The Washington times., 1914-06-18

~ Johnson WINS looaN, bofniiiss Nhi
probably be allowed TO take his regu-
lar turn tomorrow: otherwise Griffith
may pitch Harper oil Bentley.
Tor the first time in the modern era
Of hascball-that is. since Griffith has
been in command Of ~ths Washington
team as il is at present constituted
the Nationals are today recovering from
thc sting OF having hee1 whipped in 4
complete series OF four games. The ig-
nou1iny and humiliation are intSrs!fed
through the fact that the staggering
blow was delivered Sy lnNly CleN leland.
The last reverse was tho worst o. The
four. outhft. outhelfed outguessed.
outpitched. oGtzeneraled, and, OF course,
outseored the Nationals looked hke a
band of tratiers going down in defeat
st. the hands, b1ts and brains Of
championship club.
once more the alibi may remain leash
ed for there is no excuse. The spell
which ovcrcame the Nationals whe.. they
crossed the Aleshenies has not been
forssken, and in the last eleven starts
the team has been eight times beaten
by all odds the most miserable showing
since the days when Washington was
tte proverbial Jest of the loop.
An even dozen tirles the servings OF
Jim Shaw were belted into safe terri
tory, and. although the Griffs held on
fsiriy well half of the distance. the
Maps drew away toward the close and
converted an ordinary defeat into
severe rout. True FIVE of these safeties
we're infield bumps. but they counted
lust the same. while Al Collamore was
proving himself especially effective
when one or more of the oases were
occupied.
The successive victories over the
Griffmen acted as such powerful
hot -
leaving Cleveland the Washington
players heard numerous predictions
that Birminghams band is about to
make a rush that will speedily lift
them from the dungeon.
As q matter of fact the Maps, with
Chapman at short, look like much
improved ball club, and one that is
entitled to higher rank than one or
TWO the Nationals have encountered in
the present iIl-starred Journey.
There has not been a single time
since we left the East that we have
shown our real form. There's no use
trying to alibi. There has been
weakening all along the line. parucu-
larly in the hitting when there have
been men on"
This was the candid confession OF
Griff today as he Tneditated upon the
most disastrous read experiences since
he has been in charge OF the Wash
lnEton team
Larry Lajoie vas in the preliminary
practice of the Maps. He showed plenty !
of life for a man suffering from ton !
sIlitis.
II the second inning yesterday the |
Nationals put over a double play, that !
the most conspicuous fact
With man on second AMI one on (,
third, one out, three balls and no |
strikes on the batter, Morgan dashed !
rapping. Shaw pitched and the bail |
shot on SHARP hop TO Morgan VINO |
touched Chapman of second and threw |
out oNeill at first. |
II was a freak play and probably /
saved the Nationals couple pf runs .
Griffith today issued an ultim2tIm To
his first four pitchers tha-. unless they !
pected Of them. ne @Il inject Harper !
zud Bentley.
By starting the youngsters the ruler
Topss 10 get some real action from inc
E:llsmsn.
shanks overlooked an cXcellen. chance /
for triple yesterday when he hit /
the ball against the right held wall /
and drew VI at second. He could easily
hsve reached third. He was all but
thrown out at the plate a few minutes
lste- on S"rgans single.
In the sixth, the GriTs cot men on
hrst and second with none out Not
8 man reached third. Shaw making the
mira out wnen il" vas III FIRST victim
Of strikes OF the afternoon.
For making q violent protest on 4
strike decision. Birmingham was or
dered of the field. He went only. as far
as the bench. and when D.neen went