Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-29
BY j. ED GRILLO.

proved this. With the score to against
it in the ninth a team is pretty lucky
which can make q tying rally. 1t was
surely good ipreak to have pinch hit
ter come up with two on and two out and
hit the first ball pitched for three bases,
thus tying the score, and even the WIN
ming run was the result of bad bound
on Milan's throw to the pate in the
tenth. 1t was a short throw and ordl-
narily Milan would have thrown the run
ner out by feat, but the ball bounded
badly as ii .o4ched Ainsmith and the
winning run cane over the plate
With any kind of luck that first game
should have been Won Eight hits and
eight bases on balls are usually enough
to give a team all the runs il wants, yet
it Melted the Nationals but three because
it seemed impossible to get any kind OF
break with men on the bases.
Double headers have been the bane of
the Nationals this season. Five of them
have been played and in only one instance
has the team got as much as an even
break. Unfortunate as was the dual
defeat, there is no occasion for diScOur-
asement. The team is still within strik-
ing distance of the leaders and If 1t will
keep hustling ii may yet have something
to say where the pennant shall fly this
Year
For some unaccountable reason Crit
fith's team does not play near as good
ball at home il does on the road. That
dash which called forth SO much praise
on the recent western trip is not being
shown in the home games, and incidental
ly the hitting has fallen far below what
il was on foreign grounds. Whether the
fact that Griffiths combina tion~haS been
disrupted by accidents has had any eff
feet on the team is questionable, but there
is TO getting away from the fact that
when Morgan and Moeller were in the
game the team did much better work, and
this is rot casting any reflections on the
players who have taken their places. But
the fact remains that the team does not
look formidable as ii did while away
from home. The players seem to be more
timid before home crowds than they were
on the road, and the effect of this change
may be responsible for the difference in
the team showing.
Whether it is a mere coincidence that
Barney Petty does not seem able to go
the route or whether he weakens after
pitching a certain number of innings is
something for Manager Griffith to decide.
Up to the eighth inning yesterday Petty
pitched a perfect game of ball. He
seemed to be slipping in the eighth. but got
himself out of a hole after getting three
men on and two out, Gandil making
really wonderful one-handed catch Of
foul fly from Maggerts bat by reaching
into one of the boxes. He was not effec-
tive in the ninth. and undoubtedly made
fatal mistake when he grooved the
first tall pitched to Egan, who was bat
ting for Houck.
Snanks, too, was to blame for what hap
pened. When Egan came up Griffith ran
out from the bench and cautioned Shanks
TO play deep. There were two out at the
time, and runners on first and second.
A base hit meant but one run, and Grit
fifth wanted his outfeld to play deep to
prevent just such a hit as Egan made.
Shanks went back only few feet. and the
result was that Egan hit over his head,
tying the score. As it turned out 1t was
a mistake not to have sent Johnson in to
pitch to Egan. but. of course. that con-
clusion was reached after the damage
had been done.
The only bright spot during the aft
ernoon of defeats was the very credita-
BILE showing which Jim Vaughn made.
The big left-hander showed enough to
warrant the prediction that he will pitch
winning ball for the Nationals. His start
was none too impressive. but he i'm
pitching gilt-edged ball at the finish. 1t
is plain to be seen. however, that
Vaughn needs some coaching and Grif-
fifth is sure to greatly improve him after
he has him in hand for while.
Walter Johnson is to oppose Eddie
Plank in the game this afternoon. Plank
is pitching the best ball of his career this
season. and on the last occasion that he
faced the Nationals he scored a shut
out. so that the chances are this after
Moons game will be another pitchers
battle.
Chick Gandil made two plays yester-
day. which. at the time, probably pre-
vented disaster for his team. In the
eighth inning of the first game. with
runners on second and third and two
out, Derrick hit a liner toward right,
W hod al he rlC of hac
hit. Gandil leaped high in the air for
the ball. and, with his gloved hand. turn
ed backward. pulled down the ball. retir
ing the side.
In the eighth, inning of the second
game. with the bases full and two out.
MagGart popped up a foul which seemed
destined to drop into one of the boxes op-
posite first base. Gandl went to the
stand reached over into the box and
made the catch. with enc hand. again
retiring the side.
After the Nationals got four-run lead
and found that Petty was holding the
Athletics down they seemed to consider
the second game won and they did not
hustle against Morgan as they should.
After the fourth inning not another hit
both Houck and Pennock. who finished
the game for him were just as successful
1t does not pay to take anything for
granted in base ball and there is never an
occasion when a team should not try for
all the runs possible regardless of how
one-sided the score may be.
Having dropped to fourth place means
nothing. though IL temporarily handicaps
the team. 1t is by no means out of the
race and by strict attention to business
and revival OF the spirit which was
prevalent few weeks ago there is
good chance for the team to make UP the
ground IL has lost. All teams have their
slumps and bad breaks and this accounts
to a certain extent why so many games
are being lost by the Nationals by a one
run margin. There is no reason for the
players to become discouraged. Let
them take the bit In their mouths and go
at their rivals with new determination
and the element of luck in the game is
sure to break their way.
Failure to sacrifice in the first inning
Of the first game when Bender walked
both Schaefer and Foster and Milan then
hit into double play. proved disastrous
The Athletics had a two-run lead at the
time and IT would have been good work to
have attempted to tie the score. Had Milan
sacrificed Schaefer and Foster would have
been on third and second. respectively,
and Gandil's high bounder would have
been base hit past Collins. because this
situation would have brought the infield
in for a play at the plate. In the sixth
inning another chance for runs was miss
ed when Mcbride failed to move up
and first when his attempt to sacrifice
resulted in a little pop up to the catcher
Three games remain to be played in the
present series with the Athletics and.
Griffith will have Johnson. Groom and
These three twirlers have all shown
splendid form of late and stand a good