Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-06-21
PILLS PLAYING IN
1ST DIVISION FORM
Since May 27 Have Shown a
Marked Improvement After
Long Losing Streak
AS DROP ANOTHER ONE

OUR Phillies have been playing in
" and -out ball all senson. A glimpse
at the standings from the first Of May
until this morning reveals that startling
information.
On May I, the Wilhelmitcs had six
victories and eight defeats and were in
sixth place just two games away from
third place and apparently going strong.
From that date until the fifteenth
the team showed even better form win
ming FIVE games and losing but four.
That was the time when the fans figured
that tho Phils We're going to get up
there far enough to make last place a
stern impossibility.
The pitchers were going good. the
batters were batting and the tieldcrs
were fielding. In other words the
stage was all set. The figures showed
eleven victories and twelve defeats and
fifth place in the standing with the
prospect OF getting up higher If the
same consistent bali were played.
Then came the debacle. Game after
game was dropped through poor hurl-
ing. n lack Of hitting, at the psyche
logical moment and poor fielding. The
jig was up and the Pills werre. going
fast toward last place. On May -
they stood in the cellar looking up
with the grand mark of eleven victories
and twenty three defeats. Eleven
straight games were lost. losing
streak worse than that made by any
other team in either league.
The Change
Since that time Wilhelm has col lected
his forces. recalled Singleton. released
Baumgartner and Belts. pitchers, and
Lee King, the outfelder. The team
took on n new lease Of life.
Jimmy Ring. Jimmy Smith, tee
Meadows, Jess Winters and Singleton
took on new lease of life and the team
started looking better.
This morning the Phils have a record
Of nineteen victories and thirty-four
defeats. considerable Improvement
over their play for the twelve days
previous to the start of their good
playing. Eight games have been won
and eleven lost since May -, for an
average of .421.
Five games are keeping the lhils IN
last place. and II the team plays as
consistently for the next few weeks as
it has during the last week, last place
will fade away and our Pills will be
looking around for a better place in
the baseball world, OF the last five
games played four have been won,
Rain Yesterday put n halt to the
prospective battle between Grover
Cleveland Alexander, former Phil and
now leading hurler Of the Cubs, and
Jimmy Ring, who held the Reds hiteSS
in seven rounds last week. Alexander
ia anxious to win for his former bat
tcry mate. Bill Killefer. because the
Cubs have vet to win game this sea-
son from our Phils. On the Western
1rip Wilhelm's men grabbed four
straight from Killcfer's clan.
Couch's Great Hurting
Only one National League game wns
played yesterday. the Reds handing the
Rrnyes a kalsomining, to U. Couch,
ono of Pat Moran's sensational young
hurlers, held the Mirhmen to two
For eight innings the Braves went
biticss and Just when the stage wai
iii set for no-run no. hit game. Cruise
and Ford singled, but failed to dent the
scorinp station. In the ninth tn"
Rrnyps went hltlesS again. seven mus
were made off Fillingim. the star spit :
boller, several Of them coming in tine
tifth for the two markers that won the
game. , ,
over the Mackmen. who are in one Of
their worst slumps Of the season. 1t
was the fifth straight reverse for the
AZ who for the second straight day
we're saved from the gnominy Of falling
into the cellar by the Tigers victory
The Yanks after losing eight straight
nosel out the Cleveland Indians, q to ..
The Indians made thirteen hits of Joe
Rush and a brother hurcr, while the
Uuggmen found th!e and Morton for
eleven
George Burns did two home runs
oeainst the Tigers with none on base
hit the Red Sox failed to win. the
Tvs registering their eighth straight
o TO s. Each team made twelve hits
Ferguson, Karr and Russell doing the
hurting for the Sox and Dauss and u
mate for the Tigers.
The Senators won thrilling thir-
teen inning game from the White Sox,
u to 6. after the GleasOnites had knotted
the figures with three runs In the
eighth.