Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-28
SEASON MARK .28S,
BUT BAT .3D2 HERE
Only Four Players, Though
Pound BalI-YankS Bow
in Thinning Tilt.
BY JOHN b. KELLER.

~HOULD the Nationals hit
during the tour they are to
~ start following their wind
up with the Yankees here
tomorrow as they have in the
nine games played to date on the
home lot they ought to be well
up in the race, If not at the top,
when they return late in May for
their first long stand in Griffith
Stadium.
Thus far the johnson band has
been strictly a home-hitting one.
For its dozen engagements this
season it's batting average is .288.
At home, however, in nine tits
the Nationals have pounded the
ball at a 1902 clip. In their
three games away from Griffith
Stadium, though, they batted
only .242.
The boys have fattened their averages
since the Yankees arrived in town.
Now the club has in Roy Spencer q
hitter of the 400 class. He Is well up
In that class, too, with mark Of .422.
Joe Cronin is soaring with .375. Buddy
Myer, despite recent slump, still clings
to the 800 class and Harry Rice, after
dropping well down the list, has pulled
I'D again to an even 800.
AS q club there seems to be plenty
bower In the Nationals attack, but up
TO this Yankee series most OF the hit
ting was done by just few players.
with a little help from those who
haven't been driving the ball to safety
often for the batters who have been
walloping right regularly the Nation
ais could organize an offensive that
should bowl over the opposition in many
games.
The Nationals have proved they can
hit at home. It will be up to them to
carry that power into the games abroad
II they are to get anywhere worth while
in this 1891 struggle for the American
League championship.
WHEN longer and more argumentative
w ball games than those of the last
two days here are to be played,
the Yankees probably win have some
thing to do with them. Years ago,
when Ty Cobb was boss Of the Tigers,
his club more than any other sent the
fans home to cold suppers. Now, how
ever, the Yankees are rufning the tenn
pers Of the housewives who have to
keep meals waiting for their base ball
attending hnbbies,
Right on top Of q game that took
up more than two and half hours
and an eight and one-half innings
game at that-the Yanks slowed up
proceedings yesterday by sauntering in
~ t1a4akliner nm and M fl1a AalA
between innings and jawing frequently
with the umpires to such an extent
that. the Thinning tussle consumed 3
hours and 10 minutes.
This sluggishness Of the New Workers
did not please the 1000 who braved
the raw, windy day to witness proceed
ings at Mr.. Grifith's ball yard, but that
9-to-8 victory scored by the Nationals
sent the faithful on the way TO their
eats happy, though shivering.
IRVING HADLEY and Herb Pennock,
i the left-hand ace Of the Yankee
mound corps, set out to pitch the
ball game. Pennock started poorly, then
braced and did right well until after
two were out In the tenth. A pair Of
washington wallopS then put him out
10 cali on George Pipgras and the south
paving Phil Weinert to finish. Had
Hadley not lost his head and control
In the fifth, the game would have nm
ished In regulation time, but Bump
went blooie and Walter Tauscher and
Al Crowder got turns on the hill before
Bob Burke was sent in to become victor.
On, the New York mound trio the Ma
tionals collected score OF Safettes,
Pennock yielding all but two. which
were cleaned Of the last two Mccarthy
hurlers. The Nationals also received
four passes, one from Pipgras and the
others from Weinert. Fifteen hits were
made by the Yankees, who drove the
bah to safety in all but two innings:
Burke was the hardest hit, being pinked
for seven. Hadley gave up four, TauSch-
er three and Crowder one.
The one of Crowder was q real hit,
being a homer driven into the open
stand back OF center by Sam Byrd in
the seventh inning.
The Yankee cause also was helped by
three Of the I'VE passes dished out by
Hadley.
THERE was much sloppy fielding by
L both sides and the errors figured
largely in the scoring. The Ma
tionals combed Pennock for five sue
cessive hits and three-run lead in the
first inning, but this was swept aside
by the visitors in the fifth. Then, with
. 6IlRle ana bIlI6c passes OAA A10oACyp
his headless chuck over second base
when he had chance to cut OF q man
at the plate and the errors by Manush
and Harry Rice, the Yanks got four
runs
Manusl's double and Cronin's single
after two were out in the Nationals
fifth deadlocked the game, but the
Yanks got to Tauscher for a tally in
the sixth and Byrd's homer of Crowder
In the seventh put them up. Harris,
pinch-batting for Crowder, tripled and
Myer singled in the seventh to get back
one of the markers, and in the eighth
Harry Rice's single, Bluege's infield
eraSure and Spencer'S wind-blown single
followed by Gehrig's wild heave tied the
game again.
THERE was action in the tenth, each
4 team scoring twice after two were
out. Chapman's double, Cronin'S
hectic heave that failed to make a third
out Of Gehrig and Lazzeri's double ac-
counted for the Yankee runs. Singles
by Harry Rice and Bluege and Byrd's
boot Of the second hit put Nationals on
third and second bases and chased PEN
mock. Spencer found Pipgras for q
single to knot the count. After Burke
walked Jones went in to run for Spen-
Ger, but was cut down at the plate as
he attempted to tally when Myer
singled.
Weinert,s wildness handed the game
70 the Nationals in the twelfth. With
the bases full and one out, Myer whitfield,
but Sam Rice took one Of the left
handlers pitches on the wrist and Harry
Rice walked over with the big run. The
Yanks yelped bloody murder, telling