Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-22
WILLIAMS MAKES
HIS FIRST HOMER
Nationals Catcher Wins Game
From Cleveland With Initial
Four-Sacker of Career.
JOHNSON LIKELY TO
BE HURLER TODAY
Griffith Expected to Use Star
in Effort to Even Up Series
With Maps.
BY ]. ED GRILLo.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
CLEVELAND. Ohios May 22.-Though
Alva Rippy Williams has been a profess
sional ball player for the last nine years
he never made a home-run drive until
yesterday. He picked the proper spot for
the occasion. though, and pulled a game
which seemed hopelessly lost out of the
fire. The initial circuit blow by the tall
and swarthy young man who claims Car
thage, ILL.,, as his home came in the ninth
inning. At this time the score stood to
in favor of the Maps. Shanks was on
first base and there was one out. A
crowd of 5000 looked on with every ex-
preston of confidence, kahler had had
men on the bases before during the after
noon and but once had the visitors scored,
so there was apparently nothing to worry
about. Williams was announced as bat
ting for Henry. but who was Williams
and what difference did that make? The
first ball pitched was a strike at which
Williams did not offer. Then came two
balls. AS the next ball approached the
plate there was resounding whack
spot was seen soaring through space, and
Buddy Ryan, the Maps center fielder.
was noticed turning and running for the
fence. AS he neared it he leaped in
futile effort to reach the bail, but IT
eluded him. Shanks scored easily, and
Williams, badly tired from his long run.
staggered over the plate and the COM
plexion of the game mad been changed.
The feat was greeted in silence. Six
thousand Cleveland rooters were sad and
their eyes followed Williams as he strobe
to the bench. 1t was a wonderfully long
hit. and, of course, it was most timely
one Without 1t the Maps would have
scored their third straight victory over
the Nationals and earned position In
the race which would have made 1t pos
sible for them to whisper to the leaders.
Williams prevented this: Williams was
responsible for their defeat
Williams home run was shock to the
natives. IF there is anything that
Cleveland crowd enjoys it is to see the
Maps put 1t all over the Nationals. In
years past the Washington aggregation
has SO often proven stumbling block to
the Maps that they are thoroughly
despised. here, and nothing ever worked
more interest in local base ball circles
than the two victories the Maps scored
over the Nationals this week. Yester-
day 1t seemed almost certain that q
third game would go to the right side Of
the Cleveland ledger. Grimth's players
were subjected to all sorts of jeers ana
sarcasm as soon as 1t seemed that the
Maps were to repeat the dose. and when
score and Walter Johnson walked out to
warm up smiles turned into CHASTITY
looks of despair Yesterdays victory
brings Johnson's total up to ten. He had
nine won when he broke into the game
in the ninth inning yesterday with Car
ish on second and two men out Grif1th
did not want to take any chances with
Groom pitching against Johnston, the
giant first .baseman Of the Maps, SO he
called on Walter The latter pitched but
A~n -
Laporte, ending the inning. Then john
son pitched the tenth without allowing
run, and the victory was his.
Herman Schaefer Is proving how val
liable a man he is to have around every
time he gets a chance to break into the
lineup. Yesterday he was put in to bat
for Mcbride In the ninth. He was un-
fortunate in that his line drive to left
was right at Graney. and he was out
though the ball was hit exceptionally
well. In the tenth Schaefer contributed
q long sacrifice fly to right, which
brought over. one of the two runs scored
he acted as the pivot In double play
which did much to cinch the victory.
II nothing unforeseen happens Johnson
WIFI pitch the game against the Maps to-
day, and, IL he is in anything like his
real form. he is sure to bring home an
other victory. Vean Gregg. who pitched
the last part Of the final inning yesterday
WILL probably, be pitted against him.
though it is not unlikely that Birming-
ham in his anxiety to win another game
from Griffith. will send Falkenberg, his
winning pitcher. to face Johnson, though
he has had but two days rest.
Groom pitched a splendid game of ball,
all things considered. but was unfortu-
nate in that many of the Maps hits al
ways made their appearance when they
were harmful. Then, too. he was getting
little encouragement from his teammates
in an offensive way. Somehow or other
their hard-hit balls were always right
at some waiting fielder and runs were
cut down to single tally, which came in
the seventh and tied the score which was