Evening star., 1917-05-19
FIFTH PLACE is IN SIGHT.

There is little basis for enthusiasm
over the fact that the Gritfmen won
their fourth straight game yesterday.
But it is Il fact that they did, so gloat
if you have mind to. Furthermore, it
also is true that the representative
from the seat of the nations capital to-
day will slide into fifth place, the top
of the second division, if they again
hang it on the booting Browns.
Frightful, fierce and wretched are the
only printable adjectives that properly
may be applied to the play of Fielder
Jones' outfit yesterday. Five errors
We're compiled by the home talent. The
miscues were distributed over as many
innings and each and every one figured
in the run making of the visitors. who
earned only three of the eight tallies
they showed over.
In bygone days the bare announce
ment that johnson was going to work
for Washington would have considera-
Bile weight on making the visitors Ia
vorites in the betting. To win today S
clash at Sportsman's Park will give the
Griffmen a record of five straight vic
tories and assure them fifth place in
the standing of the teams. But of late
Walter has been generous in the matter
of yielding hits so the game will not
be accounted as won until the full re-
turns are i'll. However if the pitching
exhibited by the local talent yesterday
and the brand of support accorded is Il
sample of what may be expected there
will be nothing to it.
In addition to yesterdays game
marking the debut of Bert Gallia as a
pinch hitter. it was notable in at least
one other respect-it was the first con-
test of the year in which Inventor
Griffith ordered the use of the squeeze
play. 1t happened in the seventh in
ming Foster had walked to start off
and Milan sacrificed him to second
Eddie took third when Rice beat out Il
grounder to Lavan and then Shanks
got the signal. He laid down a per-
feet bunt as Foster came tearing in
and was thrown out. Plank to Sisler.
Singles by Morgan, Henry and Crane
followed but all of them were on balls
that Lavan was unable to properly
! handle.
Jacobson's home run in the first in
ming, which scored Austin ahead of
him, was mighty wallop that fell into
the stands in left field. Judge came
feat i'll the eighth. when Il line drive
from his hat struck close to the top
of the wire netting in front of the
right-1ield bleachers. Joe's triple in the
fourth. which Lavan followed with Il
boot that permitted him to score. was
an impressive clout midway between
Shotten and Jacobson that struck the
jury box on the bounce. Judge caught
anOtner on Tie emu OIL MS DdE III tIe
second. on which jacobson robbed him
Of a triple. Griffs first baseman is
leading the league in three-play blows.
Rice and Morgan also hit the ball hard
yesterday. getting two and three hits
respectively and meeting the sphere
squarely on every other occasion.
Cranes error was on a little pop fly
by Marsans in the eighth. Sammy was
too sure of it and made graceful
muff. Du Mont followed by walking
Hale, but Lavan proved easy.
At last Babe Ruth, the s1ugging
southpaw of the champion Red Sox. has
been stopped. 1t took .Reb Russell and
the Chicago hitsmiths to accomplish it,
but they did the job up brown, Ruth
being forced to acknowledge defeat
after eight straight victories. Incl
dentially Russell, who was largely in
strumental in the rout In holding Bos-
ton to two runs, is a pitcher who got
or none too we'll this spring aud who