The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-27
PHIlS CUT GIANTS LEAD
To Nine GAMES IN WEEK
Dead Hope Revived In Breasts of
Quaker City Fans by Giants
slump of Last Fortnight
GREAT REDSKINS COW
Great Albert Bender Most Depcndabl BILE
Star on Moran's Roster. with Rec
ord of Two Runs Allowed In Last
Five Games.
my ARTHUR sIRoUE,

New York. August 2s.-Have the
Giants gone stale
Ihis is the question that is troubling
New York fandom to-day. The mad
squirt OF the Phillies is throwing a
panS Of fear in the hearts OF the root
ers OF the McGraw clan. Visions Of
the pennant all but cinched" is being
cIouded by the spectre from the
Quaker City.
TWO weeks ago the Giants came
pack from the wild and woolly" with
lead Of thirteen games safely tucked
IN their knapsacks. Slowly but surely
the Moran band has cut into this
To-Day the Giants are only nine games
IN the van, For two weeks the New
York team has been playing medic
ere ball. while the Philies have been
paying the brand OF the national
game that swon them the pennant
two years ago
McSraw has to depend on his south
paws, Shllee, Benton and schupp. for
mis- victories His righthanders-Tes-
resa' Anderson and Demaree-have
failed him In the drive If they can
come back and New York fans are
roofing for the starboard fingers to
come to the aid of the portsiders, then
1t will be all over.
BENDER In Phiis Best Man.
On the other hand. the tvirlers in
me Phillies camp are hurting their
hroadside with deadly aim Alexan-
DER Is going great guns MAYER and
K!xey are not for behind the King"
but the one great cause for rejoicing
IN the Moran stronghold is the come
back" Of Big Chief" Bender. the
Indian twirler. hero Of many a worlds
series In the day Of the unbeatahl
Athletics. Bender has won hts last
hNe games. Three of them were shut
outs In the other two he has al
lowed his opponents but one run in
each game.
This is why the Phil1ies' rooter@
are rejoicing and are confident the
Quaker City lads will win in the drive
10 the wire. The two teams have
hlne games TO play with each other.
N the Phillies still continue to cut in
roads on the Giants lead before the
hrst clash next week the Phllfes
rooters say their team will put the
finishing touches TO Gothamts pride
and crack wide open the Giant bunch
New forkers are hoping that the
Giants will pick up in their play They
are still confident their team will win
out their confidence is being shaken a
bit by the dash of the men from the
City Of Brotherly Love
ON the weeks play the Giants won
but four Of their seven games. while
the Phillies were victors in six of
their eight games This is playing A,
a percentage OF 81 against 76n
In the American league the race Ia
sun bitter fight between the white
Sox and Red Sox The Windy CITY
aggregation increased its lead to two
games during the week A week ago
they were only game ahead Chicago
won five Of its seven games, while
Boston won only four Of its seven
II Is likely that the Eight In the
American league will be decided on
the last trip of the western teams TO
the east The world champions, al
ways strong in their own bailiwick
must cut down Chtes COS lead before
the two teams clash in their final
seriHe IT the white Sox can hold their
own or increase their present lead he
fore they again go east the odds
favor them in the final drive