Evening star., 1914-09-23
FINISH Of SEASON
IS DRAWING NEAR
Nationals Now Have Only
Fourteen Games Left on
Their Schedule.
GRIFF'S PITCHERS SHOW
STRAIN OF HARD WORK
Series of Double. Headers Is Destroy.
ing Reserve Strength of
Whole Staff.
BY J. ED GR1LLo.

CLEVELAND, September 23.-There
remain but fourteen games on the Ma
tionals' schedule from now to the end
Of the season. Five of these are to
be played within the next three days
here against the Maps, beginning
Thursday. this being an off day. Then
there are two games in Detroit, four
with Philadelphia-two in Washington
and two in Philadelphia-andt the finish
comes at Boston, where they play
three more. Just what the outcome of
these games will be is q hard matter
to tell. but the chances are that the
Nationals will have a hard time break
ing even In them. If they can do that
wen they may still realize their am
bftion and finish third, for the Tigers
are only a little distance away. In
fact. had the Grinmen been able to get
an even break in Chicago yesterday
they would have passed the Jennings
crew.
But the deluge of double-headers has
mad its effect on Grifith's pitching
STAN. This was demonstrated yester-
oay. None OF the twirlers DISPLAYED
anything like his real form, though
bentley did splendidly for six innings.
snaW, Engel and Williams were off
color In the opener. and DOC" Ayers.
who essayed to finish the second game
TOT Bentley, made a sorry mess Of it
IN the opening here Thursday, Grif-
nth may be able to use Johnson. who
will have had two days rest by that
time. but the chances are he will save
MIN day longer. Two games will he
p!ayed Thursday and another doubles
naeaoer saturday. and just where Grif-
n IS gong to get pitchers enough
10 tide him over no one can saw
saSk Bentley was asked to repeat
AGAINST the White Sox with but one
could. six innings: then he weakened
t Is expecting bit too much from a
ycungster like Bentley to work SO
often. but he was willing, and really
nsked soa TO- be pitched. Ayers. who fol-
late. In fact, there is such a change
IN the work Of the former Richmond
star that he must be considered as an
uncertain proposition for next season.
notwithstanding thar he looked like a
star Ior weeks during the early part
Eddie Foster did some splendid hit
ting in the second game He started
with O. triple, came back with a dou-
bic. and the -thifd time singled. There
we're numerous opportunities for runs
offered. but tho hitters who had the
chance did not come through.
Walter johnson seems to be none
the worse for the spiking he received
from Schalk in the contest Monday,
when he saved the game by covering
the plate in the second inning. The
wound received immediate attention.
and the chances are that It will heal
without keeping Johnson out of the
game. II = .-7-
Callahan used about all the players
he had available in the second game
in order to win it. Victories have
been SO scarce for the Sox of late that
nothing is overlooked to get those
that are In sight.
It looked very much, up to the sew
enth inning Of the second game, as II
the Grinmen had regained third place.
The dual defeat of the Tigers made
it possible for this to happen. II the
Nationals could win one of the two
games, and this seemed assured when
Bentley went into the seventh with a
three-run lead. But the youngster
weakened badly in this round, and
Ayers, who has had plenty of rest
lately, could not hold the Sox in check.
Pick hit in tough luck in both games.
as did Milan, who had several line
drives speared. Pick had chance in
the field, but made a muff of a line
drive and then Griffith took him out
and allowed Shanks to finish. He also
benched Moeller. when Russell, a left
handler, broke into the second game
and Mitchell greeted the rebel with a
clean single to right. Foster followed
suit, and the inning netted the visitors
q couple of runs.