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

The expected break in the Atnletics
winning streak seems to be on hano'
but the Nationals failed to be benent-
cd thereby For weeks it has been the
aim of Griffith and his players to hang
as close TO the leaders as possible, IN
the hope that there might be stump.
The slump has come. but il has hit the
Nationals about the same time as IL
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 Bender, the teams mainstays.
h.ve suffered these defeats. This may
,,..n that the two veterans have
weakened under the strain of carry
inc the club. and il it has there is stili
hone that the Athletics may have
,eal 6pbt on their hands before the
season is over.
Tbere is even hope for the Nationals,
II they will get back TO the FORM thes
displayed on the recent trip. o.Ile'
teption to business now tnat the
rious celebrations are about over nay
vet land the team in better posltion.
Grifith ought TO have his pitching stan
working in regular order again Dy next
week There must be some reason ioi
the poor article of ball that the Nationals
NAV at home when compared TO their
rorl on the road. and the climate may
NOT be entirely TO blame. Ii the mem.
hers of the local team would reailZe .hdt
there is still splendid chance TOT thshi
To improve their position ana ulsp,ds .nc
IL.
some.
deserved tribute is TO be paid Wal
ter Johnson today when he Will De pre-
sented with a silver cup filled Win
something over 81. 100, contributed by ms
friends and admirers. The great pitcher
will work his first game for over "a Week.
and il is expected that one OF the iars-
est crowds in the history OF base pan III
this city will be in attendance
Just what ails Bob Groom is puzzlns.
There is nothing wrong with his pitching
arm and he appears to nave every an, i,s,
in the way of deceivers that he couio
ever boast of. but some how or other he
fails TO fool the opposition In the frst
and second innings of yesterday game
he gave clever an exhibition OF pitcn-
ing as could possibly be expected. only
10 he Knocked out of the box in the third
After getting two men on in the hrst ne
disposed of Crawford on a grounder 70
himself and then struck GOOD anu NedCH
out with second and third occupied. He
also retired the side in order in the Sec
ond but when his support wobbied a
tribe i'm the third he seemed to go to
pieces Groom has not pitched anything
ike 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 u pitcher
needs Ii is to be hoped for the sake Of
the team and Groom himself that he will
get back into his stride soon.
Considering the fact that il was only
the second time in his life that Harry
Harper had faced major league team
and that il 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 a lot of stuff
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 a h. gh-class
pitcher.
VI that Detroit team played as good
ball against all clubs as it does against
the Nationals Jennings would have a
irst-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