Evening star., 1913-04-05
Nationals Show Evidence of
Team Work in Game
With Boston.
UNCERTAINTY OF SPORT
ONCE MORE ILLUSTRATED
Cashion to Pitch Final Game
Against Braves Today.
GalIia Has Good Exercise.
BY j. ED GRILLo.

u
tionals lost yesterdays game after hav-
ing a comfortable lead the teams genera
! playing showed much Improvement True
there were errors which were responsible
for the defeat, but misplays are sure to
I bob up now and then, because they are
a part of the game.
But there was more real base ball
[ played by the locals than at any time
this season. During the early innings OF
the game their work on the bases was a
revelation, while their hitting, too, was
[ timely.
! The final game with Boston is scheduled
for this afternoon, and Carl Cashion will
do the pitching. 1t will be the second
time since the team returned that Cash
ION has been asked to pitch, his lay-off
being due to weak pitching arm from
which he is said to have entirely recov-
cred.
Monday and Tuesday come the New
York Giants for a two-game series, which
Will prove the most important of the eX-
! hibition season. Griffith will work john
son MONDAY, and 1t would not be SurpriS-
ing if he went the entire route. and either
Groom or Hughes will be pitted against
the McGrawites Tuesday
4 wednesday will be a day OF rest pre-
paIatory to the opening of the season
i Thursday, when Frank Chance and his
rejuvenated New York team will make
their appearance here for three days.
i While defeats like the one of yesterday
are most discouraging from a local stand
point. yet it merely illustrates that you
can take nothing for granted in base ball.
/ seven-run lead in the ninth does not
necessarily assure victory, showing the
| games great uncertainty, which incident
ally is responsible for its popularity.
Any pitcher who follows Walter John
son in n game is apt to get his bumps.
"A Far fan hos Goo
| speed of Johnson for five or six innings
other pitchers, even though they be not
ordinary, look rather easy to the batters.
| Not only was CALI handicapped in this
| way. but his support faltered in that final
inning, while the fact that he pitched for
| fully an hour during the morning prac-
! tice also had weakening effect on his
| arm.
| George Stallings is not going to win the
National League pennant with his charges
! this year, but the chances are that there
will be marked Improvement in the
Braves showing during the coming cam
/ paisn. Stallings is not blessed with
/ great ball team. In fact it is rather
| mediocre outfit, but Stallngs will get
| everything out of that team that there
+! Is in 1t, and it would not. be at all surpris-
| ing to see him beat out two or three of
| his rivals.
There has never been any question
| about Stallings' ability to handle ball
! team. and when he was put at the head
of the Boston aggregation it gave that
| team the first competent manager it has
had in many years. The effect of Stall.
| ings presence is already apparent, for he
| has his players hustling at top speed
| right now and any team that will hustle
! is apt to make a surprisingly good show
| ing.
! 1t is going to be no easy matter to keep
little Acosta out of the Nationals line
! up: Sooner or later he is sure to get the
| opportunity to play regularly and he
| gives every indication of making good
when that time comes There never was
/! a youngster who broke into fast company
who. has more ability or base ball sense
| than the little Cuban. He displays his
| prowess every time he gets chance
| Yesterday he broke .nto the game late
He had but one chance at the bat and got
a hit. feat which is not particularly
| wonderful, but showed that Acosta is a
two strikes on him when he showed up a
/ slow ball. Acosta timed it perfectly and
sent it into left field for base hit He
was not caught mapping by the change of
pace.
i One hit in six innings was the extent of
the Braves batting against Johnson. That
lone single was made by Bill Sweeney,
Johnson did not exert himself at any time
during the game. He worked easily and
was never in danger.
4 Morgan and Ainsmith pulled a clever
play in the fifth. Morgan was on third
and Afnsmith on first, with Hess, left
handler pitching. AinsInith to>x a big
lead and purposely allowed himself to be
caught off first. At the SAME time Nor
gan started for the plate and beat Myers
throw there, while Ainsmith went to sec,
ond unmolested. With a left-handed
pitcher working this play can be pulled
off nine times out Of ten. providing the
man on third is alert enough to get a
running start simultaneously with the
runner on first,
The change in the batting order worked
to good advantage. Whenever either Ain
smith or Williams are in the game they
deserve to be higher up in the order than
just above the pitcher. for either is apt
to break up ball game with his bat.
Ainsmith proved this yesterday by max
ing a timely double and SINGLE while Will
liams' prowess as hitter earned him an
important place in the batting order last
| season.
BY playing either of the catchers higher
up Griffith has concentrated his batting
| strength to a good advantage.
! Bill Sweeney. captain and second base
man Of the Braves, is one of the best
/, players in the National League. He is not
, only brilliant fielder and strong batter,
but one of the most intelligent players in
J the game There is not club in the old
! league which would not make room for
| Sweeney and pay big sum for the privi-
lege.
Il Cy Seymour who in his day was ia
, nous among the ball players, first as a
left-handed pitcher and afterward as an
outfielder, is member of the Boston
Braves. Seymour got in the game yes
terday as pinch hitter and helped his
team by hitting a sharp drive at Nor
gan, which the latter fumbled. Seymour
| is still pounds over weight, but he is
working like a Trojan to get it of, in
| the hope that he may be assigned to a
regular position in the outfeld
el When the ninth inning rolled around
: yesterday the score stood to in favor
Of the Nationals Five minutes later the
!. situation had changed, Boston scoring
i eight runs and winning the game 1t all
r happened after two hands We're out.
Sweeney was out. to begin with; Kirk got
!, a life when his little fly over second
! base was allowed to fall safe Devlin
D singled and Myers bunted down the
I third base line, filling the sacks. Jack
0 son, who batted for Rariden, struck out.
0 and then Seymour, hitting for Brown.