Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-10
NAT|0NALSST|LL
IN THE RUNNING
Despite Defeats Locals Are
Only Four Games Behind
Leaders.
FINAL WITH THE BROWNS
CARDED THIS AFTERNOON
Engel, Boehling or Johnson May Be
Sent In to Get Even Break
From St. Louis.
BY J. ED GRILLo.

! tionals the Griffmen are by no means out
| of the running. Being four games behind
, the leaders and only a game or two be-
| hind Detroit and Chicago is not discour-
| aging. Any sort of a winning streak
would push them forward, and in the
present race. with six teams apparently
very evenly balanced. there Is no telling
| what may happen.
| The Browns make their final appearance
! of the series today. Weilman will likely
| do the twirins for the visitors, while Joe
Engel. Joe Boehling or Walter johnson
may be found on the firing line for the
locals.
| But 1t Is more than likely that Griffith
will hold johnson for the Tigers, who
come here for a, four-game series to-
morrow. thus allowing him to use his
star pitcher twice against Jennings
squad After the Detroit series the Cleve-
land Maps come here for a four-game
stay. and at the close Of the western in
vasion Chicago will be tackled.
Bender and Plank still seem to be Con-
| ME Macl1's only reliable pitchers. The
two veterans. now that they are in FORM
are winning consistently. which is more
than can be said of any of the young
pitchers on the Athletics stag.
To have but two reliable pitchers is, of
course. a handicap. and yet these may
prove enough to win the flag for Mack
again. That Mack's team, barring the
pitchers, easily outclasses all its rivals
must be conceded. and it may have class
enough to beat them all, even with what
might be termed a weak pitching staff.
The squirt being made by the Chicago
White SoX comes as a genuine surprise
That Callahan team does not look to
have strength enough to hold its pres
ent position in the race. Barring good
pitching staff the Sox a rather
mediocre outfit. yet they going we'll
at present, but it is a long trip to Oc
tober.
Boston has been disappointment. The
Carrigan team shows an occasional
flash of splendid form, but is not prov
ing itself a consistent aggregation. But
| it is not out of the race yet by any
means It may strike a stride most any
day that will send 1t to the top.
When Ty Cobb gets back into the De-
troit lineup it is sure to make a big
difference in the Tigers chances. though
that team has managed to hold its own
even during Cobbs absence.
| Inability to sacrifice has been as costly
| to the Nationals this season as the team
| inability to hit timely. There have been
| anv number of games lost because the
player who was assigned to advance a
base runner failed. and yesterday was not
an exception. When with Milan on sec
ond and Williams up. the latter tried to
sacrifice and instead popped up to Leary,
the chance to tie the score went glim-
mering, for Shanks, the next man, hit
fly to center on which Milan could easily
have scored from third had Williams
advanced him to that bag.
ball team which is as weak at THIS
feature of the game as are the Nationals
would find it beneficitl to put in lot OF
time practicing the art of laying down
the ball
There were at least two occasions when
the Nationals outguessed the Browns
though unfortunately this did not help
them to a score. When Shaw singled In
the sixth with one out Moeller caught
the entire opposing infield mapping when
he hunted down the first base line and
beat the throw to first base. That was
clever base ball and ordinarily would
have paved the way for a victory. but
Milan who seemed intent on cleaning
up. was unfortunate in having Williams
catch his long drive to the right field
wall.
There was another clever bit of base
ball in the ninth. With Milan % first
as the result Of his single to right. 1t
looked like a natural play for Williams
TO sacrifice He made the bluff to do SO,
too, but instead Milan made dash Tor
second, which was so unexpected that
Aenew threw high and Milan reached the
base easily.
Hamilton is a pitcher who is always
hard to beat. There are few tWirlers so
annoying to a batter as is the Browns
left handler. for the reason that ne uses
a splendid change of pace, which is bal
fling to all batsmen. 1t is when oatter
has set himself in tight place for
fast one that Hamilton crosses him with
mat tantaliz!ng slow ball. Hamilton also
has speed and a good curve, but his Ell
fectiveness must largely be attributed to
his excellent change of pace
linn Shaw is in splendid form now and
ought to win his share of the games.
There was a material improvement in
his control yesterday, brought ABOUT, no
doubt by the fact that he Is neing
worked regularly. Shaw has the making
of great pitcher He has more natural
ability than the average youngster who
breaks into fast company, and he Is sure
to improve with every game. His per-
Torrance yesterday would have returned
him a winner nine times out of ten.
Rickey seems to have picked up
mighty good ball player in Leary. though
he has come in for very little praise
when the Browns have been sized up
Learv not only plays the bag very WELL
but he is a gamester at the bat ana on
the bases. He is a winning ball PLAYER
and by next season OuSnt 10 DC CIV eli pe'
f. ter than he Is now.
II NAV be several days before Chick
| Gandil will be able to resume his posi-
| ton as first baseman An accident with
| which Gandil met yesterday morning has
| put him out of commission for the time
| being Gandil was supervising some work
! being done at the Arcade alleys. which
| he is to manage next winter. and while
! so engaged was hit between the eyes by
! a duckpin ball thrown by some boy. The
| wound required several stitches. and 1t
will be a number of days before he can
| be expected to play.
! Gandirs absence, of course will be felt.
| He is one of the few good hitters on the
team and can Ill be spared.
! I.avan. the former Michigan University
| shortstop. who is filling that position for
the Browns, is by no means an ordlnary
fielder. In the games here he has saved
his team on several occasions by brilliant
! stops near the bag, and yesterday was
not an exception. In the seventh inning
for instance. with two on. John Henry
drove a grouder through the pitchers
position which ordinarily would have
been a base hit. but Lavan got the ball
and forced Mcbride. The little fellow has
a habit of playing close to second base
and in the series here has been Of great
help to his team by SO doing.