Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-03
CLUB NOT DAUNTED
BY BIG MACK LEAD
Johnson Band Has Faith in
Own AbiIity-Ie Ready to
Battle to Finish.
BY JOHN b. KELLER.

- Still cunning after the AS,
i the Nationals were full OF
fight as they went into to-
days double header with the
league leaders here. In fact, john
sons charges still have an idea
that there might be plenty OF
trouble ahead for the Mackian
horde and they hope to keep near
enough to the pace-Setters to start
going somewhere should the break
come.
Ten games back as they were before
today's tussling the Nationals, by cold
calculating, appeared pretty well out Of
the race. But their hope of success
has not been blasted. Five more games
with the AS after the double header
and much could be gained In those five
is the way Manager Johnson and his
henchmen regard the situation.
To many the Nationals chance for
the pennant may seem the Slimmest
possible, but not to the Nationals them
selves. Those two wins over the AS in
washington had them all keyed up as
they took the field this afternoon. They
still consider themselves a real strong
ball club, club that promises to be a
flag contender to the finish.
They don't seem to know anything Of
the word quit"
CPOTTING the AS four runs, the
- Nationals lost no time getting them
back, then set out to trim the league
leaders in no uncertain manner yeSter-
day in Griffith Stadium. With a 10-to-6
win they cut to 10 games the Mack
mems advantage over them and boosted
to four and a half games their edge on
the third-place Yanks.
With neither Sam Jones nor Hank
Mcdonald, starting pitchers, at all ready
to work, the game seemed likely to be
a free-for-all. Each was driven from
the hill in the first round. AL Crow
der, however, came on to hold back the
AS handsomely, to be credited with the
victory, but Waite Hoyt took solid
seeking in the second round that made
him loser. Knuckle Ball Ed Rommel
then chucked six fairly good innings
against the Nationals.
There was much good humping of
the ball. The Nationals collected a
dozen Safeties for 81 bases, while the AS
got 10 hits for II bases. Sam West was
tAAC bA6 gun Va IAlC w dLIdCk
with his three doubles and a single for
a perfect day. Apong the Mack blows
was home run driven into the open
stand back of left-center by AL Sim
mons In the seventh inning
IN the first inning the home plate
i was almost torn from its mornings,
so many runners crashed against
It. Bishop smacked Jones' first pitch
for a triple and counted when Cramer
singled. Then walks by Cochrane and
Simmons jammed the sacks. Foxx
singled two more runs across and Jones
out Of the game. Crowder came on to
fan Miller. but McNair hit to chalk
up the fourth marker for the AS.
Back at 'em the Nationals went to
even affairs. Passes to Myer and Rice
and McNair's tumble of Cronin's
grounder crowded the bases with one
out. Vests double accounted for two
TALES and gave Mcdonald a holiday
for the remainder of the day. Hoyt,
the relieving hurler struck out Bluege,
but Kuhel singled to put over the two
runs that put the Nationals in the
game again.
The plate and the AS took more
punishment in the second session.
Myers triple. Bishops boot of Rice's
roller, Manush's one-baser, Cronin' S
three-bagger and single by West
meant four more Washington scores
Each side hung up run in the fifth
Singles by Cochrane and Simmons and
Miller's hoist to deep right registered
for the AS. Vests double and Bluega's
single turned the trick for the John
son band. In the sixth doubles by Rice
and Manush after two wera out netted
the Nationals their tenth tally.
That homer by Simmons in the
seventh was the last run of the day.
COMETHING like 10000 turned out
~ for the Sunday pastiming in Wash
game effort to get Cronin's foul in the
FIRST frame !. tumbled all over him.
self as he missed the catch. West
missed the plate with his slide in the
first inning, but Cochrane missed Sim
mons throw, so Sammy had plenty Of
time. to tag in with the tying tally.
:. Simmons did lot of grandstand-
ing In making a one-hand catch of
Crowder's foul in the second ROM
mel was batter as well as pitcher
In the fourth frame he lofted a
real double to left center. Bluege
came in fast for flashy scoop-up Of
McNair's topper down the third base
line in the fifth. Old Man Rice
rushed in at top speed for a one-hand
catch at his shoetops of Williams
looper in the sixth :. !. That homer by
Simmons in the seventh was his six
teenth of the season A first sack
er with long arms Is the stuff .
Kuhel showed that in the eighth, when
he ran to field box and leaned across
several rows of seats to snare Miller's
foul . Foxx made sparkling stop
of Crowder's drive and got his men
in the eighth :. Six Of the last seven
hits made by West we're extra-base af-
fairs F.. one homer, five doubles and