Evening star., 1914-07-08
GR|FFMEN MAY GAIN
0NLEADERS TODAY
Nationals Play One Game,
While Other Contenders Each
Have Double Bills.
ENGEL OR BOEHLING
TO FACE THE BROWNS
Local Pitchers Showing Splendid
Form and Playing Since Western
Trip Has Improved.
BY J. ED GRILLO.


| Manager Hickey of the Browns does
not believe it good practice to make
known which of his pitchers he is going
to use until just before the game starts
but it is a good guess that either Rov
Mitchell or Weilman will be his choice
today.
1t is likely that the Browns will have
their regular lineup in the game TODAY
AuStin returning to third base and if
Walker ankle is not too sore he NAV
be found in left field. Hickey is anxious
has proven himself the most valuable
man on the team with his stick, and
the team is greatly handicapped when
ever he is not in the game.
With Detroit and Philadelphia and
Chlcago and Boston slated to play dou-
oie-headers today. there is a chance for
great change to take place in the
standing of the clubs. Washington is
put three and half games behind the
athletics and one game behind Detroit
one game will be played here, while all
the other contenders will be hooked up
1or TWO games today. If the locals can
repeat against the Browns today the
chances are that they will gain on the
leaders, for as a rule we'll matched teams
break even in the double e-headers
There was not a single objection TO
any decision of the umpireS by either
team yesterday. Egan behind the bat
and Evans on the bases gave satisfaction
in every respect. and they were given
an ovation when they walked out on
the field. The crowd seemed to be re-
lieved by the change which sent Chill
and Sheridan elsewhere.
Doc Ayers performance yesterday was
one of the best he has shown here. Doc
seems to have improved with the sew
eral days rest he enjoyed and he was
absolutely invincible against the Browns.
Ayers has proved himself splendid
addition to the local pitching staff. He
has more than filed the shoes of Bob
Groom or any pitcher that Griffith for
merly had on his staff. The most en-
couraging feature of Ayers work is that
he is constantly improving. He is learn
ing the fine points of the pitching art
and is pretty sure to give any team he
faces a strong argument. incidentally
Doc has a strong arm. He can work
whenever he is asked to- 1t was not un-
til the seventh inning yesterday that the
Browns got a hit off him. Previous to
that Doc had walked three men, which
is unusual for him, for his perfect control
is one of the strongest features of his
slab work.
That Griffiths pitchers are in their best
form is proved by the fact that visiting
teams in the last seven games have
scored but eight runs against the Ma
tionals, which is just a fraction over a
run a game. Five of Griffith's twirlers
have pitched excellent ball of late-John-
son. Shaw. Engel, Boehling and Ayers
and if they can keep up their present
pace It is not going to be long before the
Nationals will be leading the procession
Twelve games have been played by the
Nationals at home since their last west
ern trip. Nine Of these have been vic
| tories The double win over the Athlet-
les here started the stay at home Then
three out of four We're taken from the
Yankees and three out of five from Bos-
| ton, while the one game played with st
Louis was a victory In every one OF
these games the pitching of the locals
has been exceptionally strong and the
teams general playing is up to the high
est standard. The hitting too has
shown improvement
| Neither James nor Leverenz were effec.
| tive yesterday, but the strength of Rick
| ey's pitching staff should not be judged
| by their performances. The Browns have
some classy twirlers who will make thei,
| appearance in the games here and they
| are not apt to prove as easy picking as
| did the two used yesterday Hamilton
! and Weilman, two lefthandtrs of ability
are pretty sure to face the Nationals il
| two OF the remaining games here ant
neither OF them is apt to be easy for the
| locals.
| Eddie Foster and Dan Moeller have
successfully pulled the hit and run play
| more OFTEN thls season than ever before
f, There have really been few occasions this
| season when with Moelier on Foster has
failed to drive the ball through the DO
sition left open by the opposing infieldel
intent on covering the bag. Yesterday il
| the second inning Pratt went over T.
| cover when MoelIer started down ane
| Foster singled through the spot which
Pratt mad vacated and Moeller went al
the way to third. He was caught Of
| that bag, however, by a clever throw
| from Agnew
| lhere We're several chances for runs
thrown away yesterday by careless base
running. Shanks undoubtedly held the
scoring down in the second inning when
he tried to stretch his single TO a double,
II was hard hit ball which came tc
the outfelder on the second bound and
| there was no chance for Shanks TO ge,
TO second Once after that Howard was
caught mapping off of first. Milan also
the third and stole third after being
sacrificed TO second. but overestimated
| the distance that the catcher's throw
went by the third baseman and tried
| 'oi tie piate, Wnere he was easily
nailed.
The st. Louis team did not look very
| impressive yesterday. The Browns did
not hit. tielded sovenly and did moi
appear to have any spirit. The absence
OF "Tillie" Walker and Jimmy Austin
from the lineup. OF course. made some
difference. But yesterdays showing die
not give a correct line on the visitors
1t is a much better team than it showed
itself to be in the game here, and this
may be demonstrated before the series
is over.
"Tillie' Walker. though out of the gam,
with a badly sprained ankle. may yet b,
able TO get in the line up during tn,
Browns stay here. Yesterday he brok,
in as pinch hitter in the eighth and go
an infield hit. Though lame Wake
showed lot of speed going to first base
| 1t was not to the credit of the Browns
infield that Henry and Ayers got ava.
with their bunts in the fourth inning
Both batters sent up little pop flies
which, however, were not handled be
! cause they came at an unexpected tim,