Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-27

Jones, dean OF the Natloial =
pitching staff, is ready Tor MS
first test under fire this sea-
son. No other than Sad Sam
himself is authority for this. He told
Manager Walter Johnson this morn
ing that the venerable salary wing is
loose and prepared to whip some last
ones through for at least three innings
CT contest.
All of which was pleasing news to the
manager for at full strength the Ma
tionals' pitching staff is none too strong
numerically and with exhibition games
coming along thick and fast these days
Walter can find use for every hurler lie
has around. So Sad Sam is slated to
30 part of the route in one of the three
engagement of the series with the Car
einals starting hre Friday.
There has been no harder worker III
camp than Sad Sam the past two weeks.
AS soon as his contract argument with
President Clark Griffith ended, he buck
led down to work earnestly and rounded
into condition surprisingly fast.
This business of grabbing games out
of the fire is becoming a habit with the
Nationals apparently. just as they beat
the Braves and the Reds III late rallies,
Johnson's charges stepped out yester-
day in the ninth inning and pushed
over a brace of tallieS to take, to 8,
the opener of the two-game set here
with the Dodgers.
Griffs Trail at Start.
For five innings, the Washington club
was not so hot. During this time it
had one good round, but the Brooklyn
bunch slammed Big Jim Viewers Of
ierings all over the lot and greeted Arch
4f.af atN Loo
turned Cambel braced. magnifcently
and the Nationals went on to make
their record for the series with big
,eaguers in the Grapefruit League read
seven victories and two defeats.
Weaver not only had little ca the ball,
but he also did not know what it was
I'll about afield. Apparently he had no
idea where to throw the ball after pick
ing it up and twice this lack of knoWl-
edge got him into real trouble. Jim
was nicKed for seven hits and gave
I'D two passes that helped the Dodgers
toward four runs off him in the fonr
sessions he toiled.
The first batter to face Campbell
vas Babe Herman, and Babe did moth |
ing less than start the fifth inning |
with homer. a terrific drive |
to the right center fence. The Dodgers |
the inning ended, then he allowed MOTH |
ing more than single an inning in |
the last four innings. He had better |
control than in any previous start, an |
abundance of speed and for the first |
time showed just what good curve ball |
he possessed.
Against the Is hits the Dodgers |
the Nationals could muster but |
and they waited until the last two |
rounds to get of these. They punched |
in the second inning against young |
ieft-hander named Pattison, who is |
paying his own expenses at the Dodgers |
training camp at Clearwater. to get |
runs, but could do nothing in the re-
mainder of the four sessions they faced
him. Win Ballou let them have hits
for 2 runs in the sixth and that was ALL |
They nicked Moss for a useless bingle in |
the eighth, then reached him for VIC
tory.
Tate Starts Rally.
Benny Tate opened the ninth inning |
attack by singing sharply to left. Sam
Rice batted for Campbell and drew a |
walk. Sam West slashed liner to |
right that tailed Tate with the tying |
score and moved Rice to third. West
made second, but Rice chung to third |
rs the pitcher heaved out Buddy Myer |
Moss, after pitching two wide ones to |
Spencer Harris, decided to give the |
batter free ticket to first, thus filling |
the bases. Up came Barnes. He went |
70 a thTpe- and-two count, then skinned |
he ball down the right-field line. Rices |
run only was needed to win. Had the
Nationals needed two more markers,
however, they would have cleaned them |
from Reds: hit. 1t was deep enough to |
send home the three waiting on the |
paths.
There was much fancy fielding done
by the Nationals. They executed five |
double plays. one of them a corker. Joe
Judge started it when he picked up a
oAnt and whipped it to second ahead
IF Brooklyn runner. Joe Cronin and
Jack Hayes, the latter covering first
it. Barnes made a spectac-
ular running catch of drive to deepest
right center in the ninth and Goslin
sprinted for a great grab of foul In
the opening inning.
The Nationals squad. now reduced to
Is by the sale Of Al Bool, catcher. to
Baltimore, and the optioning of Cliff
Bolton, another receiver, to New Haven
yesterday, may be reduced further this
week. It looks as though any deal with
the Yankees now is off and Griffith
is casting about for offers fer an out
fielder and a pitcher or two he is pre-
pared to lop from the Washington roll.