Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-03
JOHNSON SHOULD WIN
FINAL CONTEST TODAY
MCAIeer's Crew Not Likely to
Beat Griffith's Star-B0ehI-
ing Continues Great Work.
BY j. ED GRILLO.

| with tnree straight victories to thei
credit and Walter Johnson slated to pitch
| it would be most remarkable upset i
| the fourth game did not go as have thu
| previous three
| This Boston team has proved a mos
| easy proposition for the Nationals to date
| Eleven of the fifteen games which tn,
! two teams have played have been vic
tories for the Griffmen. About every
thing that goes to make a winning com
bination seems to be lacking here The
pitching is off color. the team is not hit
ting, and. SO far as having an ur-to- da t.
playing system that appears to be out OF
the question. In the three games that
the Nationals have played here they have
succeeded in making the worlds cham
pions look like tailenders. Whatever in
side ball has been displayed has been
shown by the visitors, while the pitching,
hitting and fielding has all been theirs.
This not only demonstrates the poor
ball Boston is playing, but is an indca-
ton of the high-grade ball that the Griff-
men are putting up. Not in long while
have the Nationals shown such brilliant
form as here. The return of Foster seems
to have added the missing link to a COM
bination which needs just such player.
With Foster on third the entire team
seems 10 nave recovered us pest
and if 1T can keep up it's present pace it
may make a finish in the race which will
astound the base ball world.
With a clean sweep here the team goes
to New York for four games. Judging
on the comparative standing of the two
teams In the race, these games should do
more to help the Nationals upward, yet
they must not be figured victories before
they are PLAYED. In fact Griffith expects
he
But with the luck of the game breaking
even the Nationals ought to win these
games, and if they do they will be in
splendid position to make a fight for
second place. to say the least.
Joe Boehling annexed his seventh con-
secutive victory yesterday. The young
lefthander, whose remarkable reversal of
form of late has done much to help out
Griffith's rather ordinary pitching staff.
is now beginning to attract the atten-
ton of the base ball world. He is on a
fair way to make a record which will
place his name among the winning pitch
ers of the league. He has only three
games to go to equal the record made
this spring by Walter johnson and Fred
F'alkenburg. and. judged by the way he
has been going. it is not at all unlikely
that he VIII accomplish this feat
Boehling pitched the best game of his
career against Boston. He was not
scored on. yet found himself in several
ticklish positions which a less competent
pitcher could not have worked out of
without being scored upon. On two diff
ferent occasions Boehling had the bases
filled and yet did not allow a score. This
was principally due to the fact that the
Red Sox could not hit him, as the box
score. which shows them to have made
but three hits. will indicate. 1t was an
occasional wildness which got him into
the tight places, but it must be said for
~ hot Lot y:
der such conditions. and to this fact was
due his scoreless victory.
The first time that Boehling was asked
to face a serious situation was in the
fourth inning when, with one out, Lewis
hit for three bases. He retired Gardner
easily enough, but walked Engle and
Wagner, filling the bases That Is not
the most ideal place for young pitcher
to be in. but he got out of it nicely when
Carrigan hit a sharp grOunder to Nc
Bride
The next time the Bostons threatened
was in the sixth inning when. after one
hand was down. Boehling walked Yerkes
and Hooper, yet he retired the next two
batters without allowing a run. His best
performances was in the following inning
when he again got the bases full. In this
round Engle got hit with one down only
to be forced by Wagner. Then Carrigan
and G.. Foster were walked, and the
rather nard-htting Yerkes was up but
he forced G. Foster and ended the round.
One good reason for the rather poor
| showing which the Red Sox have made in
this series might be attributed to the
failure of iris Speaker to hit up to his
usual standard In the twelve times that
he has faced Washington pitchers in the
games played here he has failed to get
anything that resembles a base hit. This
| is perhaps the worst slump that Speaker
has experienced in some time and it is
, naturally having its effect on the rest
or the team. besides making it q rather
weak-hitting aggregation.
The work of Boehling's support YES
/ terday was in many respects the best
fielding the Nationals have done at any
time this season. There were no plays
of the circus variety, but lots of diff
| ficult chances We're accepted with ease
and grace which did much to help Boeh-
ling out of the tight places Foster and
Mcbride, in fact, the entire infield work
ed like chain lightning behind the young
lleft-hander, and there were innumerable
incidents when the crowd had to applaud
the brilliant work. Foster was particular
~ clever In fielding ugly grounders which
came at him, and he worked in perfect
Howard Shanks is entitled to special
mention Tor some real inside ball he
pulled on IN the last inning. which was
Il
Morgan had made n double with one out
when 6hanks came To bat. He caught
/ the infteid mapping and showed the hal
past Foster, getting his base easily
while Morgan went to third Mcbride
/ hit short fly to Lewis on which there
was no chance for Morgan to score. bur
Shanks took long lead off first and
| finally lured Lewis into throwing there
/ and. while he was being run down Nor
| gan crossed the plate. Shanks after
i ducking back and forth several times
| reached second when Engle made a moor
peg to Wagner.
Rry Morgan had an exceptionally good
| day with the stick He got n hit the
\ first time up when facing Moseley and
/ twice after that drove Fosters shoots
\ into safe territory. getting three hits in
1 four trips to the plate.
There were two occasions yesterday
when the Nationals. by poor work or
| the bases. tossed of a couple Of runs. In
| the second inning Morgan reached sec.
/ ond on his hit and Lewis error and Their
| was out at third when he tried to reach
that bag when the catcher dropped tn,
ball. In the third. Henry and Boehlins
| were walked and Henry tried to steal
but was thrown out. Both these play.
! were followed with hits which woult
! have scored runs.
\ l. IL rs.l -sta'A Arm ra5..h has su,,