Evening star., 1925-06-03

slabman OF the world cham
The retirement of George Mogridge
encounter, that the Yanks eventual
for pitcher assigned to the hill
games played so far this season by II
The champs have something or
the enemy has had but 10 of its hurlt
IS not so surprising when one cor
more than two dozen games.
Mogridge's withdrawal yeSterds
toed the slab at the beginning of
southpaw, Walter Ruether. has the
his guns, having completed FIVE OF t
Johnson, who has pitched through
the former National Lacquer closely
Other moundsmen who have been
used to open fire against the enemy
this year are Stan Coveleskie and
Jez Zachary. Covey has started eight
times and gone the route on three
occasions. Zach has had the starting
assignment nine times. He toiIed the
full nine innings against the Yankees
here on April Is and against the
Indians at Cleveland on May IT.
The sorrel-thatched southpaw has
had a particularly troublesome career
since his first test of the year. Zach
has had to get out of three of the
games he started before going four
frames. In the others that he failed TO
complete he faded suddenly toward
the end of the route.
Three Pitchers Often Used.
Most of the National pitchers, when
they have faltered, have done so
rather early in the pastiming, and
reserve corps often has not functioned
so we'll. In exactly half of the "a
games in which Manager Stanley
Harris has made mound changes,
three or more fingers have been
called upon.
Frequently the reserve men, after
a few rounds of effective work, have
suffered the fate that befell Allen
Russell Yesterday. Succeeding Mo-
gridge, who was we'll hammered in
the second session after a fair start,
Russell got along in good style for
five innings. The only damage he
sustained in that time was a homer
by Bob Meusel, his thirteenth of the
year, that put the Yanks ahead
temporarily.
1t was No IA that proved the
unlucky one of the day for the
Nationals. Sir Robert slammed it in
the eighth when Russell was on his
last legs and Yanks We're perched on
second and third bases. The wobbly
relief hurler had just let in the tyin
tally and Meusel's second round
tripper of the afternoon knocked the
Nationals galley west so far as the
second game of the series was con-
cerned.
Ferguson Stops the Griffs.
The world champs, though, had a
good opportunity to bag the affair be-
fore Russell went blooie. They mauled
Urban Shocker so much that he left
the scene with two on the sacks and
one out after they had batted their
way to a 4-to-3 lead in the fifth round
In came Alec Ferguson. and he was
bad medicine" for the Nationals just
as he was during the latter part of
last season when he was with the Red
SoX. Alec stopped the Harrismen cold
in the fifth, and though nicl<ed for
marker later, was none too liberal
The Nationals were the first to
break the ice. With Goslin and Joe
Harris gone in the second inning.
Bluege singled smartly to left field
and counted when Peck Slashed d
two-bagger to right. After Mogridge
had disposed of Meusel, however, in
the second half of the round, the
Yankees countered with three runs.
Four successive singles started the
merry-go-rouDd. Lou Gehrig and How
ard Shanks, inserted in the New York
lineup no later than yesterday
bingIed, and so did Benny Bengough,
scoring Gehrig. Shocker swatted to
left, tallying Shanks and sending
Eengough to third. Shocker advanced,
but Bengough could not, as Wannin
ger rolled to Judge. Dugan, though,
pushed the catcher home with
single to Goslin's territory.
Nationals Knot the Count.
49,
score after two were out in the third.
Buck Harris single and Joe Judges
poke into the right field bleachers
doing the work. But in the Yankees
half Meusel took a page from judges
book and sent the New Workers ahead
again. Then Higgins crew was held
at bay for a time while the world
champions went to the front.
After two were out in the fourth,
Peck socked to right for three bases,
but was nipped at the plate when he
attempted to make the hit homer.
In the fifth, though Shocker got
"his'n." Ruel started the round with
q single and Russell sacrificed. Rice's
single put Muddy across the plate and
Boss Bucky's single sent Sam to third.
Out camc Shocker and in went Fergu-
son. All Alec did was Whit Judge and
Goslin to leave the two Nationals
stranded.
But Ferguson was found for a run
In round six that Joe Harris opened
with a single, Bluege sacrificed and
Peck single Moon to the plate.
Pinch-hitter Bobby Veach started
the Yanks on their winning way in
the eighth. Batting for Wanninger,
he began the frame with single to
left. Ernie johnson, sent in to run for
Veach, moved up as Dugan sacrificed.
Russell, fading fast, walked Combs
Ruth picked this place to make his
first double of the year. 1t was blow
to right that counted Ernie Johnson
and put Combs at third. Witt ran for
Ruth and he did not linger long on
second base, for Meusel lifted the ball
to deep left-center for a circuit OF the
sacks.