Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-18
BY j. ED GRILLO.

BY. ED GRILLO.
In mono of their recent games nave
the Nationals shown to such good adj
vantage as yesterday, when, by SUI
perior playing and good breaks they
scored a signal victory over the Maps.
The second clash of the series oc-
ours today. and il Walter Johnson dis
plays his usual form the chances are
that a second victory will be scored
by the Nationals. 1t is Johnson
against Blandng today, according to
Birmingham. once or twice in his
career Banding has scored a victory
over johnson, and as Birmingham be-
1ieves in playing lunches he will Sc
lect him to work in the event OF
johnson pitching, and there seems to
be no doubt as TO that.
Playing of the kind that the Ma
tionals did yesterday would have
beaten any team. 1t seems that the
club has at last recovered its stride,
and. if it has, it is sure to be more
prominent in the race from this out
than it has been. The Maps did not
look SO impressive. The team did not
hit was expected. and. in fact did
not display the form which would create
class with the Athletics.
With johnson and Blanding opposing
each other today a hard-fought battle Is
20 be expected, and this is probably true
of the remaining game here. For to-
morrow Birmingham will have his two
star pitchers. Falkenberg and Nean
Gregg, to choose from, while 1T is likely
that Joe Boehling will be sent in for
the Nationals,
Rumors of dissension in the ranks of
the Maps are most emphatically denied
by Manager Birmingham. There is alb
solutely no truth in these Stories, SAID
he. They are started by some malicious
person for the purpose OF affecting my
team l have had no misunderstanding
sension that | know of 1t is not fair
to me or my players to start these stores.
for they are absolutely without founda-
ton"
Griffith made timely switch when he
pulled Mullin and sent Hughes to the
rubber with two on and none out in the
fourth inning. Mullin was not getting
the breaks while he was at work. and
he would probably have gotten into a
mess had he been allowed to continue in
the game. Hughes had one of his good
days and really pitched a mastery game
of ball against the hard-hitting visitors.
Holding the Maps scoreless for the last
five innings is not childS play, for there
ia not q man in the lineup who Is not
dangerous at the bat. Hughes used good
judgment In working against the slug
gers on the team, and this made it pos
sible for him to get away with his game.
Though Mitchell. the Maps southpaw.
ts usually effective against other teams.
1T is questionable If in the several
years he has been with the Cleveland
team he has scored more than one
victory over the Nationals. On in
Vulnerable occasions he has failed to
finish his game against the locals,
and yesterday ne was hit much harder
than he has been in some time.
The present lineup of the Nationals
gives the team more batting strength
than it has had earlier in the season.
Moelle- is gradually getting back into
his stride. Foster is sure to hit in time.
and from him down there are some re-
liable hitters lined up. Milan. Gandil
Morgan and Shanks are hitting splen-
didly, and John Henry, too. has been
going good. 1t was the Milan-Gandil-
Morgan-Shanks combination which
made the victory yesterday possible 1t
was their hitting which helped the Ma
tionals to all their runs.
with two out Jack Lelivelt was sent
70 bat for O'Neil In the ninth, and he
responded with a drive against the
SEQ. eboard which Melted him couple
of bases. Bates was sent to run for
him, but Leibold, who batted for Nit
That triple play put the Maps out Of
the running. Had O'Neifs line drive
gone safe the Maps would have scored
a batch Of runs in that fourth inning
Instead OF getting only one. ONeil hit
the ball hard. and had 1t not been right
at Gandil he could not have covered
much ground on it. There were two
on at the time and none out. After get
ting that break Tom Hughes displayed
brilliant form, and prevented the
visitors from scoring any more runs.
Boosters day was a big success.
There was some real enthusiasm dis
played during the entire game. and the
players seemed to respond to the en-
enlargement which they received
from the Boosters. Incidentally II vas
tho general impression that II would
add much TO the game If a band was
engaged for every game OF the sea-
SON
Howard shanks seems TO improve
With every game. Not only has he be-
come a most timely hitter, but his
Gelding is nothing short Of marvellous,
and when II comes TO backing UP plays
on the infield he Is the equal OF iris
Speaker or any Of the hustling out
felders. Shanks IS also displaying a
lot OF ability on the bases. his delayed
steal yesterday In the sixth inning
catching o'Neil and the Nap infelders
sound asleep. In the short time he has
PLAYED here ne has learned the
necuiiarities OF most batsmen. and is
nlayiax his field accordingly, which
has baen OF much help to the pitchers
The Cleveland players have good reason
for bclicv,oE that Tom Hughes has some
soct of a hoodoo over them. In the game
IN Cleveland Sunday. when Hughes re
neved Boehling the first ball hit of
MIN resulted in a double PLAY and killed
the Maps chances for IA rallv Yester
day the secsnd bail hit off him resulted
IN a triple play and put the Maps out o.
the running
Notwithstanding the fact that the pres
emf trip has been a disastrous one FOL
the Maps thew still have a coUforta BILE
'ead In Second place and are not apt to
lose that position for some time The
chances are that when Birmingham gets
his' PLAYERS back to their own grounds
they will show marked Improvement In
rt1efr ws-r< though the fact that the Maps
have never proved themselves n good
road t.ann. hampers their chances to win
q oennan: A team which has such as
nt-ations must be able to win a majority
Of IT'S games on foreign grounds and il
is not likely that the Maps will be able
&c DO this.
The white flannel uniforms worn by
the.surnpires yesterday made a decided
ti.. They are great Improvement owe,
the blue suits which these officials
usually wear and IL would help the gen.
.raI appearance OF things II white were