Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-13
NATIONALS BACK
INFORMAL FORM
Playing Brilliantly, and May
Be in First Place When
They Return.
GRIFFITH IS OPTIMISTIC
OVER PENNANT CHANCES
Believes His Pitching Staff Will Get
Stronger as Time
Passes.
BY ]. ED GRILLO.

TO have regained their normal stride.
The team is once more playing brilliant
~, and it will be hard to stop 1t now.
Its work In the last two games
here was as good as it has been at any
time this season. and there is every
reason for believing that the team will
continue to hold its own on the present
trip. with chance to wrest first place
from the Athletics before 1T returns to
its own playing field.
On what the Maps have shown this
spring. that team ought to be easy
picking for the Nationals Sunday and
the three following days. for in the past
years the Grirmen have always been
able to win a majority of games from
the Maps. and their standing then was
much higher than 1t is now. 1t will,
of course. be essential that the final
game of the series here today be a vic
tory. Jim Shaw is going to do the
pitching, and he will most likely have
hard game on his hands. for Scott
or Cicotte is sure to be his opponent.
But 1t matters not who the pitcher is
when the Nationals are in form, for.
while not hard hitting team, they
manage to get runs enough to win.
Following the Cleveland series come
five games at Detroit The Tigers are
perhaps the strongest team in the west.
fear them. and the chances are that
they will make better showing against
the Tigers than will the Athletics
against the st. Louis Browns, where the
Mackmen are also scheduled to play
five games.
The more one sees of Doc" Ayers the
stronger becomes the conviction that
Griffith picked up mighty serviceable
pitcher in the Richmond phenom. Doc
has won more than his share of the
games this spring. He may not be an ex-
ceptionally good man to finish games.
but when he starts one he usually gives
a good account of himself. His shut-out
OF the Sox yesterday was his second per-
formance of this kind against that team
His first effort was a 1 to game over
Jim Scott in Washington several weeks
ago He was every bit as effective yes
terday. but he had such a comforta BILE
lead after the fifth inning that he could
afford to take things easy, which ac-
counts for many of the hits the locals
made off of his delivery.
Bert Gallia is not to return to the Ma.
ffonals as soon as was expected Man.
ager Griffith gave notice a few days ago
of exercising his option to have Gallia
return to him within thirty days but
after long conference with Owner Te-
beau of the Kansas City club, held here
Yesterday. the agreement was prolonged
not to go Into effect until August l. 1t
seems that Gallia wrote Griffith yester-
arm In recent game and that he would
not be able to pitch for a week or more.
Griffith naturally did not want to load up
with another pitcher who is not in form,
ana readily consented to let Gailfa remain
with Kansas City until August, when he
Will rejoin the Nationals.
II the other clubs of the American
League give their consent, Carl Cashion
will be farmed out to some minor league
Wi hn
agreement similar to that under which
Gallia is now pitching for Kansas CITY
GHmth contends that Cashion will de-
velop into great pitcher II he goes
10 some club where he can work reeu-
larly. All he now lacks is control and
the only way he will ever overcome this
weakness is to work regularly. He can
not get this opportunity as a member of
the Nationals. for Griffith is in position
where he must work the pitchers he be-
!ieves can win.
Clyde Milan's fielding in yesterdays
game is the talk of Chicago fans this
morning MI the local papers praise him
Tor his brilliant work behind Ayers
Milan had five chances, and every one
was difficult A less competent fielder
would not have reached several of them,
and would have changed the condition of
the game Milan not only did yeomans
work in the field. but he was in evidence
with the bat, too.
1t has been some time since Ray Nor
gan hit the ball harder than he did yes
terday: he got three hits and a walk in
four trips to the plate. His first was
single that brought Gandil home with
the first run In the second inning: his
triple in the fifth started the rally that
ended Russell's career for the time
being. and his last hit came in the
eighth and scored Milan for the flfth
run. II Is particularly encouraging to
and Morgan regaining his batting stride.
II is sure greatly to increase the Ma
tionals' chances in the race to have him
hitting up to his usual standard. for any
number of games have been lost because
Of his weakness with the bat during the
early weeks Of the campaign.
Tho sox started both the fourth and
fifth innings with base hits. but never
got the runners as far as second. Black
burn. who opened the fourth with hit,
tried to steal and Henry threw him out
nv yards Chase. who opened the fifth
the same way. was left on first base,
while Milan grabbed three difficult flies
from the bats OF the three succeeding
batsmen-
Dan MoeIier made a throw In the first
inning of the game which. IL II could have
been accurately measured. would prob
ably have established a record. With
Weaver on second as the result of his
Nv to right field Moeller got the ball on
a hard run and without stopping 70
steady himself made a throw to third
base. for which Weaver had started after
the ball was caught. Mcbride. covering
third. got the ball on line yards before
Weaver reached there, and, of course,
the Sox shortstop was easy prey. That
a favorable wind helped Moeller's heave
goes without saying. but II was a re-
narhable throw for all that
Chick GandiI had a peculiar record at
the bat He got on first but once. hit
ting safely in the second. after which he
stole two bases. Twice after that he
sacrificed. and his other effort was a
line drive TO center field that for an in
slant looked like a triple, but Bodie
reached It without much trouble.
1t evidently requires more than little
slump. such as the Nationals encountered
in St Louis and the first day here. tc
discourage Manager Griffith. He still be
lieves that his team stands an excellent
OF the opinion that his team will continue
TO improve.
II look for our pitchers to go better
as the season advances" said he. Ayer'
improves steadily. SO does Shaw. Boeh
ling Is Just getting into his stride, and
while Walter johnson has not been thu
consistent performer this year that III
was formerly, he is sure to round int
form one OF these days. and when n
does opposing teams will not find 1t al