Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-13
GR|FF'S TEAM GETS
OUT OF ITS SLUMP
Displays Real Spirit for First
Time in Weeks.
GROOM PITCHES GREAT
GAME FROM POOR START
Tom Hughes to Oppose Walsh
or White in Second Game
of Series Today.
BY j. ED GRILLO.

t1onalS looked like themselves vest erday.
There was a sudden restoration of pep
In the ranks, and as result they crawled
back into third place. 1t really seemed
that the team had discarded the slump
| from which it has been suffering, for it
did everything better than it has been
for some time. and this was particularly
true of it's offensive work. Perhaps that
game yesterday is the ending of that long
period of poor base ball which the Ma
tionals have been playing. If they can
keep up the pace they set yesterday
there is hope of their gaining a better
hold on third place than they have had
for some time. Yesterday they came from
behind. They shouldered heavy handi
cap during the early innings but by sheer
determination the breaks of the game ia
Vored them. and they managed to pull up
on even terms with their opponents and
Hnally won the game in the ninth inning.
You can't win ball games unless luck is
with you, and it was with the locals yes
terday. The three runs in the sixth in
ming, which allowed the score to be tied,
were the result of some of the luckiest
hitting that has been seen in some time.
A few breaks is just about what the Ma
tionals needed to restore their confidence.
1t has been a long time since Dame For
tune has smiled on Griffith's tribe. To-
rubber by Callahan. while Griffith pro-
poses to let Tom Hughes do the twirins
for his team. Hughes, though he was
defeated the other day by Detroit, pitch
ed splendid game of ball. which wolId
have been a victory had he received tic
support he was entitled to-
Had some of the fans had their way
Bob Groom would have been taken OFT
of the game in the third inning In IN
first three rounds Rnh IN,
have his stuff and no breaks. and cries
of Take him out! were numerous But
Griffith allowed him to remain, and dur
ing the last six innings Groom gave as
good an exhibition of pitching has
been seen here i'm some time. But two
hits We're made by the Sox after the
third round. and they did not have an
other chance to get a run across the
plate. To have changed pitchers would
probably have proven disastrous, for it is
questionable If any of the others, bar
ring Johnson. could have held the SoX
scoreless during the final six lnnings-a
feat which made it possible for the Ma
tionals to win.
Had il been necessary Ray Morgan
would have had a three-base hit in the
ninth, but he stopped at first base when
he was satisfied that Moeller had cross
cd the plate. The switch of Morgan to
second place in the batting order should
prove beneficial to the teams run-get-
ting ability.
Morgan has the faculty of getting OF
the bases a good deal. He draws about
as many passes from opposing pitchers
as any other man on the team and, be-
sides. he Is a good hitter i'll the pinches.
Morgan walked the first two times up
Yesterday and then came through with
the safe drive which won the game in the
ninth.>
Though Eddie Cicotte pitches good ball
victories over the Nationals since he
Joined that team. In fact. in most of the
games that he has started he has had
to be taken out. and yesterday was not
sixth, when a series of scratch hits al
lowed the Nationals to make three runs
and tie the score. He retired in favor of
Scott. who called a halt for n while. but
got in bad when Moeller beat out in
field hit in the ninth and reached second
on Weavers low throw to first.
The Sox have very competent infield
now. one that is sure to display inteli-
gence. but the team is decidedly shy in
the outfieId. where BOdie. Mattck and
Collins are holding forth. This trio gives
the team good batting strength, but is
not alert or fast in the field.
Dan Moeller seemed to get back into his
stride yesterday and may have got rid of
his slump at the bat. He opened tine
game Win SHTe drive 10 cen
ter on which he made two bases by a
clever sprint and slide 1ncidentally. he
started the rally in the ninth which made
victory possible. If Moeller has started
to play up TO his usual form he is sure
to he of the greatest help to the team
and winning streak is assured To
have Moeller slump is hard blow to ;he
Nationals chances.
Schalk. the twenty-year-o catcher of
no f.f he rlxor
behind the bat that the game has ever
developed. He is not only good catcher
and thrower. but he is dangerous man
at the bat and on the bases. Schalk is
doing the bulk fthe catching for Gala
hans team. and he handles all pitchers
, alike Though a small man. SchaI'l han
dies the delivery of Big Ed Walsh with
grace and ease.
George Mcbride is one of the few play
ers who was not affected by the team s
recent slump. All during the time that
the Nationals were playing far below their
In fact. he never played better ball than
he has since the team came home. He
is making sensational plays in almost
every game and incidentally is doing his
share of timely hitting
Laporte saved Collins an error in the
fourth inning. Laporte had singled and
was on first base when Shanks hit fly to
r1ght neld. iIapOr.e. TAKING II Tor grant
! ed that Collins would make the catch
| took no lead off the bag. and when Collins
| muffed the ball he had but to pick it up
and toss 1t to second to force Laportc.
Milan contributed the first run the
SoX secured in the opening round. With
two out Chase hit to center and Milan
allowed the ball to get through him.
Chase making the circuit before it could
| be retrieved. Groom got himself out OF
| a tight hole in the second. Bodie walked.
to begin with. and Mattick followed with
| d double to right field. A wild pitch scor-
| ed Bodie. Weaver went out on an In
| fEid play. sending Mattick to third.
Schalk's groundcr to Mcbride resulted
| in Mattick being nailed at the plate. and
Cicotte proved easy, the Sox getting cut
one run out of the mess.
In the third the visitors got their final
two runs. Rath opened with hit and
| stole. He scored when Chase singled.
| Groom made another wild pitch and
| Chase scored when Collins sacsiiced to
| Milan.
For the Nationals Shanks scored in the
| second on his hit and steal and McBride's
| Their doing until the sixth, when the
score was tied Milan started matters
| with a hit and Gandil beat one out to
Lord. Laporte forced Gandil at second
| and Shanks came through with a double
| to right, which Collins made possible by
| trying to get the ball on the fly. Nc
| Bride came through with another pro-
ductive hit, scoring Shanks, and the score
twas tied. The winning run came In the
ninth, which Moeller opened by beating