Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-24

l. especially tIIS
H. hitting ways, the Nationals
are very apt to find the going
rough. The club has been getting
pretty fair pitching recently, but
pitchers need help in the way of runs,
and to get runs hits must be made
Bucky Harris bunch seems to have
overlooked this
A few safeties trickle from the
Washington bats every once in a
while, but there's no real threat in
the club, nor will there be until the
supposed sluggers clear their eyes
and put more power into their fails.
Beaten 4 to yesterday by the Ath-
letics, the Nationals lost the series
in Philadelphia, 2 games to 3. But
with any decent clouting by the
Goose, four games probably would
have been wrested from Connie Mack s
herd
In the second engagement of Tues,
days double-header and during yes
terday's contest Goslin had chances to
put his club in the running, but lacked
the punch. In the five Philly tits
the Goose batted at a .235 rate. one
not calculated to be of much benefit
to any aggregation.
Speaker hit for more pretentious
figures. but only twice did he drive
the ball to safety at opportune mo-
ments. Spoke. like the Goose, gem
orally was unable to sock the ball
when seeking would have meant
runs. The veteran. who was expect
ed to prove SO valuable to the Ma
tionals in attack when he was added
to their roster late last Winter, has
had only one good hitting streak since
the championship campaign got under
way. Then his efforts told so much
that the Nationals went through a
rather successful two weeks. But
Spoke lost his batting eye almost
as quickly as he had found it and
now cannot be reckoned an import
ant factor in offense.
Have Only Two Sluggers.
Other than Speaker and Goslin,
the Nationals have no batters who
may reasonably be expected to drive
a long ball. Although Sam Rice and
Joe Judge. when he is in the game,
slam their share of extra base hits,
they are by no means sluggers. Nor
is Muddy Ruel who has been meet
ing the ball in pinches more than
any other National recently.
Others in the lineup scarcely can
be considered in a discussion of hit
tiers. They have their days every
now and then. but altogether they
do not amount to much in attack.
To get results from ball club that
includes Just a few average hitters
and couple of fairly high rank one
or two Of the batters must be de-
pendable distance clouters. The minor
stickers may get their bingles right
!. along, but they viii not get much
from them unless the big fellows help
with extra-base blows occasionally.
m fng INN rnffh
nor Goslin has been supplying this
punch.
; There was not much punch in any
OF the Nationals bats yesterday, even
though they totaled 9 safeties for the
: fray. Young Charley Willis, making
one of his rare starts for Connie
Mack, after a wabbly first inning
southpawed his way to an easy VIC
tory. He gave up three singles and a
run in the opening frame. then spread
four hits through the next seven ses-
sions. Two blows were punched
against him in the ninth. Willis con-
! troll was fine. He walked no one and
: only twice did he pitch as many as
three wide ones to a man.
Marberry Is Wild.
+. /. Opposing Willis for seven innings
: was Fred Marberry and Fred was just
as wild as Willis was accurate in his
work. Only three passes were given
out by the National slabman, but he
frequently had to pitch himself out to
batters, and it was his plate-splitting
pitches delivered in efforts to get out
of trouble that brought him more
trouble several times.
Max Bishops hit that drove in the
AS first run was made with three
and-two count on the batter and the
run-producing hits made by Bill
Lamar, Al Simmons and Sammy Hale
in the seventh also came when the
count was against the pitcher. Fred
simply was trying to stick 'em through
after chucking too many wide ones
and the AS socked the apple.
McNeely began the game by singing
to left, and after Harris went out
pulled up at second as Speaker hit
for base. Goslin popped to Hale,
bat Rice raped a one-baser to right
and Earl was over with the Nationals
only tally.
"A hit and two passes filed the
bases for the AS with two out in the
first inning, but Cochrane grounded
10 Harris. They knotted the score
in the second frame, though. Dykes
walked as a starter, and took second
az Willis was thrown out after Boley