Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-01
PITCHERS DISMAL
ON WESTERN TRIP
Only Three Complete Games
Hurled Out of Fourteen.
Banked by Browns.
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

salvage something more
- from the wreckage of this
second Western trip, the
Nationals were to have on the
pitching hill this afternoon the
veteran Fred Marberry. Coming
back to the slab during this tour,
after a long lay-off as a starter
because of a leg injury suffered
in New York May %, Fred has
hurled one good game and an
other not so good, although he
was credited with victory in both.
Manager Johnson, however, fig
ured the big Texan might have
something up his right sleeve to
check the Browns.
Marberry was to be opposed by an
other veteran, Sam Gray. 1t was Gray
who handed the Nationals their only
defeat in four games when they visited
St. Louis in May. Later they gave him
@ sound drubbing in Washington. But
when they drubbed Gray the Nationals
were playing high-claSS ball and get
ting good pitching. There's little good
about their playing or pitching at pres
ent.
This has been a dismal tour for the
Washington pitchers. Those hurlers,
who performed SO brilliantly while on
their home lot early this month, are
not doing any hurting of championship
brand now. During the Nationals last
home stand in 19 games starting pitch
erS went the route IL times. Out this
way in IA games starters have gone the
route but times.
In the first series of the trip-that in
Cleveland-Lloyd Brown, Carl Fischer
and Al CroWder started and finished IL
successive games, the first two winning
a double header while Al was licked
and had to pitch only eight innings.
IN each of the four Detroit games,
although the Nationals won three, they
had to send to the mound two pitchers.
In four CT the five Chicago games two
Washington pitchers were needed and
in the fifth three were used as was the
case in the first game OF the trip at
Cleveland.
Each of the six pitchers used for
starting has been bumped of the hill.
Of the entire staff but Irving Hadley
has been consistently good and he has
been used only for relief work.
Should Marberry go all the way to-
day, his achievement might inspire his
staff mates to better effort. They need
some sort of inspiration.
THEIR bats all but muted by the
i pitching of George Blaeholder, the
Nationals took 7-to-0 trimming
yesterday in the first game OF this
series of three with the Browns and
dropped to three and one-half games
back of the 1eague-leading Athletics,
who triumphed over the Indians.
In suffering their second shutout OF
the season, the Nationals, who have
been falling off at bat at great rate
since leaving home, gave their poorest
exhibition Of the campaign in attack.
But two hits were credited to them, a
single made by Heinie Manush after
two were out in the first inning and
another single by Red Hargrave at the
outset of the ninth inning.
Hargrave managed to reach third
base though Buddy Myers infield
erasure and Harry Rices long fly to
center. but the shutout came when
Manush grounded to First Baseman
Jack Burns.
So good was Blaeholder that only two
other Nationals reached first base, and
they never got beyond it. In the nth
a tumble by Shortstop Jim Levy put
Joe Cronin on, and Ossie Bluege made
the sack by forcing out Joe. Two were
out in the seventh when Cronln got on
again through an error by Third Base
man Red KreSs.
Carl FISCHER opened fire for the Ma
tionals and suffered the same fate ne
did on the two other occasions he faced
the Browns this season. They gave him
a good pounding, and that quickly. IL
was the first time, however, that the
Browns actually defeated Fischer, and
the defeat. his second this year, ended
o winning string at seven games.
Fischer and the remainder off Bob
Burke, who pitched three rounds. The
issue was settled in the first frame,
when the Browns got four hits for as
many runs, the big blow being homer
by Goose Goslin with two on. 1t was
great day for the Goose" as he got four
hits all told. Burke also was hit for
homer, Jim Levy seeking one in the
eighth session.
n IGHT Off the reel the Browns made
n the afternoon more uncomfort-
able for Fischer than had the ter
rife heat. After Schultz, first up in
the home sides initial batting turn,
walked, Melillo cracked a single and
Goslin, with three and two count:
lofted the ball over the right-field
stand to give the Browns three runs.
Kress lined out, but Terrell doubled
and Scampered home when Bettincourt
sl7shed a one-baser to LEFT.
Two runs were added to the Browns
score in the sixth. when Burke first
took the pitching hill. Levy singled
as a starter and after Blaeholder
famed, stole second Schultz drew a
pass. Melillo lined to Manush in the
left-field corner and Levy legged it to
third after the catch. Thus the stage
was set for a double theft in which
Levy tailed and Schultz reached the
middle sack Levy did not seem to
need any help to get home, but If he
had Cronin would have provided it
with poor return of Hargraves' throw
Goslin came through with his third
hit, single bounced off Myers hand
to right to put Schultz over the count
ing block.
To add insult to injury, the very