Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-27
BY J. ED GRILLo.

| It will be up to Doc Ayers today to
strengthen the Nationals hold on first
place. If Ayers displays his usual good
| form the chances are that he will be
returned a winner, and this would as
sure the team of starting on Its long
trip sole occupants of first place.
Griffith's team is not apt to suffer
from the strain of leading the pro-
cession. 1t is not made up of nervous
individuals who worry much. With
the lead should come lot of conf
dence. and If the team can continue its
present pace there is good chance for
1t to make a clean sweep of the De-
| troit series, which would assure it of
starting on the road comfortably in
I trenched in first place 1t is hoped that
the team will prove as successful on
the road as 1t has in the past, In which
event it is sure to be in a good posi-
ton when it returns here the latter
part of June.
The pace the Nationals are setting is
| terrific. The team Is playing a high
grade of ball in every department., and
seems to be blessed with strong pitch
| ing in all its games. Jennings Will
very likely use either Hall or Coveles-
kie in the game today. Both have been
winners for the Tigers this spring
and will not be easy to beat.
| There is vast improvement in the
| showing of the Nationals to date. COM
pared with what it was exactly a year
| ago. May q, 1913, both Cleveland and
| the Athletics were in front of the locals.
| who occupied third place. with nineteen
| victories and fourteen defeats. for per-
| centage of $40 1t has tifty-point bet
! ter percentage today and incidentally Is
showing much better form than at any
! time last season.
| Eddie Ainsmith will be the only men,
| Der of the Washington team who will not
! start out on the trip tomorrow. Though
| Ainsmith has removed the splints from
his broken wrist, it is figured that it will
| be at least ten days or two weeks before
| he will be able to take his turn behind the
| bat, and he will probably join the team
! while it is in the west But there will be
! no other stay-at-homes. Harper. Bent
ley, Williams Ensel and Cashion, to-
| gether with the four regulars, will make
up the pitching staff. while Wally Smith.
| Joe Gedeon and Acosta will make up the
! utility in and out fielders. For time, at
! least. Williams and Henry will do all the
! catching and, of course, Altrock and
Schaefer will also be members of the
party
| 1t is seldom that two third basemen
| give such brilliant exhibitions in a game
as did Foster and Moriarty yesterday
Both of them helped their respective
| teams out Of dangerous situations by
/ marvellous stops and throws and both
| covered an unusual amount of ground
| about their positions. 1t was by far the
! busiest day Foster has had at any time
| this season. He is credited with seven
assists. and most of these were hard
chances.
| Foster who is playing the best ball of
4 his career this season. is by far the most
| competent third baseman in the league.
| His ability to start double plays by
means of quick and accurate throws is
most remarkable and many is the game
| which he has saved by reason of his
| quick work in handling the ball.
Even the Nationals opponents concede
| that the team is playing the best ball in
! the circuit right now. The Detroit play
ers loud in their praise of the locals
| work in the series now on and firm
| believers in the team $ chances in the
| present campaign. Manager Jennings
said yesterday that he believed tine team
| which wins the flag this year would have
| the Nationals to beat out. Il don't be-
| lieve that the Athletics can repeat" said
Hughey. Its a great team, I'll admit,
| but Mack is shy on pitchers and you
can't win pennants unless you have twirl-
| ers who can hold the opposing teams in
/ check
Joe Boehling displayed better form yes
| terday than he has in some time
He improved considerably as the game
progressed. and his pitching in the final
inning was sensational. striking out
Crawford and Veach in rapid succession.
| He seemed to have Burns on the ragged
| edge when the ball got away from him
and the Tigers first baseman was hit,
but Moriarty could do no more than hit
little fly to Gandil, ending the game.
Boehling was a bit unsteady at the out
set. but he held the Tigers in check suf-
| fciently to allow his team to win by a
| one-run margin. incidentally he figured
! in the scoring by driving in the first run
| in the third and later scoring himself.
| Howard Shanks continues to do the
cleaning up for his team. There have
I been innumerable occasions this spring
| when Shanks has come through with a
! long drive which has been productive.
| and yesterday was not an exception.
With the score standing to l in the
| sixth Shanks brought Gandil, who had
singled. home with a long triple to CEN
it had bounded against the wall. Three
base hits are Shanks' speciality this
| spring.
1t was by the merest scratch that
Milans record Of hitting in consecutive
games was not broken Yesterday. He
was hitless up to the last time up. when
he dropped a little fly over kavanaugh's
| head for single. Milan has now gone
through twenty-five games without fail
! ing to get one or more hits.
1t is doubtful if at any time during the
seven years that George Mcbride has
| been holding down shortfeld for the Ma
| tionalS he has played as brilliant ball as
| this spring. McBrides fielding has not
| only been one of the features of the