Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-13

Il MIL, July Io.~R1OtuiLS "
a winning stride is no easy
business for any ball club, and
~ the Nationals are realizing
this. Bitter struggles are be-
coming daily affairs for them since
they hit the West for the second time
this year. So intense has been the
action that Manager Stanley Harris
has been forced to employ hurlers
with abandon in almost all of the
games his club has played since leaV-
ing Washington a week ago Sunday
With so many of his boxmen faltering
under fire, il is well BuCky has at his
command such sterling relief worker
as Garland BraXton.
So far during the tour, BraXton has
been the one dependable reserve of the
National staff. Others have endeav-
ored to fill relief roles at times. They
have met with only Indifferent success.
The slender southpaw. though, has
participated in of the last 10 games
played by his club and figured promi-
nently in of the Z successive wins
the Nationals have scored within the
past five days.
His latest achievement, that of yes
terday, when he quelled a Tiger up
rising while his club went on to take
the opener of the series here, 3 to 6,
did not equal in extent his splendid
performance at Cleveland last Satur-
day, when he pitched the last six in
ningS of 13-round contest and yielded
only two hits for nothing of benefit
10 the opposition, but rivaled that in
Importance. The successful effort will
keep the Nationals ahead of George
Moriarity's men during the stay here,
regardless of the outcome of the four
remaining engagements of the series.
Second-PIace Fight Hot.
And that's something to consider
while the hot battle for second place
in the American League is on. The
Nationals seem well entrenched in
the position at present, but really
they are not so set in the place
that they cannot be dragged out
of it within five or six days. They
must continue to battle bitterly and
it's just as well for them that they
have such a capable pitcher as Brax-
ton around to do much of the
battling for them.
Neither Horace Lisenbee nor Fred
Marberry was able to uphold his club
yesterday. Lisenbee went along
fairly we'll for nearly four frames,
then a terrific wind and rain storm
that broke over the ball park caused
suspension Of play for more than 40
minutes. When Liz came back to
the slab after the storm had passed
II was evident that he had cooled
off," for the Tigers jumped on him
for a run in jig time.
That so upset the recruit that he
could not find the plate and he was
yanked by Harris, leaving to Mar
berry potential runs on first and
third bases and batter with half a
pass to first base. Only one was
out when Fred went to the hill and
before he could retire the side the
Tigers had evened the run total
cleaned off Rip Collins by the Ma
tionals in six innings.
Collins, like Lisenbee, was not so
good after his enforced rest, but
Marberry. The big Texan was as
wild as the proverbial hawk and
after forcing over tying run in the
sixth proceeded to lose all his cum
ming when he had two out in the
seventh. Then he permitted the
Tigers to get a tally to match the
one the Nationals had made off Ken
Holloway in the early part of the
round to take the lead oncn more.
Braxton Stops EN- Cold.
Harris could not see the Nationals
getting anywhere with Marberry
pitching in such manner, so Braxton
was hailed to the hill. The southpaw
made short work of Jack Tavenner
first man he pitched to, tanning that
worthy to end the troublesome
seventh. Then all he gave was one
pass in the next two sessions, while
his eliminates did more damage to
Holloway and also scored against
George Smith. who pitched the last
inning for the Tigers.
The ball game generally was just
as sloppy as the weather. The sun
was on the job in earnest as play
started and so were both clubs, but
before the first inning was far under
way the sky began to cloud and the
play of the Nationals did the same.
Harris gang managed to recover its
poise when the Tigers became IS loose
in their fielding as the dust that be-