IL was TO this that Groom
can attribute his victory. in TACT. Inc
catching of two men mapping OH sec
ond base IN a game in which every run
is of the greatest Importance and value
can better be imagined than explained.
There were two such Incidents yesterday,
and these undoubtedly caused the defeat
of the champions.
men did not look any better than those
of Griffith They must have realized
right from the outset that they couid
not afford TO toy with their opponents ana
that TO beat them would take every ounce
Of their strength. For the next four days
the Nationals will be in Philadelphia To
dav and tomorrow double-headers VIII De
PLAYED there. and IL Griff1th's team can
get an even break in these 1t will have
done as we'll as could possibly be expect
ed.
You have seen Chick Gandil: what do
YOU think OF him7 Surely the young man
recently purchased from Montreal did not
belle the glowing reports which were sent
out of the west about him. There has
never been any question about the Wis
dom Of the deal which made him a MEM
Der Of the Nationals. but yesterday waS
the first time that local patrons OF the
game had a chance to see for themselves
how good a ball player Chick Is. 1t was
he who made yesterdays victory posi-
bla There arc numerous others that ne
was he as prominent as the one OF yes
terday When q ball player drives in
four Of his teams five runs he is earning
his SALT, tndeedi But Gandrs good work
great game around the bag. and yet an
ordinary game for him. for he has been
playing just that kind OF ball ever since
he donned one Of Grtfhth's uniforms.
walter johnson will leave here tonight
to Join the Nationals In Philadelphia 1t
- lust possible that he VII be able to work
In ono Of the games THURSDAY, and II 10
certain that he will be able to work In
one Of the games later IN the week. DR..
Larkin, the club physician. found john
sons temperature normal at noon yester-
days very encouTa ging conditton-and he
gives It as his opinion that Walter Will be
ready to join the team tomorrow.
No one who saw Bob Groom pitch yes
-terday's game would have suspected that
he underwent q surgical operation yester-
day morning and that he was suffering as
Groom has suffered with an abscess
(which formed under his left shoulder
blade while on the recent trip. and upon
his arrival here he went to DR.. Larkin
for an examination. DR.. Larkin lanced
the abscess yesterday morning and in
stalled drain, but this did not keep
Groom from pitching the full game. and
he gave a remarkably clever account of
himself at that.
Messrs. Lapp and Egan the two young
est members OF Mr.. Mack's catching staff.
were the lads who did all the damage to
Mr.. Groom. 1t was Lapp who tied the
score with three-base hit in the sew
enth which scored two runs. and IT was
Egan who tied 1t up with another triple
in the ninth which sent Barry over the
plate with the tying run Fortunately
Egan did not score. for Foster nailed him
at the plate on a grounder hit to him by
the last pinch hitter.
Umpire OLaughlin had a lot of trouble
explaining a decision In the seventh
which gave the Nationals run. With
two out and Milan on first Gandil hit
along the left field foul line for two bases
Milan scored all the way from first OF
the hit and Gandil had turned third fol
home when Baker got Strunk's relay
Bakers throw TO the plate was wild, blu,
Egan got the ball to the plate In time tc
touch Gandil. The Nationals kicked or
the put-out. claiming that the ground rules
gave a base runner one base beyond the
one he was going on an overthrow. Gan
dill had hit for two bases and was taking
third on the throw-in when the wild
throw was made. hence O'Laughlin al
lowed him TO score. There was a Ions
delay while the players gathered around
the umpires, but the decision stood and
incidentally did much to help win the
game.
Howard Shanks and Ray Morgan, the
two youngsters who have done much OF
the timely hitting of the locals since theil
winning streak. were not In form for the
first time in weeks yesterday. Shanks
did get hit the first time up. but he
failed thereafter. though he was always
facing the pitcher when a base hit would
have cut a lot OF figure in the game