Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-02
BY ]. ED GRILLo.

The expected break in the Athletics
winning streak seems TO be on hand,
bu, the Nationals failed TO be beneht-
ed thereby For weeks il has been the
aim Of Grifith and his players to hang
a. close to the leaders as possible. IN
the hope that there might be a slump.
The slump has come but it has hit the
Nationals about the same time as 1t
did the Athletics and Cleveland alone
has gained.
The two straight defeats which the
Mackmen have suffered at the hands OF
the ST. Louis Browns are no doubt caus-
ing some apprehension among those
who have picked that team to walk in
with the flag Not that its lead has
been seriously affected, but because
plank and Gender the teams mainstays'
have suffered these defeats. rms may
,ear that the two veterans have
weakened under the strain OF carry
no mo club. and if it has there is still
hope that the Athletics may nave
- tio,bt on their hands before the
season is over.
.rbere l. even hope for the Nationals,
!, nv will get back to the form they
dls-ilaved on the recent trip. strict ~
tention to business now that the
rloas celebrations are about over sn"s
Vet land the team in better positioIss..
Grifith ought to have ms p.lenih ne n.
working in regular order again oS next
week There must be some reason LOT
the poor article of ball that the Nationa. =
play at home when compared 10 .he.i
work on the road and the ehmate ma
not be entirely to blame II the lheh.
hers of the local team would realize that
there is still splendid chance for lhein
10 improve their position and display ine
proper spirit in their work ~ might heip
some.
! deserved tribute is 10 De paid Wal
Ter Johnson today when he Will pc pre-
scented with silver cup nlied WIN
something over SLIGO. contributed by MS
will work his first game for over week,
and i, is expected that one OF the iars-
est crowds in the history of base ball IN
this city will be in attendance.
Inst what ails Bob Groom is puZZins.
There is nothing wrong with his ptch1ny
arm and he appears to nave every IN ~
in the way of deceiverS that ne eoulu
ever boast of. but some how or otner ne
fails to fool the opposition. In the first
and second innings of yesterday game
lie gave as clever an exhibition or pltcn-
ing as could possibly be expected only
10 be knocked out of the box in the third.
After getting two men on in the nrst ne
disposed OF Crawford on grounder to
himself and then struck Coob and Veach
out with second and third occupied He
also retired the side in order in the sec
ond but when his support wobb'ed q
frit,e i'm the third he seemed TO go TO
pieces. Groom has not pitched anything
like in his last years form this season,
yet as said before. he does not complain
about his arm. 1t is true, OF course. that
he is not getting the breaks pitcher
needs. Ii is to be hoped for the sake OF
the team and Groom himself hat he VIII
get back into his stride soon.
Considering the fact that il was only
the second time IN his life that Harry
Harper had faced a major league team
and that it has been a month or more
since he had his first experience against
the Athletics, his performance yesterday
was nothing short of brilliant. Harper
pitched four innings. during which time
he allowed one hit and gave one pass.
The two runs made off him were the re-
suit of errors, for the Tigers should not
have scored. Harper control was
nearly perfect and he had lot of stun
on every ball he handed to the plate.
Harper is sure to be given a chance to
start a game shortly, for he gives every
indication of developing into high-class
pitcher.
III that Detroit team played as good
ball against all clubs as it does against
the Nationals Jennings would have a
first-division aggregation. The Tigers
and Athletics are the only teams in
the League that have an advantage in
the series with the Nationals and there