Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-09
ENGEL OR SHAW
TOP|7CH TODAY
Griffith Not to Make Selection
Until He Has Seen Them
Warm Up.
DEFEAT SENDS NATIONALS
TO FOURTH PLACE IN RACE
Battle Is So Close That Victory To-
day Can Place Team
Second.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

I
the Nationals today, and if a victory
results it is possible for the Nationals
to be tie with Chicago for second place
this evening. The closeness of the
race makes many changes possible in
the standing of the first six clubs. Chi
cago. by a dual victory over Boston.
leaped into second place yesterday, and
yet the Sox may jump right back again
today. The Nationals. though fourth
are right 1t the heels OF, the teams
leading them. st. Louis and Boston
are within whispering distance of the
Nationals, 50 that most anything can
| happen before the week is out.
| Manager Griffith evidently proposes
to have some line on the pitcher he is
going to select for today's game, for he
would not say positively which one of
his twirlers would be used, though he
said that it would be either Engel or
Shaw. Had some one watched Boehling
in his warm-up yesterday he might
not have been sent to the slab, for he
did not look like himself when he was
warming up. An experienced eye can
tell a whole lot about pitchers form
when he is taking his preliminary
warm-up, and it would be good policy
TO closely watch the local pitchers
when they are getting ready to go into
a game.
DOuglaS Mem. the virginia | nlNerSItN
infielder who has been with the Nation
ais for month or so. was taken to his
home at Charlottesville yesterday in
serious condition. Neff has been ailng
for several days. and it is feared he is
in danger of contracting typhoid fever.
His brother came here and took him to
Charlottesville. where he will he placed
in the varsity hospital
1t was unfortunate that Manager Crit
fifth picked Joe Boehling on day when
he was unable to do himself justice.
Had Engel been selected the chances
feated, for Ensel looked to be in SPLEEN
did form yesterday. having terrific
speed. Harper. too. showed to advan-
tage. in fact. any one of Griffith's twirl-
Boehling yesterday. Boehlins seemed
to be nervous He did not pitch in his
usual smooth manner, but appeared to
be forcing himself on every ball he de-
Hvered, and he was hit numerically
hard in the two innings he was on the
rubber.
Harry Harper again showed good form
In the three innings he pitched yester-
day. The youngsters control is great
ly improved, and he has one advantage
over either OF the other left-handers !
on the team in that he has splendid |
speed. Harper promises to develop into |
a left-hander of considerable class and |
it is only a question of time when he |
Two of the three pinch hitters Griffith |
used struck out, but Schaefer came |
through with a base hit which paved |
the way for the eighth inning rally. |
Acosta and Smith were the ones to fan. |
Howard Shanks made one of the most !
remarkable catches in left field yester- |
day that has ever been seen on a ball i
field. IN the third inning Austin hit up |
ha Inf iolI Iio,,
Mcbride and Foster and Shanks started |
for the ball. but though Shanks was |
playing deep and had lot of ground to |
cover he came through and made the
catch when not more than two feet from |!
the concrete wall.
1t was Clarence Walkers double in the |
first inning which played havoc, as it |
for the third tally. Walker did not get |
any hits thereafter. but the damage !
had been done.
Milan had good day with the bat. |
both of his triples being hard hit balls. |
I.avan undoubtedly saw his team
from being tied or beaten in the eighth
inning, when he did some very clever
fielding on balls hit by Gandil and Will
liams. both of which had the earmarks
of base hits. Lavan covered a lot of
ground on these hits and undoubtedly
prevented disaster for his team
Dan Moeller had a peculiar experience
in the eighth inning which might have
resulted seriously. With Moeler on first
Foster hit a sharp grounder to Pratt
who tossed the ball to Lavan, and
double play seemed certain. Lavan cut
the ball loose at full force, and it struck
Moeller. who was running toward the
bag on the head. bounding into right
field. Moeller. however. did not seem to
be stunned by the blow.
Though the American League rules
provide that double headers shall De
nlayed on the next day of a postpone
ment after the first trip. these rules are
not lived up to. Neither the Philadelphia
or New York clubs staged double head
ers Yesterday. though both had postpone
ments the day before Connie Mack al
ways has manipulated his double headers
TO suit himself When he finds that the
playing of two games in one day would
be a hardship on his pitching star. ne
simply does not play them Just what
these rules are for. when they are Vio-
lated whenever it is convenient, is hard
to understand