Evening star., 1927-08-18
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

~T LOUIS, August 1S-This bat
tie for second place in the Amer
lean League race promises to
- provide all the thrills of the
East's last invasion of the West
in the campaign. now that the Yam
KEGS have virtually Clinched the lead.
With Nationals, Tigers and Athletics
fighting fiercely for the runner-up
honor and all well punched. fans out
this way seem due to Eet plenty or en-.
tertainment during the remainder OF
this month.
After taking 3-to-2 licking from
The Browns in the second game OF the
double-h header, following a 4-to-l VIC
tory in the first yesterday. the Mats
now find themselves in the second
notch lust three games in front OF
the rampaging Tigers and four games
ahead of Connie Mack's reJuVenated
Elephants.
That's too close for the comfort of
the Nationals, especially Wheh tmeS
stoD to think of the five-Game series
with the Tigers that is to follow the
argument here with one of their
toughest foes OF the year
The Browns certainly have been
nests for Bucky Harris bunch this
season. That victory in the hrSt
game of the double bill yesterday was
the sixth in succession over the cruz
led by Dan Howley, yet the series pe,
tween the outfits of the Capital ana
the Mound City stands and s. Get
ting ahead of the St. Louis gang Is a
real job for the Nationals.
Nosed Out at Finish.
For a time Yesterday it appeared
they would score a double WIN over
their pet jinx. After battling desper-
atelv TO tuck away the initial ciash'
the Nationals worked their way 10
slender lead in the second struggle ana
maintained it until two were out III
the last half Of the ninth ana TWO
strikes were against the Brown at oa''
Then, bingo. came q pop to center
that on a dry field Earl McNeely
proba bly, would have collared easily.
Rut a pasture made slick by the
downpour of the night before ana
drizzle that had begun in the elghln
inning of the tilt under way ploEeu
a TOO treacherous footing for the Ma
tional middle gardnerer.
He skidded as he started LOT a
catch and before he could get 10 tle
ball 1t dropped for single thdt SEM
two Browns over the plate and the
Nationals to defeat. 1t was reGuz
lar st. Louis finish for the cluo leu
by Harris.
However. the men of Washington
did not set the world af1re with thelr
hitting in either game and perhaps
were rather fortunate to get away
with one of the clashes, at that.
They combed Sad Sam Jones Tor
only seven safeties in the frst game
They managed to get four or thefii
in one inning, together with Two OF
the six passes Sad Sam ISSUED. IhaI'
rhIICkN6
netted them all their runs. IN the
second setto all they got off Eiam
Tangilder were five hits and tour
walks and only in one session dlo
they cluster as many as two blngies.
Lizzy Displays Form.
The mainstay of the Nationals In
40 oneninp encounter of the twin
hill was Horace Lisenbee. He allow
ed the Browns only four safeties ana
as many walks and after his first In
ming was a.~.Rockssof Gibraltar IN
pinches, despfte 4hree IHisphys made
by his teammates and one ne COM
mitted.
Irving Hadley toiled on the hill for
the Harrismen through eight rounds
and got along fairly well, yielding
six clouts and two walks. But the
lower end of the home club batting
order that had annoyed him from
the outset again proved troublesome
to him in the ninth when he passed
the first batter. After getting
strike and a ball against the next
Hadley was relieved by Garland
Braxton.
Braxton got rid of the batter that
Hadley left, but was hit by the next,
and the hitting batter later tailed the
run that caused the loss to be charged
against the southpaw. 1t was Fred
Marberry. however, who was nicked
for the blow that won for the Browns.
The only run off Lisenbee in the
first game came in the initial session.
ORourke walked and tailed as Ben
nett slammed a triple past Center
Fielder West, who fell as he started
toward the ball. Benefits drive
would have been a safety, though,
even had West kept his feet.
All the National scoring in this en-.