Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-12
MAPS DEFEATS HERE SEEM TO
HAVE DEMORALIZED TEAM
With Johnson on the Rubber Fifth Straight
Is Expected to Be Annexed
Today.

showed plainly that his arm was far
from oeing right.
Steen, who has been out Of the game
for several months with broken wrist,
got back into the fray yesterday, and.
aside from being bit unsteady, pitched
great ball. Had Birmingham allowed
him to remain on the slab after he
displayed wildness in the seventh the
result might have been different. That
the injury to Steen during the middle
Of the season proved a blow to the Maps
must be conceded, for he gives every
indication Of being a great pitcher and
would have done a lot to keep the Maps
in the race had he been able to work
regularly.
In the four games the Maps have
played here Lajoie has made but one hit.
and that was of the scratch variety. For
some unaccountable reason the great
slugger has been unable to gauge the
local twirlers' delivery. and as result
his batting average has taken severe
tumble. What is true of Lajoie is almost
true OF Jackson. He. too, has not been
hitting anywhere near his standard and
Cobb has passed him In the struggle for
batting honors. Jackson is badly off his
stride. He is not hitting as he does
when he is going good. He seems over
anxious and Is taking short chopping
swing, where he used to swing with a
full sweep. Jackson has made four hits
in the games here and three of them
were rank f1ukes. With this pair OF slug
gers not smuggling. the Maps, of course,
are severely handicapped, and the team
is not apt to win untn the heavy artillery
is in working order again.
Philadelphia has nine-and-a-ha game
lead over Washington now, a rather COM
Portable lead. but one which does not
assure victory for the pennant by any
means There is no such thing as re-
liable dope in base ball. No one would
wager against the Athletics chances I'M
less enormous odds were offered, and yet
no pennant is assured until the figures
prove that it Is impossible to beat the
leading team.
The season is rapidly drawing to close.
Washington still has something like
teams have about that many games still
to play. Just how uncertain the game
is is proved by the present squirt of the
Nationals. No one expected the locals
to take four straight from the Maps,
and they may make it five.
Griffith will be In a position to work his
best pitchers against the White Sox, who
open three-game series here tomorrow.
Boehling will pitch the opener and Groom
will probably be worked Monday, thus
giving Johnson Saturday, Sunday and
Monday to rest, and be ready for the
Anal game Tuesday. The Sox have been
going at lively clip Of late. and It will
require the locals best efforts to win q
majority of the games from them. though
If this can be accomplished the chances
are that second place will be reached be-
fore the series is over. as the Maps are
not apt to cut much of a figure in the
games with the Athletics.
After the Nationals had gained a one
run lead in the seventh johnson went out
to warm up, Griffith intending to have
him finish the game In the event that
his teams margin was SO small. But as
soon as more runs came over the plate