Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-02
NEW YORK SCRAPS
FIND GR|FFS READY
Hold Good Lead Over Third
Place Club After Two Wins
Over Red Sox.
BY JOHN b. KELLER.

Y TAVING finished their last
- real home stand of the
campaign, the Nationals
are ready to carry that
second-place battle to the YankS
again. It doesn't seem to be much
of battle, now that the Johnson
band is seven and one-half games
UP on the New Workers, and, in
cidentaly, just five and one-half
games behind the leading AS
after bagging those two thrillerS
played with the Red SoX in Grit
fifth Stadium yesterday, but the
Shawkey crew still has bit more
than a mathematical chance to
gain the runner-up position, so 1t
would be well If it is thrust FAR
ther back in the four-game series
starting tomorrow in Col. Jake
Ruppert's plant in the Bronx.
Manager Walter johnson believes he
has primed for the opener of the set
on Wednesday the veteran Sam Jones,
who has been plain poison 10 tne
Yanks much of this season. Although
the somber squire of Woodsaeld was
unable to make a go of it against them
last Saturday he seemed loose enough
in his workout yesterday and declares
he Is in much better trim than when
driven from the slab in the fourth
inning the last time out
Perhaps the Nationals will not be
able to muster for service in the New
York series the lineup that toppled the
Yankees here twice last week. Buddy
Myer dropped out of the picture Sun
day when a sprained hand prevented
him going to his second base post while
yesterday Sam West, agile centerflelder,
developed a kink in his left elbow that
put him out of commission.
However, the Washington club seems
able to put on the field pretty good
club without using these two youngsters
And both Myer and West are apt to be
back in the game before the tussling
with the Yankees ends.
MORE than $4,000 fans got the kick
lNl of their base ball lives yesterday
when the Nationals downed the
Red Sox 2 to / and to in the pair
of grueling struggles in the Washington
bali yard. Two kicks, it might be said.
One was provided by Joe Cronin when
he made that marvellous catch OF Bob
Reeves liner to end the first game and
the other by Lloyd Brown when after
rushing to Fred Marberrys rescue IN
the second set-to he crashed homer
that put the Nationals in front to stay.
Nothing like that catch by Cronin had
been witnessed before on Washington
field even the old-time fans admit And
getting fans of the days of Brouthers.
Jennings and others to make such an
admission means everything. 1t had
to be a great fielding feat to make them
forget the remarkable stunts of the old
timers.
The Nationals went into that first
game ninth inning with only to
advantage, but everything seemed rosy
when Al Crowder got rid Of the flrst
two Boston batters. But Webb came
along to slam q triple to center. and up
TO the plate stepped Bob Reeves. Now
webb with q double and Reeves with
a triple had made the Boston run in
the seventh session and the thousands
In the stands were more or less appre-
hensive.
Their feelings were eased to some
extent when Crowder quickly got two
strikes on Reeves, but a wall of woe
arose when Bob cracked the third pitch
on line toward left-center. 1t looked
as though the ball would soar well above
Cronins head, send over the tying tally
and get Reeves perhaps to third base.
But Cronin leaped as though power
full springs had shot him from the
ground His upstretched gloved hand
barely cuffed the soaring sphere, but
as the shortstop fell backward in some
miraculous manner the falling Joseph
grabbed the ball with the same hand
and though he rolled after hitting the
turf never let 60. Reeves was out and
the Nationals had the game In. It was
Q finish rarely heard of and seldom
seen.
Nov for Brown. The second game
IN was started by Fred Marberry, on
the hill for the Nationals for the
first time since wrist fracture put him
out of commission on August 2. Fred
did not look particularly good from the
start and after the fifth inning the Red
Sox were leading, 3 to 1. But Fred
stuck until the seventh when after
walking the first batter and yielding
the next single he gave way to the
left-hander. Brown proceeded to nip
the Red Sox rally in the bud then
things happened in the Washington half
Of the round.
With one out Harris crashed a triple
and counted as Ruel singled Ruel
stole second, but Hayes left the Ma
tionals a run shy of a tie by fouling
out. Brown, though, picked pitch to
his liking, leaned against the ball and
sent it to deep right-center, where it
fell between the speeding Oliver and
Webb. Before the ball was reached it
had banged against the fence in the
deepest part of the outfield. Ruel was
over quickly with the tying run and
Brown, all but tuckered out by his hard
drill around the bases, fell across the
plate just before the ball was returned
to the catcher to put the Nationals
ahead.
After that homer it took bat boys
ushers and other help i've minutes to
~ al 1f rAN NyTst hat anlrl IL
tossed from the stands by tubilani
owners. Everybody was crazy, every
body was deleriously mad.
DOTH games were pitching battles
ID Horace Lisenbee gave Crowder 6
great scrap in the first encounter
Each side collected but seven hits
Twice, though, the Nationals punched
two for a run. Hayes triple and Rice
single accounted for the first marker
A pass to Judge, his theft of second ant
singles by Harris and Spencer accounted
for the second.
Ed Durham opposed Marberry ant
Brown in the second clash. Durham
yielded IL safeties, five IN the seventh
and eighth innings All the Boston
hitting was of Marberry, Brown pitch
ing to only nine batters in three rounds
divers triple and Scarritt's single CAV
the Red Sox a run In the first an
singles by Harris and Ruel and Oliver
tumble of Muddys drive let the Ma
tionals tie in the second session. OllVei
Scarrit and Regain hit successfully :
net the Red Sox two runs in the f1ftf
Following the inning in which the
went ahead the Nationals bagged tw
more runs. Manush and Cronin dou
bled to count the first one in the eightt
Cronin went to third as Judge Grounde
/. out, then while Harris was at bat stol
home.
XXTEBB with sparkling one-han