Evening star., 1919-05-06
GR|FFS Confident
/ IN FACING RED SOX
90 Into Fourth Place by Win.
l ming Final Game With
1 Athletics, 10 to 6.
SHAW'S HOMER BIG HELP
BY DENMAN THOMPSON.

BY DENMAN THOMPSON.
BOSTON, May 6.-Washington to-
DAY opens a series against the Red
Sox with large gobs of confidence be-
gotten BY the impressive showing it
made in Philadelphia. where yester-
days 1916 victory gave it a clear
sweep OF the series of four games
and a record of five victories and one
reverse for the elk battles contested
between the two clubs this year.
BY reason of their triumph yester-
day. while the Sox were absorbing
another licking at the hands of the
Yanks, the Nationals now are in
fourth place. notch ahead of the
world champions. If they are to re-
tain this advantage two of the three
contests listed here must be recorded
this is a tough task. as a perusal of
Washington's past performances In
the New England metropolis will
show.
To get this team off to a flying
start Clark Griffith proposes putting
Harper against the Barrowmen In the
initial encounter. 1t will be recalled
that on the occasion of has first and
only start against the Red Sox this
season Harper let them down with
four scattered hits to win under
wraps the only triumph the Grifs
were able to register in four Tits
with the Sox.
Use of Harper is contingent upon
the form he displays in his warm up
prior to the game. Harry has a tenn
peramental arm. when right" he ts
about the best lefthanded hurler In
= the game. Otherwise he bears marked
resemblance to a portion of camem-
bert. He tolls for but two rounds
against the Mackmen Saturday and
has had two full days Of rest, but
unless he demonstrates conclusively
in his preliminary work that he Is fit
he will be allowed to loaf this after
noon, in which case Yancey Wyatt
Ayers will figure in a championship
game for the flrst time this year.
Ayers rejoined the team yesterday
after a visit to Virginia, necessitated
BY a death in his family. and reports
seen. The doctor has been slow
rounding into form this spring and
there is much doubt that he has at
tained good condition.
It is probable Judge will be back In
harness this afternoon. The swelling
in his ankle. injured Saturday in Phil
adelphia, has receded, and Joe is
anxious to add to his collection of
triples. His return will strengthen
the team defensively. but even so
1usty q walloper as Judge has nothing
on Ed Charity for producing base
hits. This heavy-hitting catcher. left
fielder and first baseman whacked out
another brace OF safeties yesterday. He
really got three, but, like Rice. will be
deprived OF the base knock he made
in9the ninth, the calling of the game
on account Of rain making the pro-
ceedings revert to the previous in
ming.
tionals left Philadelphia yesterday.
Judged by the manner in which they
have jolted Mack's twirlers this
spring, the Griffs would have the
psnnant sewed UP by the 4th of July
II all their games we're played with
the AS. In the four tussels rounded
out yesterday the Nationals pounded
out forty.seven hits. for a total of
thirty-eight runs. An odd feature Of
the series was that with only two
less safeties the Macks were able to
compile but eighteen tallies. As in
Sundays fracas. the AS outhit the
Gffns. with twelve as against nine,
but they had twice AS many athletes
stranded on the base paths.
I. 70 Jim Shaw belongs a large share
not BY reason of what he did with his
singing hippef. but with his bat Fol-
lowing his feat OF making two home
runs in Fridays jamboree at Shibe
Park, the odds against him producing
another circuit clout yesterday were
Xprohibitive. but that is just what he
did. 1t so happened the bases were
loaded with Mats when he pasted one
of Jing Johnson's fast balls into the
Nxrh@ 1.
wen. and it being only the second in
ming the Griffs got started with a
comfortable four-run lead
Sam Rice entered the home-run
class by some tall sprinting on his
crash to left center in the following
frame, so when the AS went out and
got three runs for themselves in the
fourth they still were trailing.
The Gfiffs made another savage at
tack on ]. johnson In the NTH, when,
With the aid Of couple of boots by
Roy Grover, they chalked up three
more runs, and In the sixth opposed
by John Watson. two more were add
ed when Milan's double followed safe
ties by shanks and Foster.
The Macks got to Shaw for one run
In the NTH and added a pair in the
eighth. all by good. hard hitting, but
they had too much Of a handicap to
overcome and did not resent Ump
Owene' action in terminating the con-
test At half-past s, after 2 hours and
15 minutes OF actual play, not includ-
ing the hour and 12 minutes lost on
the three occasions time was called
because of rain.
One OF the most notable things
about Yesterdays affair was that il
was the hrst errorless game the Griffs
have turned in this season They are
leading the league In the number of
nhisplays charged against them.
Something else noteworthy was
that Foster hit safely In his tenth
consecutive game. He got two blows
yesterday and has made one or more
in every battle staged to date this
season. He staged two or three con-
secutive hitting streaks last season
ana, II memory serves Alright. was on
another when the ending Of the sea-
son terminated ii.
shaw's feat of manufacturing three
home runs In one series ties the rec
ora OF sh'be Park established by
George Burns on the occasion of his
hrst visit to Philadelphia as a mem
Der of the Detroit club.
The confidence Shaw has gained
az result is calculated to enhance
his offensive value to the club. Once
Jim gets the idea that he really is a
ritter Babe Ruth will have to look
70 HIS laurels. He came within a
small margin OF making two more
extra base blows yesterday. Witt
had to leap for one ball as 1t was
travelling over his head In the fourth.
and kopp was compelled to travel
fast to haul down anothAr wicksd
WALTON from ahaH,s hat In fha aiah.h