Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-01
BY j. ED GRILLO.

If the Nationals make a clean sweep
of the series with New York the team
will be in a better position to battle
with the Boston Red Sox. who follow
the Yankees here for fivegame series.
The Red Sox team is going at fast
clip, and will be sure to give the locals
a hard tussle hence it will be well for
the Nationals to gain at the expense
of the Yankees before the SoX make
their appearance here.
Boston comes for a double-header Fri
day and then plays two games Satur-
day. July 4. and winds up the series
Monday. This series will be quite
strain on the local pitching staff, though
it is not at all unlikely that Johnson
will work in two of these games. one
Friday and the final game Monday.
Judged on the two hard-fought games
that the Yankees have played here, the
Chance aggregation cannot be Inquired
as easy picking. The visitors appear
to have pitching strength which has
stopped the locals hitting in the two
first games. yet there is really no COM
parison in the two teams, the Nationals
being by far the better.
For the game today, Griffith will select
either Shaw or Engel to do the pitch
ing. Ray Fisher. at times most de-
ceptlEe tWlfIeT, IS 1kely TO De on lne
rubber for the visitors.
Yesterdays game was marked by some
brilliant fielding the part of the Ma
| tonals. Milan's catch of Keating's long
drive to right center undoubtedly saved
the Nationals from defeat, for had the
ball gone safe at least three runs would
have been scored in this inning. The
fielding of the locals was of the highest
standard and to this alone can the victory
be attributed
Eddie Foster, for instance made a play
in the seventh which developed into one
of the fastest double plays ever seen on
any ball field. With Heating on first and
one out Maisel seemed to have made hit
to left The ball was hit between Foster
and Mcbride. but Foster scooped it up
with one hand and without stopping TO
steady himself threw to Morgan in time
to force Heating. and Morgan got the ball
to Smith in time to double up Maisel, one
of the fastest runners in the game.
There were several other sterling field
ing plays in which Mcbride and others
figured, which did much to hold the
visitors in check.
1t is generally conceded that Griffith
has the greatest defensive team in either
league. 1t is one of the hardest teams in
the history of the game to. score on. and
it is this fact which makes it a contender
in the race.
But Extensively the team lacks much. 1t
hasn't the punch which pennant-winnnS
teams have always been able to boast of,
though there was one exception, the Chi
cago White Six of 1906. That was the
weakest hitting team in the circuit, yet it
won the pennant because it was superior
in a defensive way.
In the matter of speed and intelligence
the Nationals compare favoraby with
any Of their rivals.
mfr To
in his recent games in that his teammates
find it difficult matter to get any runs
for him. His pitching has been most
consistent, however, and with any sort of
hitting behind him he would be charged
with very few defeats to date.
Only ninety-three points separate the
sixth and first teams in the American
League race. It is possible for any one