Evening star., 1916-05-15
LOCALS WIN FOUR
OF. THE LAST SIX
Nationals Finish Week Well
After Losing Games Mon
day and Tuesday.
CLEVELAND CLUB DRAWING
RECORD-BREAKING CROWDS
Chief Bender Gives Evidence of Hav-
ing Regained His Old Form.
Giants Out of Slump.
BY J. ED GRILLO.

Inc Nationals won tour OIL the SIX
games they played last week. The
team expects to keep up this pace dur
ing the invasion Of the western clubs.
and in that event there is little doubt
of it's taking the lead within the next
few days and holding it when it starts
on its first long trip through the east
and west. BY that time Manager Grif-
fith's pitching staff should be at its
best. for the return of George Dumont
to the firing line and the fact that
Gallia and Boehhng and probably
Ayers are all back in good shape will
give the team a well pitched game
every day and should assure it of a
long string of victories.
Chief Bender yesterday gave evidence
of having come back to his old form.
He went the entire route of ten innings
and beat Cincinnati to 8.
With Bender back in his best form he
Will be lot of help to the Phillies, and
that team needs it badly for the reason
that it is not hitting as it did last sea-
son.
Bender is taking care of himself this
season and that has had more than
anything else to do with his regaining
the use of his arm.
John McGraws Giants are going
along at a fast clip. having won their
!ast five games on foreign grounds. 1t
appears the Giants Will gradually
work their way out of last place and
regain their popularity around the cir
cult as well as in New York. 1t speaks
well for the team that it has made
,his good showing on the road. That
It is by far the best hitting team in
ne circuit there is not the slightest
ioubt, and All 1t has lacked has been
onsistins pitching. The boXwork now
seems\ to have improved enough to
get the team into the running.
Eddie Plank is slated to pitch
against his old teammates, the Ath
letics. today. If ne succeeds in win
ming his game the Mackmen will be
forced back into the cellar. 1t is need
less to say that the veteran southpaW
Will try his best to turn the trick. He
pitched brilliantly here last week. but
Aost his game by a 1-to-0 score when
nine times out of ten he would have
Jeen returned a victor.
1t took Connie Mack exactly d month
to get his team out of last place. 1t
was quite an achievement. for it was
NOT DtlIeNcu lHdl ne WOuid ever leave
that position during the present cam
palgn. But there has been a lot of
improvement in the Mackmen's play
ing, and whenever the pitchers show
20 advantage the team has a good
chance to win.
What undoubtedly was the weirdest
exhibition of pitching in the history of
major league base ball was seen last
week in Philadelphia. when the Mack |
men and Tigers played series of four
games, three of which were won by
the Tigers.
In the four games eighty-seven
passes were handed out by the pitchers
# both teams. Mack's pitchers gave
.orty-nine, while the Detroit twirlers
save thitty-si and hit two bastmen.
fhe total count of passes, therefore,
vas forty-nine by the Mackmen and
-hirty eight by the Tigers.
No other series ever played has pro-
luced such a record and it may never
je equaled
Considering the number of passes, the
5coring of the two teams was light the
Tigers making total of thirty five
runs to fourteen by the Macks. The
lumber of men left on the bases, how
sTer was very large. The Athletics
lad forty-five stranded and their op-
Ionents forty-seven.
That Jim Dunn and Bob McRoy made
master financial stroke when they
purchased Speaker is shown by the
rowds that have watched the Indians
play this sea SON
Not counting the crowd in New York
saturday, the Indians played to 120, 900
persons in twenty-five games, including
two bad days at st. Louis. when the
extremely bad weather held the attend |
Ance down to 1900 each day.
They got away before a crowd of IS 600 |
on opening day in Cleveland and showed |
before "a, 900 on the only Sunday at home |
Dunn day gave them | ! 900 and the i
postponed game with Detroit last Mon
day 1900 more. st. Louis turned over |
5000 Saturday and Sunday. Speaker |
day sent 15,oO0 through the turnstiles |
If the Indians are BILE to maintain their |
present clip and remain at the head |
of the league, there is reason to believe
that the 1913 figures for Cleveland at |
tendance will be eclipscd. More than i,
90 900 persons the games at home |
THAI year. but $4,000 already have at |
tended the Cleveland home ga mes and but !
eleven contests have been staged at
-eague Park. Those games have in |
:igded only one Sunday, and there are i
.leven more Sunday games scheduled for |
league Park to say nothing of July 4 |
This is surely going to be a big year for !
owners of the club
Manager Griffith was expected to select |
either Doc Ayers or Joe Boehling to pitch |
the second game of the series against the |
Detroit Tigers today against either Du-
buc or Coveleskie. Manager Jennings
for ha