Evening star., 1918-07-14
HARPER'S Winning
: STREAK + BROKEN
Tigers Nose Out 10 Victory
Over Nationals, Scratch
Hit Being Factor.
BILL JAMES SHOWS FORM
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.

After trying unsuccessfully
twice to break his winning
streak of seven straight games
Harry Harper succeeded on the
third attempt yesterday, when
the Tigers nosed out victory
over the Griffs by the smallest
possible score, Washington
thereby passing up fine chance
to gain on the Red Sox and In
dians, both of which were de-
feated, In justice to the Hack
ensack southpaw it must be re-
corded that twas not his fault
the local standard was trailed in
the dust a second time in the
three games of the series played
to date. Harry hurled a whale
of a game, but Slim James eff
fort was mastodonic-the refer
ence to a prehistoric mammal
being comparative as to size and
inferring nothing regarding
Bills age.
If. as reported, Hugh Jennings has
been considering cutting the strings
on James, who has not had an over
abundance of success this season, 1t
is safe to say the Tiger leader was
given pause by Bills performance
yesterday. 1t wasn't that James was
invincibls. He didn't make a prac-
tice of setting the side down in order
or whiting Grifrs athletes in whole
sale lots. On the other hand. he con-
tinually was in trouble from one
cause or another, but whenever
threatened he had enough In reserve
to escape unscathed. and that Is the
test of q pitcher-his effectiveness In
the pinches. Twice his support came
to his rescue with double plays, but
ing that gave him the verdict. for no
matter how brilliant a set Of field
efs a boxman has back of him they
cannot convert base hits into outs.
When hit would have scored a run,
as 1t would have on no fewer than
five occasions yesterday, James saw
to 1t that no hits were forthcoming.
Harper Out of Luck.
Harper was but little less effective
than James and with a better break
in luck in the opening round would
have held the visitors scoreless.
Sloppy fielding by his pals kept Har-
per constantly in hot water. but all
told he permitted only five hits and
several Of these were of the fuky va
riety. After the first. when two
scratchlike blows were registered
scattered bingles. His control was
good. his passes being confined to a
brace handed to Bush. but unfor-
tunately one of these, the first. de-
tussie. This ticket was handed to
DOME at the very opening of hos
tilities. Jones' sacrifice sent him to
second and Cobb's whack at ball
over his head, which fell safely IN
short left. placed him on third: from
popped to Lavan, when Heilman bare
1y beat out bounder to Foster.
Shanks' boot Of James roller in the
third eventually resulted in the
and an out. but Cobb failed to get the
ball safe on this occasion and nothing
resulted.
Lavan gave the enemy a flying start
IN tn0 IOuTtus "ucn ne messed up
Veach's hopper and Harper wild
pitched him to second. Johnny grabbed
Heilman's hopper and tagged Veach
sliding into third. and Heilman was
doubled up on Picinich's peg to
Shanks when Walker famed.
Again in the NTH the entering
wedge for an alien tally was made by
q local athlete. whom Judge mufSed
Shanks' toss Of Coffey's Offering. Then
Stanage hit into . two-ply killing,
engineered by Foster. Shanks and
with two down tn the sixth Cobb
was credited with q double on blow
that got away from both Foster and
Lavan, but he was nipped OF second
on . quick peg from Ptcinich to the
shortstopper. =
Holman was left after hitting safe
1y and stealing second in the seventh,
and Picinichss sturdy wing killed on
Bush whom he attempted to pilfer aft
er drawing q pass in the. eighth.
Cobb's third bingle. a rap. to left,
was produced in the ninth, but Ty
was outsmarted and nipped of FIRST
when Shotton threw in to Lavan and
Johnny whipped the ball without hesi-,
tation to Judge.
arifs Have Many Chances.
Foster registered the first Of his