Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-24

IL their Western swing the
Nationals must fight dur
ing their last three remaining
games for an advantage over
their adversaries out this way.
During their first trip through
this sector they won nine games
and lost two. In their second trip
they played to an even break in
Is games. This time they have
won only six games while losinS
eight. And there are only three
more games to play.
Last year it was the West that kept
the Nationals out of first place. Their
record against the inland clubs then
was extremely poor. They gave the
East a good slsmming, but they couldn't
40 a thing against the West out in the.
VESTS own territory. This, year the
going has net been so good for them
along the Atlantic seaboard. with the
exception of FeEway Park, in Boston.
In the New York and Philadelphia
parks the Nationals have been lament
ably weak. They have won but one
game in the Quaker City and only one
game in Yankee Stadium.
Unless in their remaining nine games
with the Yankees the Nationals make
decided squirt, the holding of second
place will be a dificult matter, indeed.
The Tigers furnish the opposition In
the last three games in the West, and
right now Bucky Harris has his crew
playing bang-up base ball Since re-
turning from the East the Bengals have
won IL of their last 20 starts, and only
once have they been really overpowered.
Never has Tiger team finished In the
basement and now Harris has his men
keyed TO fighting pitch in deter
mined effort TO get out OF last place.
CETTING a deal Of good pitching
" from Al Crowder for four and one
third innings after he relieved Bob
Burke, the Nationals COPIED from the
Tigers, 6 to 5, yesterday in the opener
of the four-game series here. Burke,
after being given a nice lead by his
club in the first three frames. let the
Tigers slam up to tie in the fifth. He
yielded six hits and four passes. The
Tigers got, all told, IL hits and 6
passes. The left-handed Earl White
hill essayed to stop the Washington
club, but he was ousted from the slab
before the third round was over. Earl
departed. leaving behind him Wash
ington record of seven safeties. one pass
and five talIies Tom Bridges came on
to hurl some pretty good ball. Only two
hits and as many passes we're CLEANED
from him, but one of the hits was q lift
over the scoreboard back Of left center
- - Il.
spilled the beans for the Harris horde
A S usual on this last Western swing
"A of the season, the Nationals staked
themselves 70 some runs at the
start. Myers two-bagger, Manush's in
field out, Cronin's single and Harris
triple were coed for two tallieS in the
opening session. 4
The Tigers came back in the second
over the left-field wall, but in the third
three scores were registered by the
johnson band. Myer singled, so did
Manush. and Cronin doubled That
meant one run. Harris infield erasure
meant another. Cronin dented the
counting block as West was thrown out
Then the Nationals filled the bases
with Blueges infield hit and passes TO
Kuhel and Spencer. That ousted White
hill The best Burke could do againgt
Bridges. however, was 70 loft to the
center fielder
Then the Nationals stopped for a
time while the Tigers went on TO tie.
A pass to Bridges, JohuSon's single and
Gehringer's long ny got them run
in the third A pass TO Alexander,
Rogell's retirement and singles by Rich
srdSon and Grabowski accounted for
another score in the fourth. Gehrin-
a -
Gerry Walkers triple put over two in
the fifth to deadlock affairs.
After that everything was quiet until
the seventh. when Cronin's homer de-
cided the issue.
DUCKY HARRIS will manage the
- Detroit bah club next year. y
he cares to- {. Bucky Is ending a
two-year contract this season. and
he has been offered a contract for an
other year Lots Of Detroit fans have
been on his neck this season. but
Frank Nayin, who owns the Tigers. likes
Bucky. and no one can blame Harris
for the poor showing made by the IL
gers in the current campaign Gehr-
niger, Alexander and Hubby Walker,
all good PLAYERS. were out Of the line
up for about 10 weeks because Of in
jurieS and they were the ball club
at the start Cronin slammed Crowder
into a game in fine way. lofted his
eleventh homer of the season over the
scoreboard in the seventh session Big
day for Joe all around. !. three runs,
three hits. three runs driven over
Bluege had only one chance at third,
but II was a WOW In the fourth Rogell
slapped a nasty bounder toward third
!. very high but Ossie leaped TO
snare IT with his gloyed hand, then
laeaved for a whistler decision The
Tigers are using Nolen Richardson. a
product Of the University of Georgia,
at third base recently dragged him
back from Toronto not SO good at
bat, but he can field Bridges had
flne time al bat for a pitcher three
walks and a Strikeout Zion Hogsett
and Sam Jones were likely TO be mound
rivals this afternoon.