Evening star., 1926-05-28

3-to-Z battle.
The Nationals now are reduced to
even terms with the Macks in their
season series. Early campaign con-
fiicts gave the Champs a fine ad-
vantage over their Philadelphia rivals.
the count being six games to three in
their favor after less than three weeks
of fitting. But the five-game intercity
series ended yesterday was grabbed by
the AS, four to one.
Five Series Lost.
Last year the Nationals went far
into the campaign before they lost
series to club. This year. OF II
series played with Eastern and West
ern outfits, the local aggregation has
won and broken even IN =. The
club certainly has failed to get away
with its best foot forward in the 1926
flag race. If it is to be an important
factor in the contest, it must strike
strong stride soon.
In most of the losses, starting with
that to the Browns on May IA. poor
pitching more than anything else has
hurt. Walter johnson has been the
leading loser, three of the nine defeats
having been charged against him.
Alex Ferguson twice was named as
losing pitcher and SO was Joe Bush
Dutch Ruether had loss charged
lieving Stan Coveleskie, also was los
ing hurler.
The three victories were credited to
Coveleskie, Marberry and Bill Morrell.
Marberry triumphed after coming to
the rescue of Ruether. while Morrell,
following Covey, was helped by rec
ord-scoring inning put on by the Ma
tions al in Philadelphia last Tuesday.
Slab changes were needed so often in
H. ttnf
names were scattered through the
Washington side of the box scores.
Griffs Lack Punch.
Only three times has a starting
pitcher finished a game in the last 13.
Covey went the route against the
Tribe and won on May Is. Johnson
hurled nine innings against the same
club on May IS and lost and suffered
a similar fate yesterday when he
toiled all the way against the Macks.
Walter. though, pitched well yester.
day, but was given no backing in the
form of concerted attack by his team.
mates.
Eight hits and two bases on balls
were CLEANED off the veteran by the
AS. Through the first five frames
the enemy got but one single. but in
the sixth a double and a one-baser
two singles and a two-ba gger. all made
after two were out, pushed across the
run that tied the early National scor
ing. Two were out in the ninth when
an erratic chuck by Bucky Harris.
following a single and a double, netted
the AS the decisive marker.
While Johnson was keeping the
socking Macks in hand fairly well the
Nationals were busy with their bats,
l. Il
age could be done to the opposition.
They manag ged to eliminate their arch
enemy. Slim Harris, in five rounds,
combng him for seven hits and two
runs In that time. But the venerable
Joe Pate. who seems able to path
paw the Champs into submission any
time he steps on the slab, saw that
nothing came of the five hits he
yielded.
Bucky's Error Hurts.
First blood was drawn by the Ma
tionals when Myers single, Ruel's re-
tirement and Johnson's one base blow
accounted for a marker off Harriss in
the third round. One was gone when
Goslin tripled in the fourth frame. and
he got home easily as Judge doubled.
In the sixth the AS started. Pool,
batting for Harriss, hoisted to Nc
Neely, but Bishop doubled and checked
in at the plate when Cochrane sim
gled to left. The visitors tied in the
eighth after two of them had been re.
tired, singles by Cochrane and La
mar and Hauser's double doing the
work.
They were fortunate to get ahead
IN the ninth. Dykes and French had
been eliminated before Galloway
slapped a single to left. Pate fol-
lowed with a slam to right barely good
for two bases. Rice, on the bali In
trice. shot 1t TO Boss Bucky not so
far behind first base. A good relay