Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-08
BY J. ED GRILLo.


Shaw, and if this pair displays the form
shown in New York last week, sailing for
the champions is not going to be smooth.
In the two games yesterday Mack was
forced to use his three most successful
pitchers, Shawkey, Bender and Plank.
and they are now eliminated for the re-
naming games here this afternoon. Mack
will be forced to use couple of his
youngsters in today's double-header, and
this should give the locals a splendid
chance, providing. of course. that john
son and Shaw show the form they have
recently.
The first game is to be called at 1:45
o'clock, and the second ten minutes after
the completion of the first game.
Ii is doubtful if ever before in the his
tory of base ball team has engaged in
as many close games as have the Ma
tionals of late. Many of their struggles
have been extra contests, while most OF
them have been decided by the margin of
one run Yesterday was not an exception.
Both of the games were hard fought. and.
as has been the case on most days during
the past three weeks. one run decided
them.
! Jack Bentleys performance against the
champions in the morning game will go
down as one of the pitching feats OF the
season. 1t was one of the most remark
| able performances that a youngster OF
| little experience has ever been credlted
| with. and it means that Bentley must be
| considered as one of the Grffmen's most
! promising pitchers for the future.
| The best feature Of the Bentley victory
| is the fact that the young man DID not
| suffer from Uranium imitation as result.
| Some one congratulated him upon his
| performance, and he modestly remarked:
| II don't deserve as much credit as Joh1l
| Henry. He guided me through the entlre
| game, and I merely followed his lnstruc-
! tons on every ball 1 pitched.
i We have always been led to believe
that Connie Mack, unlike most man
ayers, sat quietly on the bench during
a ball game and never as much as
opened his mouth while the struggle
i was going on. If that was the case
at one time, it is no longer. Ihose
who observed the antics OF Mack IN
| the two games yesterday might nave
did not sit still for single instant
/ He moved from one end of the bench
to the other, got up several times III
/, his anxiety to help his team and was
wig-wagging with his scorecard in an
effort to get his outfielders to change
! their position on several occasions
+: when he seemed able to anticipate
where a batter was going to hit. 1t
was strenuous day for Connie, for
| having lost five straight he was grow
ing a trifle anxious.
| The Athletics are in bad way for
catchers. Schang is virtually the only
available backstop. Lapp is hurt. Nc
Avoy, a youngster, is not competent,
while Ira Thomas is not able to hold
his own because he has been out of
the game for several years virtually.
Schang is catching with an injured
i skI~
accident the Mackmen would be hard
! put for catchers.
| Doc Ayers got himself in a lot of trou-
BILE in the sixth inning of the afternoon
game, because of his inability to field
| his position. This failing is always sure
to be costly. for opposing teams have
wised up to the doctor. and are making a
special effort to keep him busy trying to
| handle the ball. Doc should put in a lot
| of time improving himself in this respect,
or his chances of becoming the pitcher
that his natural ability promises will be
| greatly handicapped.
| Tom Wilson, the Galveston catching
| recruit made his first appearance in
a Washington uniform yesterday
morning and he handles himself In a
very impressive manner. Wilson is a
big fellow and appears to have an ex-
| cellent throwing arm.
! Collins and Baker. the Athletics heavy
artillery seem to have dropped into a
| temporary batting slump, which I'M
doubtedly accounts for the losing streak
| of the champions. Any time this pair Is
stopped by opposing pitchers the Ath-
| letics' chances are greatly reduced Yes
| terday Collins and Baker made one hit
between them in the two games, and
Baker got that In the sixth inning Of the
second game. Collins. however. made up
for his inability to hit in way by doing
a lot of walking, three times In the morn
| ing game and twice in the afternoon
| struggle.
| Much credit for the development of
Jack Bentley is due Nick Atlrock, who
has had charge Of all Grifhth's left
handed twilrlers since he Joined the team
Bentley has proved very apt pupil. and
no one was more pleased with his per
| Torrance Yesterday morning than Alt
rock.
| |,a,diI seems to have regained his bat
ting stride, and he Is now doing the con-
| sistent work with the stick that he was
| noted for last season. His triple IN the
sixth yesterday did much to put the To-
! calls In the running.
John Henry caught two splendid games
OF ball Yesterday. His throwing was as
near perfect as is to be expected, and he
handled the deliveries of all pitchers
well.
Chief Bender failed to go the route yes
! terday. Though he had a six-run lead
when he started to pitch in the sixth he
was forced to retire at the end OF that
round. The chief was hit numerically
hard in that inning, and Plank Jared but
little better in his first inning. the sew
| enti1 when the Nationals came within
one Of tying the score. But after that
the veteran southpaw was invincible.
It was a game fight which tho Ma
| tionals put up In the afternoon contest,
and had they gotten any Of the breaks
from the umpires they probably would
| have won out.
| Ordinarily game is over when a team
gains a six-run lead in the sixth inning.
It was this which happened yesterday.
vet the locals came right back and by
| the end of the seventh inning were with
| in one run Of their opponents. But to the
sixth the score was tie. The Athletics
| had gained a one-run lead on two diner
| ent occasions, but were caught by the To-
| calls In the first inning Murphy beat out
a roller to Ayers, Oldrings hit sending
| him to third, and while a double play was
being made he scored.
| In the Nationals half the score was
tied ON a similar play. Moeller opened
| with a double and went to third on
| Fosters single. Milan hit into q double
play and Moeller scored.
Singles by Schahg, Bender and Muir
| ply gave the Athletics a run In the