Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-08-05
IN SECOND PLACE
BY SINGLE POINT
Nationals Victory Over Maps,
While Red Sox Lose. Gives
Them Higher Berth.
BOEHLING DOES NOT SEEM
TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION
Has Not Worked Hard Enough to
Get Necessary Stamina-Ain-
smith Pleases Ban Johnson.
BY J. ED GRILLo.

ENELAND, Ohia, August BY a
margin of & single point the Nationals
are leading Boston in the American
League race today as a result of their
victory of yesterday over the Maps
while the Browns gave Boston their
third straight defeat on the Red SoX.
There remains but remote chance,
however for either Washington or Bos-
ton the teams which appear to be the
only runners-up in the present campaign.
10 mass the Athletics, the Mackmeh
having what at this stage, appears
TO he a safe lead Boston has not
played as consistently has WASH
inrton. Notwithstanding that the team
is figured to he the superior OF the
,iriffmen on paper.
The Nationals failure to be closer
10 the leaders in the present race has
been enormously attributed to the
teams failure TO bat as well as IL
might, and yet the Griffmen are sec
ond in club batting i'll the unofflclal
averages and not so very far behind
the Athletics who are ahead. That the
team has been hitting better lately
than ever before in its career is a
matter of record but there has been a
falling off in its pitching. Johnson. Tor
instance, having done nothing IKE the
work of last season, though. OF course,
lie is always brilliant: and SO Tar as
BoehIing is concerned he has not
pitched anywhere near last year FORM.
Had Johnson and Boehllng come
through this year with the same Ell
fectiveness that marked their perform
ances last season the chances are that
the team would now be leading the
procession. for In the matter OF held-
ing and hitting it has done much pet
ter than a majority OF ITS rivals. II Is
second in hitting and second In neld-
ing combina ton OF quallhcatlonS
which, when backed up by good pitch
ing. would come pretty near landing
the pennant.
Fortunately for Griffith. Doc Ayers
has come through. and to an extent at
least has made up some of the ground
which the failure of Johnson and
Boehling to repeat has lost. But the
star pitchers of the team have not
come up to expectations, and to this
more than anything else will the loss
of the flag this year be attributed If
there is an explanation coming when
the campaign is over.
Joe Boehlngs performance yester-
day was in keeping with majority of
his games this season. lie had a four
run lead up to the ninth and then
came within one run of having the
score tied.
True. Smiths error was costly. but.
for all that. pitcher in form would
rot have been disturbed by this mis-
hap. There have been no less than
eight or nine games this season in
which Boehling has had to retire in
the final round or has been beaten.
This can be attributed to lack of
physical stamina caused by failure of
Boehling to do the amount of work
that ball player needs to keep him
self in good condition. From the first
inning to the eighth yesterday Boeh-
ling gave splendid exhibition and was
not scored on, only to falter in the
final round.
This lad Morton who pitched for the
Maps ought to be great performer
just as soon as he learns something
about the pitching art. So far as nat
ural ability is concerned. he seems to
have been well endowed. but he is
green and inexperienced and is not apt
to win many games until he gets set
tied.
Morton struck out eleven men. He
also gave seven passes and was hit
safely nine times. seven runs being
charged against him. His principal
fault appears to be that he tries to
strike out every batter that faces him,
putting everything at his command on
the ball This weakens him and also
makes his control doubtful. But if moth
ing happens to him. he is apt to be
real pitcher some day.
When the Maps were within one run
of tying the score in the ninth. and
Boehlins was taken out there was some
surprise caused by Griffith sending
Shaw to the rubber when Walter John
son was available. Not until Shaw had
walked Bassler and filled the bases did
johnson hurry out to the bull pen to
warm up. but he could not be waited
Tor. Shaw had to continue to pitch. and
he got away with ii. 1t looked like
Johnson was the logical man to send
10 the rubber when danger threatened
for none of the youngsters. barring
Ayers. is at all reliable in the pinehes
Rankin Johnson. the former Boston
pitcher who made quite a reputation
by his clever work against his name
sake Walter. has jumped to the Federal
League. RANKIN dropped around to the Ma
,ionsl Hotel yesterday morning shook
hands with the players and made his
Way way IN a taxieab TO get train for
Chicago. He intends TO play with the
Tinker club in the Windy city. Rankin
Johnson became the property of the
cleveland club as the result of the deal
whereby the Red SoN obtained Neau
Gregg from the Maps. When Cleveland
tried to sign him " was found that
johnson wanted all sorts of concessions
the club would NOT make. and hence he
TOOK the leap. The Cleveland club has
not Vet decided whether il will try TO
stop Johnson from PLAYING with the
Feds by means of court proceedings
but the chances are he will not be mo-
Tested.
With Gandil on third and after
Shanks had struck out. ne and Nc
Bride tried TO pull the squeeze p!ay.
bur Morton pitched wide Mcbride
beng unable to reach the ball. and
Gandil. of course. was run down be-
tween home and third That squeeze
play is pretty to look at when il goes
through but il makes PLAYER appear
ridiculous when it fails.
Wally Smith had poor dav of il AT
second base. He is charged with three
errors. two OF these being the result of
fumbles and the other caused by his fail
ure TO size up a situation. In the eighth
inning, with a runner on first and second
and one out, Pezold hit a sharp grounder
10 Foster.-ho hurriedly whipped ii "a
second in an effort TO make a double play
Smith was late getting TO the bag and
the umpire declared the man running in
there safe. Smith had fallen as he made
the catch and he laid there protesting
against the decision. until the runner from
third started home. Then his throw tc
the plate was much too late
At the bar Smith was the luck1
recipient OF two scratch hits His double
in the fourth was high fly which either
Olsen or Jackson should have caught bu
both hesitated on it. and his other hi,
in the sixth slow bounder tn fhf