Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-02
CHECKS MACKMEN .
AS GR|FFS WIN, Fl
Fred's Fast Ball, Change of
Pace, BaffIing-Walberg
Hit for Victory.
BY JOHN B. KELLER.
mold figures make the Ath-
letics appear unbeatable in


~ the race for the Ameri-
can League pennant, but
our Nationals don't believe in fig
ures. They certainly didn't yes
terday when they grabbed the tail
of the big White Elephant and
yanked him back to cut to II
games his advantage over them.
Playing as though they still were
very much in the chase for the
flag, Johnson's charges scored as
neat a 2-to-1 victory as any fol-
lower of the national pastime
could desire.
The Nationals had Fred Marberry on
the hill, while the Athletics had pitch
ing for them the left-handed George
Walberg, and the difference between the
contending clubs was nothing more
than the slight superiority over Wal
berg displayed by Marberry.
Both hurled high-class games, but
the Washington hurler was a wee bit
better at getting out Of difficulty than
the Philadelphia slabman. Fred had
that high, hard ball of other days and
also a battling change Of pace that
proved effective in pinches.
OF Walberg the Nationals collected
10 hits and two passes. The passes did
them no good, but five of the hits did.
They were spread over two innings in
clusters of two and three, and each
cluster meant a run,
Marberry yielded seven safeties and
four passes. one of the passes issued in
tentionally Roger Cramer was the
only Mackman to get more than one
hit, and he banged four in succession
before being stopped in the ninth in;
over five rounds, three being made by
the first three batters up in the eighth
to save the as from banking.
Tough Spots for HurIers.
Each pitcher twice had to contend
with crowded runway. The Nationals
had the bases full in the open round
out Harris walked and Bluege got an
tnf1eld single. Walberg, however, held
West to a dribbler to the second base
man.
In the fourth the AS first jammed
the stations. Cramer singled and
Cochrane walked. The next two went
out, but Marberry hit Miller in the back
with pitch. Fred then proceeded to
strike out McNair, and with ease.
The AS had their run over and men
on second and third bases, with one out.
in the eight when Marberry deliberately
filled the bases in issuing a Johnson
ordered pass to Miller. The manager
figured Bng too likely to hit long
fly and get in from third base that tying
tally So Bing was walked but McNair
fouled out and Williams proved an
easy strikeout victim
Walberg did excellent work in this
same inning when the first three Ma
tionals up got on the runway. Cronin
opened the round with an infleld hit
and Harris strolled to first base. Bluege
shot pretty bunt by Walberg, and had
Cronin not been sliding into third base
something the nature OF the play
compelled him to do-he probably could
have scored, for the ball after passing
the pitcher rolled into unprotected ter
ritory Vests best, however, was a loft
to very short right. Kuhel popped to
the second sacker and Spencer hoisted
to the third baseman. Fine pitching,
that
Nationals Tally in Third.
It was in the third inning that the
Nationals put over their first run. Myer
began it with his second successive hit
a single.
Manush fouled out and Cronin popped
out, so Myer decided to do something
more for himself. He set sail for Sec
ond base while Walberg was starting
q pitch to Harris; Cochrane made
wild peg, the ball going wide of the
Myer, up quickly from his slide, headed
for third and made il easily
When Harris singled, it was only a
Homp for Buddy to score.
The second run came in the sixth
session when Walberg lest his bearings
temporarily after two were out.
West bounced the ball off the first
base to right field for a two-bagger and
checked in at third as Kuhel got hit
with slow one to the shortf1eld. Spen-
Ger lined a double to right that got
West home, hut Kuhel, trying to score
on the hit, was tagged at the plate.
Kuhel was justified, though, in at
tempting to make the plate from first
on Spencers nit. for only perfect play
could have checked him. And the play
was just that. Miller's long throw
bounded directly into the hands of
Cochrane, standing on the third-ease
side of home.
Trainers Hit Leads to AS Run.
It was Cramer with his fourth hit
who started the AS to their run. He
dropped a Texas Lacquer in center.
Coehrane raped smartly to right for
q base and Cramer reached third.
Here Simmons got his only hit, a
scratchy affair that Bluege picked up in
front of the shortfeld. The ball got to
first just back Of Simmons and Cramer
Tailed, while Cochrane pulled up at the
middle station.
Foxx sacrificed the runners up a
notch; then came Miller'Ss strategical
walk and Marberry's superb pitching to
get out Of the tight spot.