The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-05-12
GRIFFMEN LOSE
ERROR comedy
Nationals Drop Opening Game
to St. Louis by I to 3
Score.
SCHAEFER BLOWS UP
Dutckman and Tom Hughes Put Up
Miserable Game in the
Field.
By WILLIAM PEET.

st. Louis, Mo-, May 1.-THE Nationals
tossed off the opening game of the st.
Louis series, to 3, this afternoon in reg
ular bush league fashion. Costly errors
let enough Brownie runs trickle over the
plate to sew things up. while foolish
chances on the bases by our side and
weak hitting kicked the offense of the
Griffmen into a cooked hat.
No game this season has been played
by the Nationals when every break in
luck was against them, as was the case
this afternoon Washington hit Baum
gardner harder than the Browns did Long
Tom Hughes: but, errors! Ye gods, il
was awful,
Somebody must have smeared Tom
Hughes hands with lard. at the same
time slipping Germany Schaefer a sieve
for a first base mitt, for il was this pre-
cious pair which paved the way for the
majority of the Browns tallies.
The score should have been something
like TO ! in favor of the Climbers, for
in the Browns opener, after Shotten had
been retired, Johnston was hit by
pitched ball, stole second, and scored on
Hughes bad chuck to Schaefer of Gus
Williams roller.
Schaefcr Miscues Again.
st. Louis added a couple of tallies in
the third, when only one should have
recorded. Johnston was safe when Schae-
fer dropped thrown bali from Hughes
and scored ahead of Williams when the
last-named spanked the ball into the right
field stands for home run. The circuit
punch was perfectly all right, but Mr..
Johnston never should have reached first
base.
After the Griffmen had knotted the
count in the fifth, the Browns showed
over four runs i'm the eighth on
pass. two fumbles by Hughes, which
the official scorer in St. Louis gave as
base hits. Briefs two-bagger, and an
infield out
In order to keep Gallia from grow
ing~stale Manager Grifith sent the
Texan into the box, as things were
getting a bit too warm for Hughes.
This happened i'm the eighth, and the
enemy failed to register safe smack
off the youngster, but scored one run,
th' result of an intield out.
..Mfsxpcnt Chances"
The story of the nine innings. from
Washington standpoint, could be
summed up in two words-"misspen
chances" Frank Laporte, who has
just started to hit. and who wanted to
make the Mound City fans sore on Sto-
vail for letting him drift down to
"
tunities TO bust up the game with safe
drives, but Franks lamps were dimly
lighted and he failed miserably.
The hits, according TO local experts,
were seven for the Nationals and six
for the Stovallites. Errors were not
go evenly divided. as the Griffmen had
four charged against them to couple
for the Browns.
Altogether. it was a most unhappy
GrifffS N
chasers This alibi stuff about the cold
weather is all off, for old man SUM-
shine that well-known orb, was on the
job and it was balmy enough for ice
cream cones and palmleaf fans.
Moelier opened the game with single
TO left. and when Walsh threw the ball
wild to first Moeller raced to the mid
way bag. Germany Schaefers sacrifice
advanced Moeller to the hot corner.
Milan popped to Walsh and Laporte drew
a walk On the first ball pitched La
porte started for second, drawing the
throw from Agnew. Walsh muffed the
ball and Moeller breezed home before the
sphere could be returned. Morgan might
have inserted a single nj tins stage, scor-
Ing Laporte, but he did not. A long fly
TO Shotten closed the chapter.
Shanks Singles.
In the Nationals second Snanks SIN
gled and stole after Ainsmith had per-
ished. but wthered on the bag while
Mcbride and Hughes whitfield.
Four healthy, resoundng smacks in
the Nationals fifty netted but two lousey
tallies. when twice that number should
have been recorded. Howard Shanks led
Off with a double to the garden wall in
left field. Mcbride singled throus n
Pratt scoring Shanks. Hughes popped
10 Pratt and Moeller drew a base on
balls. Shaefer singled through Walsh. d
grounder which the shortstop was just
able to knock down. Mcbride rounding
third ventured to far off the base and
a quick throw, Walsh to Austin, got him
before he could scramble back. Costly
carelessness this. Milan came through
with a ripping smash to deep right, scor-
ing Moeller and advancing Schaefer to
third. Milan stole second, but Laporte
struck out, much to the disgust of the
Old Fox.
In the four remaining innings Baum
gardner allowed but one nit, but was
unsteady, and his passes, batter hit,
and boot" put Washington runners