Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-27
des Battles in Series With Athletics Yet to Be Fought by Nation

breath with some of the former pennant-
winning agsregations.
Boston had good team. but it is not
going well. and il is not likely to over
come the ground it has lost by miser-
able start. OF course, there is CleVe-
land. No team in the race has gone bet
ter. and yet, who can imagine that Cleve-
land can keep up its present gait Tor
the rest of the season? There is going
to be an awful drop in the showing OF
the Maps before long.
No effort is being made to create the
impression that Griffith has a wonderful
team. and yet that team today, with its
weakness on the rubber. would be lead
ing by a comfortable margin were 1t not
for the accidents and illness which have
handicapped it all spring. 1t may seem
like rather hazardous prediction. but
rit would nevertheless not be at all sur.
pris!n2 II Detroit a team made up OF
several stars and few mediocre players.
would be more prominent than any team
in the western division by the time the
season comes to a close. Trying to pick
the winner of this race is no easy mat
ter for tho very good reason. as said be-
fore 1t does not require much of a ball
team to walk in this year All several OF
them Will need is the break of luck.
Weak as the Nationals appeared
against Houck in the opening game.
they were strong against TAN Pen
mock and Bush, who worked in the
second encounter. There was some real
hitting done by Griffith's charges in
that contest. as the score will show.
The home-run drives by Gandil and
Johnson were clean-cut wallops. the
kind that bring the crowd to its feet.
Gandils was a liner which just cleared
the low fence in left. but Johnson hit
one about thirty feet higher up into
the seats. Incidentally, Walter got two
other singles, so that he had a very
good day with the bat.
Laporte limped around during the en-
tire first game and two innings of the
second. then was excused and Gedeon
took his place. He may be started
again today. but it is apparent that he
is greatly handicapped by the injury to
his leg. The shift of Schaefer to sec
ond helped considerably. Germany is
at home in that position and he is of
more help there than anywhere else,
is much better for third than the Grip
pied Laporte. who was unable to get
out or his own way.
name was announced as the Washing
ton pitcher for the second game the
Athletics were beaten. 1t was appar-
ent in their demeanor and Mack must
have shared the opinion. for he began
to start members of his young pitch
ing corps who never had a chance to
get away with anything. Even Collins
and Baker. who usually walk to the
plate with a lot of confidence, held
their heads down and acted very much
as if they were satisfied when they did
not strike out. Both got hit piece
by bunting safely down the third ba Sc
line when the score stood to l in IA
vOr Of the visitors.
Johnson would have been credited with
shutout but for Ainsmith's wild throw
1t was in the third inning when a scratch
hit by Lapp down the first base line, a
walk to Murphy and hit to the pitcher
by Oldring filled the bases for johnson,
with two out. Ainsmith tried to catch
Murphy mapping off second, and his wild
heave went to center field. Lapp scoring.
which proves that Ainsmith has the right
idea Of when to take these chances Any
dub can take such chances when games
are Won or lost. but he tried to kill a
threatening rally. and he just happened
to miscue and gave the Athletics the only
run they got off johnson.
1t may be hard to realize but it is a
fact. nevertheless that Joe Boehling is
giving real indications of being a pitcher
In the last few trials the young south
paw has had he has shown real form, and
Griffith is very apt to give him a chance
to open a game one of these days. He
finished both games yesterday, and held
the Athletics down to a nicely. The inn
provement in Boehling is principally due
to the fact that he now has some idea of
knowing where the ball is going to land
when he let's it go.
Without wanting to criticise Umpire
Bill Evans. the chances are that Clyde
Milan was cheated out of a steal home in
the fourth inning of the first game. "Zeb"
had stolen and walked to third on a
passed ball. Houck stood three to two
on Gandil when Milan made a dash for
ho m uyo iy,ci1 de nd
dill jumped out of the way. while Milan
slid In front Of the plate and threw his
foot In to touch 1T. Lapp touched him
with the ball on the shoulder. which part
OF his body. of course. had long since
passed the plate, and Evans called him
out. Milan. who was perhaps in the best
possible position to judge whether he was
out or not. made a vigorous protest. but.
or course, to no avail.
There were many Opportunities offer
ed to score on Houck in the first game
because he dished out eight passes. but
at such times none of Grifith's batters
seemed willing to take chance. and
consequently were mostly in the hole
The few balls that were hit hard in
the tight places. were usually the vic
TINS or some sensational catch by
Strunk. who seemed in the game for
the sole purpose of countering down
long drives Barring the first and last
innings there was not one that the Ma
tionals did not have men on the bases,
yet none of them scored. Groom's luck
was just the opposite. He had two bad
innings. one Of which he was not re-
sponsible for and which helped the
locals to a couple of runs.
1t was in the fifth that the Athletics
broke the ice and got their first brace
OF tallies. McInnis started with a
single. and then after Groom had two
strikes on Strunk he grooved one and
another base hit resulted Barry sac
rifced. and Gandil got the ball and his
sore toe tangled up and the bases were
full. Lapp was hit by pitched ball
and McInnis scored. but Houck flied
out to Shanks. who held the runners
on.
Murphy's high bounding grounder to
Schaefer allowed Strunk to run home.
and then Groom retired the side with
out any damage being done That
really should have been all the runs
the locals should have had. but the
coss slipped again in the seventh and
two more came home.
Barry started this round with a
double to right. 1t was a fluke Lapn
hunted and beat it out and after
Houck had sent a short fly to Milan on
which no runners attempted to ad
vance. Clyde made a peg home. The
ball got away from Henry and Groom.
who was backing up. made a poor
throw to third and both Barry and
Lamp were home
The score. first game: