Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-09
WESTERNERS HERE
FOR THIRTEEN DAYS
Johnson's Outfit Shines on
Own Lot-Easy Prey as
Grove Wins No. 20.
BY JOHN b. KELLER.
y PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Septem-


/ in the American League
race will be something for
the Nationals to do on their home
lot very likely. Only game ahead
of the third-place Yankees, after
a 10-to-1 rout in battle with the
AS here yesterday, it appears that
the Johnson band must look to its
tuSsling with the western repre-
sentatives in Griffith Stadium the
next Is days to keep itself in the
Deuteronomy position.
This year the Nationals have been
quite successful in their play in Wash
ington, especially against the West.
When the clubs of the inland sector
first invaded Griffith Stadium in June
the johnson hands took Is of l6 games
played. In July the Nationals licked
the Westerners in 9 of Is engage
ments on the field in the Capital.
This time Is games are to be played
with the Western contingent with the
Indians opening a three-game stand
tomorrow in Griffith Stadium. The
Browns will follow for three tits. when
the Tigers will visit for as many, and
the invasion of Washington by the in
land clubs this year wiz De concluded by
the White Sox, who are to play four
games. One Set-to of their July series
was washed otu by rain, making a
double header necessity this time.
Perhaps the Natie&als in these IS
games may manage Is widen the gap
between themselves and the Yanks to
such an extent that those four games
with the present third-place outfit to be
played in New York near the end of
the month will not affect the club
standings.
At any rate. it looks as though the
scraps with the West afford the Wash
ington club a splendid opportunity to
improve its hold on the runner-up
berth.
A PITCHER at the plate must be
"A respected as much as any other
batter by the pitcher on the slab,
even though the one at the plate may
be Robert Moses Grove, who batted
just an even 200 last season and has
broken no hitting marks this year.
Sad Sam Jones should know this now
If he didn't before the seventh inning
Yesterday When Grove demonstrated to
the satisfaction of all hands in Shibe
Park except the Nationals and their
mark at bat
For with two out and two on Grove
stepped into one of Sad Sans pitches
to send the ball down the right field
line for single scoring two runs.
It did not look as though Jones was
bearing down" in his f1inging to the
Mack hurler, and if he wasn't he made
one grand mistake. for that hit as
Suredly tucked away the ball game
for the home side
True, the Nationals already were the
trailers of a 2-to-1 count, but they
still were full of fight as they went
into the home seventh. Jones had
been giving Grove good argument and
the Johnson band had pecked away
at Grove in a manner that indicated
1t might do something in run-mak-
ing way at any time. But when Jones
failed to make Grove a third out in
the seventh. all the fight oozed out
of the Nationals and before the inning
was over the AS had registered eight
runs for their batting turn.
Six of the runs crossed after Joe
Cronin made an error of chance that
should have resulted in a third retire
ment. but it was Jones seemingly care
less hurting to Grove that gave the
AS the big break they had been wait
ing for
The Mackmen got 10 hits off Jones,
6 IN their big seventh. In pitching
his twenty-eighth win of the year,
Grove yielded seven hits, struck out
seven and did not issue a pass. His
control was remarkable, for he wasted
few throws. Carl Fischer was sent
in to hurl the eighth against the AS
and he filled the bases with passes
after getting one out, but nothing more
happened to him.
WITH homer 1ofted into the upper
w left field stands Williams put the
Athletics in front in the second
inning FoxX had singled with one
out and Williams did his whacking
with two out. The Nationals combed
Grove for tally in the third, Bluege's
single, Spencers infield erasure and
Q one-baser by Jones producing the
run. After that both hurlers battled
brilliantly until Jones blew sky high
In the seventh.
1t was a fine single by Foxx that
opened the big inning for the AS.
Then Miller lined down the left field
line, but Bluege just managed to cuff
down the ball and throw for force
out of Foxx. Williams looper to right,
good enough for single, became a
double when 1t took an odd bound and
went by Harris. The hit sent Miller
to third only and with Grove up after
Rommel popped out it seemed Jones
would get out of the round safely
But with one strike against him !
out of Foxx. Williams topper to right, I.
field line to tally two. After McNair hit |
for base, Cronin picked up Cramer's
bounder. only to throw wild past first |
and the rout was on. The error let !
Grove score and five more runs followed /!
before Miller fouled out FoXx, up for
the second time in the inning, hit his |
twenty-sixth homer of the season to
account for the last three.
MOT quite 5000 were at the game in
j y Shibe Park. Grove lost little time
in striking out four in succession. |
He threw a third one by Manush to |
end the first inning, famed Cronin at |
the start of the second then fired third |
ones by Harris and Kuhel, and he made !
only four pitches to Dave and three to
Joe Williams homer in the second |
was his sixth Of the season and he has |
made two off Washington pitching.
Dib hit Burke for one when the bases |
were full in the first game of the July |
10 twin bill here. Grove made just |
three pitches to the Natl nails in the |
fifth. Jones backed Rommel against |
the left field stand for a catch, Myer |
rolled to the second baseman and Rice, |
trying to duck a pitch, accidentally |
rolled to the shortStop. With two AS
on and none out in the fifth. Spencer
eased the situation for Jones when,
after Grove missed the ball in an effort |
TO bunt, the catcher heaved to second.
getting Williams flat-flooted off that |