Evening star., 1927-08-22
RY JOHN b. KELLER.

ETROIT. August 22.-Licket
again bv the Tigers in thu
Sunday engagement here, this
IL morning all the Nationals had
TO do to get themselves bach
into second place in the American
League standing was sweep the re
mainder OF the series with George
Moriarty's club.
They were to have an opportunity
to take two games this afternoon and
tomorrow they are slated to tackle
the Bengals in this town the last time
this year. Unless there was decided
brace by the Harris horde, though, II
will not be defending a second berth
in the wind-up battle of the set.
The Nationals are playing worse
now than at any other time in the
campaign and it does not seem TO ne
on the book for them to regain the
advantage they held over the Tigers
before hitting this town, at least While
they are here.
Not so long ago there was consld-
erahle talk around the headquarters
of the Washington Club concerning a
likely slump by the league-leadinS
Yankees, The Nationals became "all
het up" every time the matter was
discussed and they played along bril-
liantly to keep themselves nearer the
Yanks than any other club in the all
but hopeless chase.
Yanks Failed to Slump.
The Yankee slump has yet to come,
but the Nationals certainly are put
ting on one of the strongest type.
They have been slumping since the
sth of the month. Up to that date:
they went through home stand OIL
IL games and won 9. Since that date,
however, they have been in Is games
20 win but and tie l, while losing ~.
That's reversing in sharp order.
The Nationals hit the toboggan after
sweeping a three.game set with the
Browns in Washington. When they
went into the series with the Indians
Harris and his athletes were enjoying
n good lead over the third place Tigers
Then everything went wrong. The
club had a tough time getting an even
break in four games with the Iripc,
took but one of four games played
with the Yankees. lost three in row
sfter winning one in the series with
the Browns in st. Louis then ran into
q raging band of Tigers here.
Fifth Loss in a Row.
Licked IL to yesterday. the Ma
tionals matched an early season rec
ord. that for consecutive losses. IT
was their fifth defeat since scoring
win. a. string of reverses broken only
hy last Saturdays 15-inning tie. Back
in Nav the Nationals dropped hve
games in a row. The Browns beat
them on the eighth day of that month:
then they moved to Chicago. where
they lost three straight to the White
Sox, and moved over to Cleveland to
lose a fifth on May IA.
The exhibition Of the Nationals yes
terday was pitiful in every way.
Horace Lisenbee. who started on tne
Hill for the club, did much pitiful pitch
ing before he got out after the seventh
inning. Bob Burke, left.handed his way
through the eighth inning. but not so
we'll. The fielding attempted by the
Nationals generally was sluggish ana
sloppy and at bat they showed noun
ing to brag about. True, they got Io
hits off Haskell Billings. right-hander
fresh from Brown University. but only
once did they get hits when hits meant
something. That was in the second
round, when they clustered three piows
with a brace of passes and scored
three runs. Thereafter the Nationals
played as though only the Tigers were
supposed to score.
Lisenbee Starts Well.
Lisenbee got away well and Kept
going until two were out in the third
round. Then a tumble OF thrown
ball by Earl McNeely, subbing at first
base. let a Tiger get on and Lisenbee
promptly went up in the air. He went
up so high that the Tigers backed thar
error with two passes, double ami
n miscue by the pitcher to get three
runs and match the Nationals count
before the inning ended.
A pass to Goslin started the Ma
tionals on their scoring way in the
second session. McNeely sacriflced,
then Ruels double put the Goose over
the plate. Bluege lofted to the Tiger
SECOND sacker. but Reeves singled
Muddy homo and Bob scored when
Rice singled after Lisenbee walked.
The Tigers easily offset that lead
when Lisenbee lost all his pitching
cunning in the third. As soon as Nc
Neely's tumble put Warner on f1rst,
with two down, Lisenbee made nine
pitches to pass Blue and Gehringer
and load the sacks. The one strike
to