Evening star., 1925-07-07


cut wide swath through the We
champs set dizzy pace for the 9th,
and promise to follow closely the
that period.
The stopover in Pittsburgh yester-
day for the tilt with the Pirates,
which the National Leaguers woa, 5
to I, prevented the athletes from be-
ing a train-weary lot when they land
ed here today, and this afternoon they
were 'rarin to go against the White
4. Sox, who have been rather trouble
some this year.
OF course, the Nationals are eager
TO gain considerable ground during
! their sojourn in this sector. but they
. will have to play indifferent base ball
. indeed, to lose their hold on top place.
When the Champs started their first
Western trip, in May, they were tied
with the Athletics at the head of the
heap, and in their first game here
lost to the White Sox. while the AS
were taking the measure of the In
dians in Cleveland. Later came a dis
astrous series with the Tigers that
caused the Nationals to return to the
fast-fying Athletics.
Griffs Have Good Margin.
This time the Champions are start.
ing the invasion two and a half games
TO the good, and even If they win but
Ssof the II engagements scheduled
a mace they do not seem likely to
drop to-the AS would have to step
fast TO regain the highest berth.
Connie Mack's bunch has II games
10 play this trip, rain causing post
ponementS at Cleveland and here in
May, and should the Champs score but
victories 1t would be up to the As
to take II of their matches to go to
the front. Although the Mackmen
Won IL of IA games in the West in
May. they are not apt to move so
swiftly during this trip.
UpSets most startling would be nee.
.essary to put either of the teams now
occupying the first two places below
the second position this month. The
Mackmen now hold an advantage of
8 full games over the White Sox and
one of liz games over the fourth
place Tygers. This early in the cham
pionship campaign 1t seems that the
struggle for the American League flag
is to be one between the pair of
teams now battling around the front.
Ruether to Toll Today.
Walter Ruether, although the shin
that was injured by a batted ball in
Boston last week still pains him, was
expected to toe the slab this after
noon for the Nationals in the opening
battle of the series with the Chisox.
The Nationals have four games
scheduled here, then go to st. Louis
for as many with the Browns. Only
three contests are listed for Detroit,
the third city to be visited during the
trip, and three are to be played with
the Indians in Cleveland.
The exhibition engagement with the
Pirates in Pittsburgh yesterday was a
drab affair with both teams playing as
though the game meant nothing
which 1t did to any except those in
terested i'll the gate receipts. Each
club began action with its regular
lineup. but there were several sub
stitutions made before the tilt was
very old. The Champions employed
two pitchers, Vean Gregg toiling
through the first four innings and the
recently signed Spencer Pumpelly
completing the fracas. Bernard Cullo-
ton, a Highlander, went the route for
the National Leaguers.
Gregg gave up three safeties, and
in the fourth frame was reached for
an earned run. Cuyler began the
scoring session with a single to CEN
ter, pilfered second, took third base
when the venerable hurler baked and
counted as Barnhart was tossed out.
The Nationals. who had wasted four
. swats in the first four frames, dead
locked the game in the fifth. Barn
hart dropped Bluege's loft for a two
base error, Scott'S erasure put Ossie
at third, and he tailed after Barnhart
caught Severeid's liner.
Pumpelly's Support Crumbles.
Then Pumpelly went to the slab for
. the Nationals, and when his support
:. crumbled the Pirates jumped to the
front never to be caught. McInnis
singled at the start of the fifth round,
only to be forced out by Spencer.
1 Spencer swiped second before Culloton
famed, and went to the far corner
when Scott fumbled Bigbee's roller.
A double steal was negotiated, Spen-
Ger scoring, and Bigbee also got home
when Adams made a wild return Of
Severeid's throw.
K In the sixth a pass to Barnhart,
Pumpelly's wild pitch and SCott's sec
4 ond error-a tumble of Wright'S
I grounder-accounted for a run. In
the eighth Barnhart slammed the ball
over the left field wall for the Pirates
fifth marker.
( The Nationals came to life in the
last two innings to get a trio of tai
lies In the eighth McNeely's single,
Adams double, Rices retirement and
Goslin's one-baser netted two runs.
Singles by Scott and Tate and Pinch
batter Judges sacrifice fly earned a
tally in the ninth But neither the
Champions nor the Pirates appeared