Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-22
Nationals Owe Splendid Record
of Present Trip to Brilliant
Pitching and Its Support.
HITTING HAS BEEN
WEAKER THAN USUAL
None of Players, Except Gan.
dill, Has Been Meeting the
Ball Consistently.
BY J. ED GRILLO.


and brilliant defensive work have been
responsible for the success of the Ma
tionals on the present trip. large
majority Of the fifteen games which have
been won since the team left home have
from any offensive strength the team has
shown Yesterdays victory over the
White Sox, annexed by . to / score, was
not an exception. But for the misplays
of the locals, FIVE in number. even the
great Johnson could not have won his
game. though the team behind him made
eleven hits and was encouraged with
four bases on balls. Fourteen of the
visitors were left on the bases for the
very good reason that the team seems
unable to make productive hits.
There was not a single inning i'm the
game in which the Nationals did not
have a chance to score. Every round
found some of them on the bases. but
not one of the eleven hits produced runs
The lamentable weakness of the stick
work would have been decidedly diScour-
aging to a pitcher of less prowess than
Johnson. What is true about yesterday S
victory is true of large majority of the
others. Griffiths team is not hitting, yet
it has won fifteen of its last twenty-one
games.
Opportunities for runs were so numer-
Gus in yesterdays struggle that one has
to marvel that but two runs We're scored
and both of those were the result of mis-
plays Johnson was forced to go at top
speed from start to finish. He has not
pitched a more wearing game of ball in
the present campaign, and yet that was
the only way by which he could ward off
defeat. With no member of the team
barring Gandil, hitting anywhere near
his proper form, none of Grifhth's pitch
ers is having easy sailing these days
They have to pitch air-tight ball in order
to win. But for the splendid work of the
pitchers and the grand defensive support
given them this would undoubtedly have
been one of the most disastrous trips in
the history Of the team, for the games
which have been won by reason of good
sttckwork are decidedly few and far be-
tween.
1t was Johnsons twenty-third victory
of the season. Though he was not quite
as steady as normally, probably because
of his long lay-off, the king of all Twill
charged against him was the result of an
absolute fuke. Lord getting a home run
on the grounder he hit over third base in
the fourth inning. which evaded Shanks
and rolled to the fence. Ordinarily it
would have been a single IT was in the
fourth inning that Johnson was hit hard
est. two hits being charged against him
in this round, but after that he was alb
solutely master of the situation, and he
had to be. for the margin he was working
on was decidedly slim.
Eleven hits usually produce a batch of
runs, yet not one OF this number was d.
rectly responsible for either Of the two
the Nationals secured yesterday, and yet
there was only one inning I'm which a hit
was not made.
The run in the first and the one i'm the
second both came a result of errors
But for these misplays Russell would
notwit standing the fact that he was hit
unusually hard. Benz. who succeeded
him, was not scored on, though on eight
different occasions the ball he delivered
was driven into safe territory. 1t may
be attributed to i'll luck that hits are so
recklessly wasted, but the fact of the
matter Is that the team is not hitting
as 1t should. with the one exception al
ready referred to.
That the Nationals are beyond doubt
the best fielding team in the league, when
their playing is considered day in snd
Day out, was again demonstrated in the
struggle of yesterday. That infield is
most marvellous combination. 1t accom-
pushes the apparently impossible every
day, and does it with ease and grace
winch ls astounding. The playing behind
Johnson yesterday was nothing short of
marvellous. IL does not take many slips
10 wipe out such a lead as the locals
neld. Any sort of a slip-up may bring
about condition, which would prove
disastrous. but Griffith's feeders took care
OF tnat end OF the game. All sorts of
chances were accepted in a manner that
was really uncanny, the only error com
ing In the first inning when grounder
from chappelle's bat took an ugly bound
al 1ahdii, and this really cost nothing.
eiandil. at first. is playing remarka Bile
Dali He made play in the final inning
which. perhaps, no other first baseman
could have accomplished. Lord had
leaeneo hrst on walk, when Chase hit
q sn3rp grounder to Mcbride The latter
handled the ball perfectly and whipped 1t
10 Morgan forcing Lord. But Morgan in
an eHort to make a double play made
weird throw to first. No other first base
man but Gandil could have blocked that
Wild heave. but he did holding Chase at
AIst' and thereby, perhaps, preventing
the score from being tied.
Bob Groom Is slated TO work in the
game today. He will b.. opposed by
either Scott or OBrien with the former
having the preference because the Boston
cast-on has not been showing anything
since he Joined the Sox.
II was perhaps fortunate circumstance
tna' the Nationals followed the Athletics
INTO this city. But for the strain which
the SIX games with the Athletics put on
ei's Sox they would probably be playing
hisher grade of base ball, and with the
Nationals hitting at the lowest ebb their
I,ahces Tor victory would be slim indeed
put the Sox have not yet recovered
from mat Athletic series. The team is
piayins erratic ball and needs a lay of
10 Dring 1T back to its old FORM
luck weaver was the donator of yester-
gay game. His several errors gave the
1>auohais the runs they needed to win.
IN the nrst inning with two out and a
man on second as the result Of his hit
anu steal, Weaver made a poor throw OF
rahuh hard grounder. which allowed
Moeher 10 score. In the second inning,
| wneh the visitors final run was scored.
| Nusseh made miserable heave to second
| wnlcn gave another run. Mcbride opened
| TINS inning with a hit and when Ain
| smith sacrificed and Russell threw poorly
| to second Mcbride went all the way to
| .hird Johnson struck out, but MOeller
grew pass, and when Foster hit to
| berger and forced Moeller, Mcbride
| scored.
| one would suppose that after the ex-
penence the Chicago management has
mad with Walsh as q result of overwork-
| ING MIN precautions would be taken
| IN handling the few other successful
pitchers on the staff, yet such does not
seem to be the case. Russell. the young
| ieit-hander, who has been the mainstay
| OF the Sox this season, is being used, OF
ABUSED, ABOUT the same as was Walsh III
| former years. He is constantly being
pitcned out of his turn. and as a result
mas lost much OF his effectiveness. Try
| ing 10 WIN pennant or even a lower po-
/ stion by overworking one or two pitch-
ers mas never proved a success, and the