Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-30
BELIEVE ONLY AS
BAR WAY TO FLAG
Comics Pitchers Have Yet
to Show True Strength,
League Leaders Hold.
BY JOHN B. KELLER.


edge over the Yankees, two
games to one, has convinced the
Washington club the one big OBJ
Stacle in its path to a league title
is Conl>.e Mack'S world cham
pionship outfit. Prior to the
recent fitting with the New York
erS, the Nationals looked upon
them as probably more danger
Gus than the AS. Having dis
covered that the YankS with all
their vaunted power at bat can
be we'll checked with careful
pitching, however, the wearerS of
the Washington uniform now re-
gard Bob Shawkey'S aggregation
al just another ball club. Their
opinion of the AS, though, is
vastly different.
Not that the Nationals fear the AS.
Far from that But they have an idea
that Mack's pitchers have yet to show
their real strength. They cannot be-
lieve q staff that includes besides the
left-handed Bob Grove who has been
going well since the beginning of the cam
paign, such hurlers as George Earn
shaw, RUDE Walberg and Bill Shores, in
addition to several high-claSs relief
The Mack pitchers have been short
term pitchers mostly to date The
world champions have won a fine pro-
portion of their games, but they have
employed pitchers with reckless aban-
don. Now the Nationals expect the
Philadelphia boxmen to be more con-
oistent in their effectiveness soon and
when they become so beating the AS
win be big order for any club.
That the Nationals up to today licked
the Athletics seven times in nine starts
Is q glowing testimonial to the ability
Of the Washington slabmen to Subdue
the hard-hitting lineup of the world
champions. But that In most games
the Nationals were able to smear the
AS so handily surprised the base ball
world. Well it might have done so.
Why should the bottom drop out of
pitching staff that was by far the best
In the majors last season?
Very likely there'n be nothing puzzling
about the AS mound corps in the near
future. Lately several who had been
verge of resuming their 1929 effective
ness. And when they do, look out for
the AS. 1t will take everything the
Nationals have to stave them off. With
all their wild and woolly hurting, the
world champions have been strong
enough In attack to stick right at the
Nationals heels. Let their defensive
strength increase and theren be some
lively battling all along the line by the
world champs.
THEIR league lead cut to three games
i as result of a licking by the Yanks
yesterday while the AS were nosing
out the Red Sox, the Nationals were
to go into their big series today with
the world champions well prepared for
battle The day of rain in New York
that forced them to idle was boon to
many of the Washington pitchers and
excepting those who performed in the
final of the Yankee set all are ready
for action during the two-day stay here.
It was possible, of course, as the set
began, for the Athletics to pull up to
even terms with the Nationals at the
top of the league in the three games
here, but to do so Mack's minions would
have to sweep the series IN Shibe Park.
As the Nationals have been perform
1ng, such an eventuality is unlikely.
One win in the four games to be played
here and in Washington would be SUI
fcient to send the Nationals West Sun
day night in the league lead. They
are looking for more than that, how
ever, and they are apt to get more.
THERE may be much power in
Yankee bats. But good pitching
quiets them as it does the bats of
clubs whose offensive force Is rated
lower than that of the New Workers.
In the series with the AS played just
before the Washington club hit New
York the Yanks slammed everything
that came up to the plate. So heavy
was the bombardingj of Philadelphia
pitchers that batting records fell right
and left. There seemed no stopping OF
the Shawkey gang.
Then the Nationals invaded Col. Jake
Rupperts stadium and the Yankee bats
became tapping drumsticks. Those
long drives the YankS had scattered all
over the lot while facing the Athletics
pitchers weren't to be seen. Not one
home run bounded from a New York
mace. The best the Yanks could do
In the three games was collect 10 safe
ties, an average of less than seven per
game. These were good for 81 bases,
three being triples and six doubles.
Compared with the Washington bat
ting, the New York offense was puny,
indeed. The Nationals hammered the
Yankee hurlers for SO safetles Of assort-
ed dimensions. They hit 4 homers,
triple, 6 doubles and % singles. The
collection totaled 80 bases. The Wash
ington batters showed the Yanks how
to use the ash.
EVEN while losing yesterday the Ma
IL tionaIs outhit the Yankees, nine
Safeties to five. However, the
Washington club made little use of its
hitting after the first inning, while the
New Workers wasted but one of their
blows and triumphed, to 2. It was
but the second win for the Yanks IN
seven starts against the Nationals this
season.
The defeat ended streak of Wash
ington wins that had extended to seven,
and 1t was George Pipgras, the same
pitcher who last month cut Washing
ton winning string that had been ex-
tended to eight games, who checked
the Nationals yesterday. At the outset
1t looked as though the Nationals would
chase George out of the picture quickly,
for the first three batters who faced
him singled and a run crossed in a
twinkling.
But there George put on the brakes.
Four hits. spread over as many rounds,
were all the Nationals got between the
1irst and ninth innings. They managed
20 get two more in the ninth, and these,
with an infleld eraSure and a wildly
pitched third strike to West, let a run
over. This left Pipgras with two-run
lead, though, and Rice came up with
two on and two out to pop to the
YANKEE SnortStop.
ERED MARBERRY started for the
l. Nationals and remained in action
Just long enough to become loser.
Fred's main trouble was wildness. In
the second inning he walked Gehrig
with one out and then walked Cooke
with two out. Then he went to a
three-and-two count with Chapman
and grooved one. Bang-a double and
two tallies After Combs opened the
third With Q triple Fred was derricked