Evening star., 1924-09-08

reverse in its last home encounter with
the Red Sox yesterday, 1t would have
been we'll fortified for it's concluding
effort of the year. 1t lost no ground,
however, when beaten to by Fohl's
lancerS, before more than 27,000 people,
the largest gathering that ever wit
messed major league base ball
struggle in Washington, for the Yankee
horde was overthrown by a last-ditch
drive of the Mackmen.
Holding the league lead by two
games does not appear so advantageous
at first glance, but after careful con-
sideration it is found that even such a
scant margin is we'll worth while at
this stage of the pennant race. While
the Tigers and the Browns, who are to
be encountered by the Bucks within the
next two weeks, are not yet out of the
flag chase, the fight for the champion
ship practically is between the outfit
led by Harris and that piloted by
Higgins. And the Yanks are apt to
find the task of overhauling that two
game lead too difficult to accomplish.
The Situation in a Nutshell.
When a club has not won as many
games as its rival, it still is possible to
catch up by winning the required num-
Der of games later. But when a club
has lost more than that rival, it is
cannot eradicate defeats, nor, in the
case of the Yankees, can it make its
rival lose games. The under club can
win it's own games-that is all.
So consider just what advantage the
Nationals have over the Yankees, even
with but twogame lead. Today each
had 20 more games to play, and to
nose out the Nationals the Yankees
would have to win three more than
their rivals during the brief schedule.
Now, then, should the Bucks do no
better than break even on their re-
naming games, the Yankees, to fin
ish ahead of Harris and his athletes
would have to win 13 of 20 engage
ments. But should the Bucks win II
and lose 8 of the score of tits the
Yankees would have to take Is of
their last 20 games to get ahead
of the club that is leading them now.
Recently the Bucks have been trav-
cling at pace indicating they will
at least establish twelve-w and
eight-lost record for the remainder
of the season. So, while the Harris
men probably have a rough road
ahead, the Yanks have a much
rougher one to go over.
Fate F'rowns on Bucks.
Had the Harrismen bagged yester-
days argument they would have
made the going a deal tougher for
the GOthamites, for every game pick
ed up al this stage by the leaders
means much more than one for the
main rival to overcome. But fate was
against the Nationals in their last
home stand. They were off to poor
start, due to faltering defense, and
never were able to consistently solve
the offerings Of Alec Ferguson, Red
Sox hurler, who had been compare
lively easy for them in other games
this season.
Ferguson was fairly free with hits
he gave up nine against eight gar
nered by the Fohlmen off the first
two Nationals to adorn the mound
but he was about as big-hearted as
mosquito at giving up hits when
hits meant runs. So impotent were
National batters at critical moments
that the club never was able to over
come the handicap imposed upon it
by erratic fielding in the first inning
Oss1e Bluege, generally a most de-
pendable defensive player, and Mule
Shirley, subbing for the injured Joe
Judge at first base, put Warren
Ogden, Harris first pitching selec-
ton, in trouble right Off the reel.
When Ogden crumpled under the
strain and yielded a pair of hits to
help push three alien tallies across
before an out was recorded, the Ma
tionals manager yanked him and
sent Allen Russell to the mound.
Russell None Too Steady.
Allen was none too steady. at the
outset of his toiling and grew worse
as the game progressed. He took
sound humping in the fourth inning
and another in the seventh. That
led Harris to employ Fred Marberry
in the last two frames and Fred
breezed through them in splendid
style, but the damage had been DONE
Bluege began Ogdens trouble by
making a wild throw to first after
snaring FlagStead's grounder in the
opening inning. Ogden could not
locate the plate with Wamby at bat
and there were Red Sox on first and
second. Then Boone sent a grounder
down the right side of the intield |
1t plainly was a play for Bucky |
Harris, but Shirley left his territory
for the ball and fooled it. Home
went Flagstead. Wamby reached
third, while Boone was content to
rest at first, whereas had Bucky not
been baked by Shirley double play
may have been the result of Boones
tap. That so upset Ogden that Joe
Harris poled a two-bagger, counting
Wamby, and Veach singled Boone |
across.
Out came Ogden and in went
Russell. Allen got away with his
stun until the fourth, that EzzelI
opened with an infield single. After