Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-03

NITTSBURGH, July 3.-Out OF
the Vests fiery furnace,
i but still sweltering. the Ma
tionals anticipate better, if
rot cooler, days in the East than
they experienced in the section
just left. Any change will be for
the better, they figure, as nothing
could be more dismal than their
recent tour of the American
Leagues inland sector.
Eight victories in sixteen starts was
their best against lot of clubs that
had been soft pickings for them earlier
in the campaign. The johnson band
took but one of four series played. Not
only was the swing through the West
blow to the Nationals pride, but also
to their pennant prospects. Leaving
home but two and a half games behind
the league-leading Athletics. they once
narrowed that gap to one game. then
hit the Skids and are returning East
three and a half games back of the
pacc-setterS, who did none too we'll
themselves.
Will Go After Yanks.
They were hopeful of at least holding
their ground in the holiday tussling
tomorrow afternoon in New York. Two
games are to be played with the Yam
KEGS in Col. Jake Ruppert's big plant
In the Bronx, and Manager Walter
johnson has groomed for the occasion
the right-handed Sam Jones and the
lcft-handed Lloyd Brown. Both hurlers
have proved effective against the Yanks.
double win tomorrow. while it
would not make the record for this trip
particularly bright one for a club
rated pcnnant contender. might boil
ster the morale of the Nationals, so
battered in the West that toward the
end of their swing around the sector
OF the circuit they appeared to expect
the worst whenever they took the field.
The plight of the Nationals is such
that they need all the bolstering they
can get
Club Is Fortunate.
Their bats barren of hits much of
the time and their pitchers that in
name only while in the West, the Ma
tlonalS perhaps were fortunate they
old not take worse beating. HitterS,
who had been league sensations sud-
Denly were transformed into easiest of
marks for the moundSmsu OF the oppo-
sition, while the Washington slab staff
that had been rated the best balanced
IN the business lost most CT its cunning
as soon as it stepped on Western soil.
But two regulars and one alternate out
fielder managed to hit the ball sound
enough to crash the 500 class in the
battles with the Western clubs. Harry
Rice, Ossie Bluege and Sam West did
that well. Bluege led the club in at
tack with an average or 1928 in the Is
games played. West hit 1928 and Harry
Rice hit 1888, but was in seven games
only. Joe Cronin. Heinie Manush. Joe
Kuhel and Roy Spencer participated in
all Of the games in the West, but were
unimpressive at bat. Crcnin, hitherto
the spark plug Of the Washington ma
chine, slumped in every way His hit
ting for the tour was at a rate of .267
only, a slump that seemed to take all
the force out of the washington often
sive Manush batted on:y .271, Kuhel,
.263 and Spencer 1853.
Buddy Myer was woefully weak with
the willow in the Is games in which
he played, getting an average of only
.2O9. Dave Harris in nine games
batted .265. Sam Rice in nine games
showed little strength, hitting for 286.
Red Hargrave led the reserves with
800 picked up in parts of five games,
but Jack Hayes hit at only a 144
rate in three games. Capt. Joe Judge
IN one game made no average, but he
only batted once. The pitchers hit for
.189. AS club the Nationals batted
for only .274 in the West. They did
their best hitting in Cleveland, where
they averaged .301 in four games In
four tits in Detroit they batted .284.
in Chicago and in st. Louis in three
engagements they tapped the ball for
II mere .235
Fred MaIberry was the only pitcher
to escape defeat in the West He
scored two wins in three starts. Sam
Jones started and lost two and so did
Al Crowder. AL also relieved and won
once. Lloyd Brown and Carl Fischer
each started three games. winning two
and losing one. Bob Burke. starting
three times. won once and lost once.
Bump Hadley lost a. game after re-
lieving Marberry. Given a bit more
batting support. though, the pitchers
might have Jared much better. They
had their weaknesses, however.
IN their parting fly at the Browns and
the West the Nationals yesterday
scored 13-to-5 victory. Some help,
with the Athletics losing to the Indians.
That let the johnson band pick up
full game on the leaders. With the score
s to against them, the Nationals in
the fifth suddenly bombarded the left
handed Walter Stewart, drove him from
the hill in the sixth, when they went
ahead. and continued the attack upon
ROLAND Stiles, right-hander. Chad
Kimsey hurled in the ninth and was
scored on. The johnson band collected
ID hits, 6 off Stewart and as many
off Stiles.
Bob Burke opened fire against the
Browns, but was wild and a target for
their bats. After being found for five
passes. four hits and four runs. he gave
way to Al Crowder in the third in
ming. with two on and one out. Crowder
was found for a run in the fourth. then
settled and pitched we'll. Off him the
Browns got six hits.
IN the second session the Browns
j got to Burke for a tally. Betten-
court forced out Terrell, who had
walked at the outset of the round,
pulled up at third when Burns hit for
two bases and scored after Manush
bagged Levey's long hoist. Three more
ST. Louis runs were hung up in the
third, mainly because of Burke's Wild
ness. With one out Goslin singled, then
Kress and Terrell drew passes that filled
over two tallieS and moved Terrell to
third base. Burns second hit. a single,
put across the third run of the round
and ousted Burke. The Nationals
chalked up a marker in the fourth with
Manush's double, Harris force out of
Cronin, who had walked, and Bluege's
fly to Schultz in deep center. The
Browns came right back, though, in
their half of the inning to get run
off Crowder. Schulte's two Dagger,
MeiilloS' sacrifice and Goslin's single
turned the trick.
The fifth was a two-run inning for
the johnson band. With one out. Har-
grave grabbed Spencer's bat, strolled
and checked in at second when Crow
III f@y. fol