The Washington herald., 1919-04-29
Oscar Wits Drive Gives
Boston Red SOx Verdict
Three-Base Blow byFormer
Tiger, Lands Second
Game of Series with Ma
tionals by 6-5 Count.

Mike can't get it," was the ex-
clamation OF an ardent fan; and Mike
did not get 1t. Mike was no other
than Sergt. Menosky. playing his ini-
tial game in left field for the Ma
tionals, while The ''it'' was a smash
ing line drive OF the willow held by
Oscar Witt that was responsible for
the Boston Red Sox grabbing on the
long end of 6-to-5 count In the Sec
I ond game OF the series with the Ma
tionals.
Mike was in no way responsible for
the defeat handed the Griffmen by
the world champions. but this ardent
fan believes Mike to be the greatest
outfielder in either of the big league
circuits. Wits long triple that pushed
a trio OF tallies across the dish in
the eighth gave the Red Sox a vic
tory. as the stage had been all set
for Oscar when Walter johnson pass
ed two down the path and allowed
McInnis to squeeze in a scratch single.
The battle was somewhat of q
pitching duel with Walter johnson
opposing the subway shoots OF Carl
Mays, although 19 base hits were
rung up by the athletes during the
pastime. Long wallops along with
sensational fielding plays featured
the contest and made the battle the
best that has been seen at the
Florida stadium to date, even though
the home talent were forced to
take the small end of the count
johnson looked like the Barney"
of old. until the fourth inning when
Ed Barrows' wrenching crew of
Ruth, McInnis and Witt and Scott
opened up a barrage. afts- two were
out. that knocked the Nationals
completely out of the lead. Bar
ney" again performed in excellent
style until the eighth session, when
good. bad and Indifferent baseball
on his part. together with his team
mates. presented Oscar Witt the op-
portunlty to play the hero role. and
Oscar was equal to the occasion.
Carl Mays and his submarine
shoots have never worked to any
great success against the locals. 1t
was slam bang and banged up Of
fense that the Nationals used in
gathering tallies. and when Mays
| weakened in the closing periods
only sensational fielding saved the
day for him. The greatest play of
the game came in the opening frame
after Hooper. the first man to face
johnson. had singled and Barry
smashed grass hopper toward
third. "Fatima" Foster jumped in
front of the hop and completed a
two ply killing after one o. the
most sensational fielding stunts that
has ever been witnessed at the
Florida Avenue stadium.
The ninth was a heart breaker for
local fandom as Amos Strunk raced
almost to the garaen wall in center
| field to pull down Johnson's final Of
fering while Babe Ruth was forced
! to do a sprinting act N grabbing OF
Joe Judges line drive.
Griff used strategy in an effort to
halt the Hub City tribe and al
though he outguessed the combina-
tion on two occasions Barney" did
not figure the slugging Witt in his
calculation.
The Nationals jumped OF to a lead
in the third frame when Agnew
singled to center and johnson
slammed one to left that placed the
Battling Sam on the far corner. Judge
filled the sacks by the free transpor-
tation route. but Foster forced Agnew
at the plate with a grounder to
Barry. Milan gave the Nationals
their first tally when he grounded out
to Scott, while Judge Counted when
Rice was retiredd on puzzling
twister to Mays.
The Grin tribes lead was only short
lived, as the Boston club opened up
an attack in the fourth that placed
them one to the good when Babe Ruth
bounced a triple of the score board
in right field and tailed a minute
later when Mc1nnis doubled to right
Witt followed with his first hit, which
was a single to center. which tailed
McInnis and Oscar took the midway
sack on the throw-in. Scott followed
with a slam to left center and Witt
was over the counting block. giving
the Hub City team a lead.
A double by ASnew followed by
Johnson's single and Judges sac
rife fly placed Leonard. who ran
for Agnew, through the marking
block with the tying tally. but in
the eighth the Nationals blew the
parade. Barney started the ses-
sion by passing Barry. Strunk
moved him along with a sacrifice
The old strategy started to go
wrong. as Ruth was deliberately
walked and McInnis scratched a
hit through Janvrin that loaded the
sacks when Dame Fortune intro
duced Oscar Witt and his slashing