Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-30
JOHNSON MACHINE
CREAKS ALL over
Must Speed Play Generally
to Shake Western link.
Drop Sox Final.
By JOHN B. KELLER.

racer to a broken down cart
horse since 1t left home the
middle of the month, the Wash
ington club now encounters an
outfit that has been setting the
American League aflre the last
two weeks, the st. Louis Browns.
Three games are scheduled here
and the Nationals will have to
speed up considerably to make
any Roadway in them.
There must be improvement all along
the line II the johnson band Is 10 snow
a respectable record for this second
Western invasion of the campaign. AL
ready It has lost Of Is engagements IN
this sector of the circuit. Wabbly pitch
ing, a slump at bat, slipshod fielding
and In many instances dumb base ball
have kept the Nationals back.
In fact, the Washington club has SUI
fered O general breakdown due to re-
currence Of the Western heebie- jeeoieS
that wrecked its pennant chance last
year. Old DR.. johnson must soon md
some way to tone up his patient II he
would Stave OF disastrous decline.
thing to be thankful for. They're do
ing as well as the AS out this way, ana
with only three games here they can't
do any worse than they did in Chicago.
Two out of five was the best the PEN
nant-aspiring Nationals could do In
their Windy City series with the last
place White Sox. They took 1t on their
chins again yesterday, the score being
. to Z.
Had two of their pitchers not been
allowed to remain on the hill to take
good drubbingS 1t might have been q
different story, though. Both Sam
Jones. who started, and Al Crowder,
who relieved Sam, were kept on the Job
long after 1t was quite evident they had
nothing with which to baffie the oppoS-
ing batsmen.
ZONES was slammed hard in the first
frame, and again in the third, and
when he gave way to Crowder the
Sox had made six hits for three runs.
So weak was Jones in the third that he
went to q three-and-two count with
three successive batters before they got
on the runway, Blue by singing, Reyn-
clds by walking and Fonseca by singing;
And three wide ones were pitched to
both Reynolds and Fonseca before .
strike went over.
S@~SSNA~
of fiye hits and six runs In the fourth,
then gave up a hit In each Of the two
innings following. Irving Hadley nm
ished, allowing nothing more than q
pass The White Sox got to Crowder
right at the start Of the fourth, but
not until he had walked q batter ana
been lmicked for four singles was Had
ley sent from the dugout to the warm
up plot.
Joe Cronin made matters worse with
an error afield and a bit Of wool-gath-
ering, all in the fourth frame, to help
the White Sox toward two runs GER
tainly and perhaps toward three.
on Victor Frasier, right-hander, the
Nationals got IL Safeties, one q homer
by Buddy Myer with no one on, and
another homer by Cronin with one
on. and four passes. Seven OF the hits
and five of the runs came in the last
three innings, but before that Manager
johnson indicated he had conceded the
game by withdrawing several regulars
and sending Second-stringerS In TO the
Washington lineup.
AHYER got the Nationals away in the
lVl front with q fiuky homer He hit
the first pitch of the game and
dropped q fly in short center Watwood
slipped and fell as he tried to get the
ball and 1t bounced by him to the
deepest part of the outfleld.
The Sox came right back for two
runs cleaned from three singles and
wild pitch by Jones. With a single,
cass and another single, they picked
up a third run and chased Jones from
the hill in the third session.
Sam Rices hunted single, Cronin's
walk and an error by Kerr filled the
bases with one out in the Nationals
fourth batting turn, but the only run
that crossed came after Watwood bag
. sed Bluege's hoist After that the
johnson band, although it managed to
make the score close, was not in the
ball game.
TN their fourth turn at the plate the
i Sox batted around and then some,
with Jefries starting and ending the
affair. Six runs were registered to
leave the Nationals far back.
Jeffries walked and swiped second,
being given = great start by Crowder's
but much happened before the second
out was made. Frasier singled Jeffries
home and took third when Kerr hit for
q base, Johnny making the middle sack
on the throw that failed to head of
Vic. Blues single Tailed Frasier and,
when Crcnin let Reynolds skidder 60
through Tor an error, Kerr found the
plate and Blue reached third. Fon-
SEGA then hit for base, sending Rey-
Slolds to the far corner.
watwood put up twisting foul that
gave Spencer plenty Of trouble, and
right after 1t was caught Cronin SUI
fered mental lapse that gave the
White Sox two more markets. Fonseca
headed for second after the catch of
the foul, but would have been caught
by Spencer's throw had not. Cronin
t%An d.,
for Myer was in position for a play.
Joe wheeled, but apparently bewildsred
by the sight Of Fonseca tearing toward
second, delayed a 15-foot relay to
Myer just too long. So instead of
side-retiring out being recorded, Fon.
SEGA got. into position to score with
Reynolds when Cissen singled. -
"a FTER walking in the first inning
"A Cronin tried to take second when
. pitch got away from Tate, but
was easily nailed. Jones proved o
master afield in the second session In
getting to Frasier's hunt quickly and
heaving while of balance to Cronin to
start . side-retiring double play 80.
Cisselfs glove was Q magnet to three
successive Washington grounders In the
been credited with q hit In the fourth
when his grounder was fumbled by
Kerr The White Sox infielder
checking the ball back Of second had
no chance to get Cronin going into the
middle sack and only the sliYnnest
chance to make play at first had
he handled the ball clearly /. It took
q fiashy running catch by West to
get -Watwood in the sixth :. Fonseca,
who came to the White Sox as an In
fielder, does very well In the outfield
Two of his four catches In the
series final were sensational affairs.
1aI..a AGs,Ar. mara hitting ,ac.c.eae