Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-15
STILL HAVE CHANCE
TO capture FLAG
Nationals Much Encouraged
Over Result of Series With
Cleveland Club.
MAKE DECIDED GAIN
ON LEADING TEAMS
Athletics Drop Three Success
Sive Games While Griffith's
Men Are Winning.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

Special Dispatch to The Star
ST. LOUIS, Mo, July 15-What has
proved the most encouraging series
the Nationals have played this season
ended in Cleveland yesterday. when.
with grand ninth-inning finish. thew
won their second game of the series.
The two victories have placed the team
In position where 1T can again claim
a real pennant chance, for while if
gained on Cleveland by beating that
team two out of three. PHILADELPHIA
lost three in row to Detroit, thus
cutting down the immense lead which
the Athletics have held the greater
part OF the season. Not only does it
now seem assured that if the Nation
ais Keep up their present pace they
VIII beat out the Maps, but the team
stands a chance to do even greater
things and finish in front of the Ath-
ietlcs. 1t will require pitching of the
highest order, and this may fall to the
good lot of Griffith, for he seems to
nave a stronger pitching staff now
IMAM ne has ever had. Groom came
BACK yesterday and pitched great ball
Engel, who succeeded him. did not
LOOK IKE the same unsteady pitcher he
mas peen In most of his games this
season, while Boehling, who put the
lhlshlng touches on the victory, show
ed his usually brilliant ADVANTAGE
The men are playing an aggressive
smooth game of ball. They are making
their hits count and putting up a strong
defensive game which stands out COM
pared with that Of their opponents To-
morrow series OF four games is to be
opened in st. Louis. These games are
sure to be hard ones. for the Browns
nave pitching staff which is always
troublesome, but Griffiths team is
superior In all departments, considered
on the whole, and If the PLAYERS win
get in and hustle as they do against
good ball teams there is a chance for
II to further advance in the race dur
ing its stay there
The chances are that a SUSPENSION will
be meted out to Manager Griffith before
the games here begin. In his run-in
Win umpire McGreevey. the joke of the
American League staff, for which he was
put OF the field. he was also informed
by McGreevey that he would be sus-
pended McGreeveys work in all the
games IN Cleveland was abominable He
proved his incompetency by guessing at
all decisions, and both teams suffered
more or less. In the third inning vester
day he missed strike on Carisch at a
cr1tical part of the game. Groom kicked.
and when Griffith walked to the Mate tn
quiet matters McGreevey waved him ont
OF the grounds. Griffith refused to 20
ana d1d not leave the field until Con-
molly asked him to do So
The pitching of the three twirlers who
faced the Maps yesterday was good
enough to keep the Maps from
scoring But for mtsplays they would
have suffered a shut-out A wild Mitch
by Groom in the second inning. after he
had walked Jackson and the latter was
steains second, sent that player to
third. and he scored on an infieid play
Mnieh I.a1oie made possible when he hit
10 Mcbride. the latter making a great
one-handed stop. In the fourth inning.
Wnen the Maps apparently gained a COM
manding lead, Morgan was the one who
made 1t possible. With Chapman on
OF his single. Lajoie hit a grounder to
Morgan. which should have been turned
INTO double play and retired the side.
Morgan allowed the ball to get away
from him. and the result was that Chap
man scored. Jackson went to third and
La1o1e to second Ryan failed to ad-
vance the runners. but Graney was
walked. filling the sacks. Then Nc
balls, and Jackson was forced home.
but when Falkenberg hunted to Groom
the latter threw home and forced La
joie.
AFTER that no runs were scored by
the Maps. Engel worked for four in
nings and allowed but one hit, a drive
by Jackson; then, after the Nationals
had taken lead, Boehling pitched the
ninth He struck out Graney walked
Olson, who batted for Carisch, but the
latter was out trying to steal, and then
birmingham, who on the day before
struck out while acting as pinch hit
ter in the NINTH duplicated his per-
formance and the game was over.
George Mcbride was very much in
evidence In the victory 1t was his
long drive to right field with Morgan
on second which virtually made the
the three-bagger and Mcbride also tai
lied when Ainsmith sent Graney on a
long journey to deep left to catch his
fly. In the field Mcbride played a SEN
sational game He made all kinds of
good stops and throws, and saved his
pitchers on more than one occasion.
Eddie Foster is suffering from a bad
cold in his right eye. He consulted an
oculist yesterday morning in Cleve-
hut after he had made three wild
swings the first time up Griffith
benched him and Laporte took his
place at third.
The putting out of Henry by Nc
Greevey was fortunate for the Ma
tionals. Ainsmith who took his place,
not only threw like a rifle shot, but
helped his team with his bat, getting
two singles and a long sacrifice fly,
which helped TO score the winning
run.
The first time Ainsmith was up in the
fifth he hit safely was sacrificed to
| second, took third on a put-out and
scored when Laporte got his hit. He
opened the sixth with a hit also. but
/ was caught mapping and then in the
| ninth, after Mcbride had driven in
| the tying run with his triple, the