Evening star., 1913-05-21
LOSE A WEIRD GAME
T0C[EVELANDN MAPS
Nationals Hold Lead Until
Ninth Inning, When Home
Team Forges Ahead.
PITCHING OF MULLIN
BELOW THE STANDARD
Misjudging of Fly With Two Out
and Three on Bases Proves
Disastrous-Gossip.
BY J. ED GR1LLo.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
CLEVELAND. Ohio. May 2l.-George
Mullin will have to show marked i'm
he Is to be Of help to Grifith's pitching
staff. Mullins debut was anything but
a success. He was hit hard in nearly
every inning that he faced the Maps. and
then had to suffer the humiliation of
being taken from the game because he
could not withstand the onslaught of
the Nap hitters; nor did he have the
usual complaint that his team secured no
runs for him to fall back on, for it was
one of the few days when the Nationals
| were in scoring mood, and at one time
they had a four-run lead for Mullin to
work on. Even this advantage was in
sufficient though. and Mullin had to be
dragged out while under fire. 1t was a
cool day, hardly suitable for pitcher OF
Mullins long experience. and it was
noticeable that he grew less effective as
the game progressed. His two best in
nings we're the second and third, the
only ones in which he managed to
+, blank his opponents. but in the others
he was not only hit hard but often. and
by the time it was found necessary to
y
within one run Of the Nationals.
Hughes took up the going there, and
he did fairly we'll until the final inning,
when he was hit hard. and also had a
Shanks-usually most reliable fielder
misjudging a fly ball after two hands
were out. which naturally gave the Maps
all the runs they needed, for the bases
were full at the time.
With the bases full as the result of
some hitting. and the intentional giving
of passes to Jackson and Lajoie. who
looked too dangerous to be allowed to
hit, Morgan made remarkable stop
plate in time to force Olson. That made
two out with but one run having scored,
and when Carish. who batted for
O'Neill, sent up short fly to left, most
Of the members of Griffith's team start
ed for the clubhouse. for it seemed GER
tain that a hard-fought struggle had
been won. Shanks was seen to take
some uncertain steps under the ball. as
IL he could not decide upon its down.
ward course. He hesitated. and then
started backward, but he never reached
the pail. which fell on safe territory.
while black-hosed athletes were scam
pering over the plate and the game was
finished.
All in all, it was poor day for How
ard Shanks. He had two chances to
throw out runners at the plate. and in
both instances did not come anywhere
near getting the ball where he intended.
and then he wound up the day by badly
misjudging Carishs fly, which lost the
game. There have been decidedly few
instances this season when Shanks failed
to play up to his standard. but yester-
day was one Of them Shanks was by
no means the only one to be blamed for
the defeat, though. There were numer-
Gus errors OF Judgment. but the princi-
pal fault was in the pitching. which was
mostly weak. as the fact that the Maps
scored ten runs would indicate.
1t seems rather peculiar that in view of
the fact that the Nationals have averaged
really FEWER runs per game on this trip
and yet have won a majority of the
games. they should lose the game in
which they scored nine runs. almost four
times above the average. Had some of
the pitchers who have worked during this
trip received half that number of runs
they would have won their games in q
canter.
There is of course. some consoltion in
the fact that the Athletics were beaten
again by Detroit. Griffith figures that
Mack's team is the only one in the race
which he has to beat. and. II such Is the
case he has lost no ground by the two
defeats here. But there Is no getting
away from the fact that the two games
which have been dropped here have pre-
ScHtcu D. great CHdnce LOT the NatlOnaIS
to climb. for the Athletics, too, have been
losing and there was a chance to gain q
lot OF ground. Ut has been some Years
since there was so peculiar a pennant
race in the American League as the pres
ent one. 1t Is plain that 1t Is not going
to take remarkable team to win the
pennant this year. Any one OF the sew
eral contenders can win with the breaks.
While the two defeats here are, Of
most digCorrQ do
put the Nationals out OF the running In
the first place. the fact should not be
overlooked that two games still remain to
be played here. and there is hope that the
back In first place.
So far as the standing is concerned, the
Nationals are now in a much better po-
sition than year ago. and the chances
are that the team will oe better fortified
IN couple Of weeks than 1t is today
George Mcbride put Willie Mitchell out
OF the running in the second inning,
when single from his bat resulted In
three runs being scored. This is how II
happened: Laporte who was in a hit
ting mood. started the inning with a sin
gle. Williams struck out but Shanks
came through with q single. Mcbride
followed with hit to right. Jackson
got the ball and made a. long throw
home. but the ball got away from
ONeill. and both Laporte and Shanks
scored. When O'Neill threw to Mitchell,
who was covering the plate. the throw
was poor and Mcbride came home. Then
Mullin drew a pass and SO did Moeller.
Mitchell was then yanked and Blanding
took his place. Milan hit safely, driving
Mullin home with the fourth run Of the
inning. The next two batters. however,
went out.
So far as fast base work is concerned
the Maps are not in the same class with
the Nationals. Grfff's men showed them
up again yesterday in this respect, and,
incidentally, once more pulled off the old
trick with a man on first and third and
two out This happened In the third.
Laporte and Williams had both singled
and Shanks had been walked. filing the
bases. McBrides long sacrifice fly al
lowed LapOrte to score and sent Williams
to third. Cullop, a left handler, was
then put In to pitch, and Shanks pur-
posely allowed himself to be caught of
first. while Williams scored the second
run of the inning. The base running of
the Nationals was far superior to that
of their opponents in every respect. there
being only one base stolen by the Maps,
against four by the Nationals.
1t is most likely that Groom will be
pitched today and Johnson on the last
day Of the series. Griff1th had intended
to hold Walter out Of the local series