Evening star., 1927-06-01

record of four victories, SIX
defeats and one tie-Manager Bucky
Harris believes they will make much
better stand here against the west
ern outfits that are to begin their
initial invasion of the East this sea-
son tomorrow.
Harris bases his belief on the dit
ference in the physical condition or
his club when it travelled through the
West and now While on the road
Hast month Sam Rice and Ossie
Biuege were far below par physically
land were unable to give their best ef-
forts, Goose Goslin was out OF two
series while recovering from an attack
of pleurisy and Walter Johnson still
was prepping for his twenty-tirst big
league pitching campaign. 1t was in
deed crippled outfit.
Now Rice, though in need of store
teeth. is feeling pert once more.
1Bluege again is quite spry around the
third sack. Goslin is on his feet, John
son has demonstrated that he is ready
to take his regular turn on the hill,
and other hurlers who were rather un-
certain quantities seem on the verge
of becoming really useful to the club.
In fact, Harris opines his crowd now
SIS In its best condition of the season.
West Not So Strong.
OF the four clubs the Nationals
faced during their Western swing in
May, the Indians appeared the best,
yet they We're held to an even break.
Even though the White Sox now are
pressing the Yankees for the league
lead and managed to take three
straight from Bucky Harris bunch,
they did not loom as sturdy pennant
contenders. They had good pitching,
but their play afield was erratic, and
In two of the games in Chicago the
Nationals virtually beat themselves.
!. There was nothing impressive in
1.-THE play of the Tigers, who We're
iEather fortunate in not being beaten
Three successive times by the Nation
ais. Nor did the Browns appear par
ticularly good. Since the Nationals
encountered the Western clubs, three
of the latter have played at a slower
pace. Only the White SoX have con-
tinued at a lively gait.
Beginning their stand against the
West, the Nationals will be lowering
around the 800 mark with an advan-
tage over the Indians, Browns and
Tigers. And two of these outfits will
be met here before the surprising
White Sox hit town. The Browns
will be the first Of the Western visi-
tors. They get here tomorrow to
open a four-game series. Next Tues
day the Indians will arrive for four
tits. The White SoX and Tigers will
follow, each for four engagements in
Clark Griffith Stadium. If the Ma
tionals are as greatly improved as
Manager Harris believes, the home
program ought to prove helpful to
them.
Weak Against Red Sox.
However, the local athletes will have
TO get up on their toes and go more
than they did yesterday. if they expect
to gain grand an the Expense of the
Western contingent. In~their 4-to-1
defeat by the Red Sox, the second suf
fered in 10 starts against the men of
Boston, the Nationals looked anything
but pennant contenders. Their pitch
ing was faulty, so was their fielding,
and in attack they presented sad
sight. -
Horace Lisenbee, mound ace, who
had won five games and lost only one,
started for the Nationals, but he was
far from being the Lisenbee of the
fine record. A lack of control and
poor support set him far back in the
first inning, and in the fifth, his last
on the hill, he virtually presented a
run to the Red Sox with his f1oppy
Jielding.
Horace gave up two triples, a dou-
BILE, a single and base on balls dur
ing his stay, and only one of the tri-
pies failed to net the Red Sox any
thing. Garland Braxton worked three
innings after Lisenbee departed, al
lowing lone single, then gave way
to g. pinch batter, and Bob Burke
finished, taking care of the visitors in
order in the ninth.
Red SOx Win at Start.
Woozy work by Lisenbee and cou.
pie of fellow Nationals staked the
Red Sox to a three-run lead. Tobin
opened the game by singing to CEN
ter. Rollings, trying to sacrifice,
fouled to Bluege, and Todt relieved
the situation to a great extent by
popping to the third sacker Then
Tobin pilfered second, helped when
Ruel let a pitch to Flagstead go by.
Lisenbee could not get the ball
over and Flaggy walked. Jacobson
followed with a clout past Goslin
good for three bases to send Tobin
and Flagstead home. When Rigney
who received Speakers return, heav-
ed the ball to the Red SoX dugout
in a seemingly foolish effort to flag
Jake, at the far corner, the big fellow
also counted.
Lisenbee was rather fortunate thai
no Red SoX scoring occurred in the
next inning, for Hofmann. second
up, tripled, but he was nipped of
third when Fred Wingfield evidently
overlooked a bunt sign. Lisenbec
paved the way to the last Red SoH