Evening star., 1916-09-19
BOSTON At DETROIT
IN DECISIVE SERIES
Three Straight Victories by
Either Probably Would De-
eide the Championship.
GREAT ABILITY SHOWN
BY S0UTHPAW THOMAS
Des Moines Pitcher, With Harper
and Yingling, Should Give Team
Strong Trio of Left-handers.
BY j. ED GRILLO.

Boston's Red Sox open thTte-game
series at Detroit today that may de-
eide where the American League pen.
nant will fly. Should either of the
teams made a clean sweep of the series
the lead gained thereby would be suf-
ficient to almost assure ultimate vic
tory.
Detroit had a hard time beating the
pitchers the Mackmen presented in
their three games there, Jennings be-
ing forced to the limit to win two of
the games by one run and losing yes
terday's contest 2 to o.
Boston won two out of three from
better than 1t has of late. Jennings
used both of his left-handers, Coveles-
kie and Mitchell, against the Athletics
and will be forced to depend upon his
right handlers in the first two games.
Big Bill James. when he has control,
has been effective against the Sox, and
George Dauss also has beat them
Foster is slated to pitch the opening
game today, and he usually is very ef-
fective against the Tigers; Ruth prob
ably will be sent in for the second
game. though he did not look good
with only two days rest when he at
tempted to come back here in the final
game against johnson.
That Manager Griffith has corraIled a
very promising young pitcher in Claude
Thomas. who held the Browns to two
hits and no runs yesterday, seems as
sured.
Thomas probably will make his next
appearance against the Detroit team.
against which Griffith expects to pitch
johnson twice, In the first and the final
contests. He is likely to use Thomas
in one of the others, for he will have
u 10 ha &c
in Cleveland.
Having used Johnson twice against
the Red Sox in the final series here.
Griffith will not want to be charge d
with showing favoritism to the other
contenders. He did not have a chance
to work Johnson in Chicago, and Wal
ter was beaten in st. Louis Sunday
by Sisler. johnson will not pitch in
Cleveland. where Gallia, Shaw and
Ayers will most likely do the twirling,
and Walter ought to be ready for the
Tigers.
The fact that the umpires who Of
.hciated during the St Louis games
refused to call balks on Thomas when
he caught Sisler OF first base twice and
also nipped Marsans, the best two base
runners the Browns can boast of. is
significant. Thomas must have a splen-
did motion to deceive such wise base
runners as Marsans and Sisler, and it
must be legitimate. because the umpires
are quick to call balks when there are
grounds for such action.
Thomas should do much to give the
Grfnmen good pitching staff Of left
handlers. Harry Harper, 1t is believed.
will be better than ever by next sea-
son. while Yingling, the veteran south
paw. who pitched wonderful ball for
Minneapolis this season, and is a fast
runner and hard hitter. should be one
Of the most effective pitchers in the
American League. This trio should be
of great aid to the Nationals corps of
t-handers-Johnson, Shaw. Gallia
and Ayers.
z II the Mackmen play the same kind
OF ball in Chicago that they did in
Detroit-and there is no reason why
they shouldn't-the White Sox may find
the going rather rough and not be
able to gain any ground at the tail
enders' expense. Mack had good pitch
ing against the Tigers. and it may be
better when they face the White Sox.
so that Rowland will have something
TO worry about during the tailenders'
stay in his town.
Mack predicted when he started on
the trip that he would surprise some
OF the contenders, and he already has
made good In that respect.