Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-07
MAY SAVE SECOND
PLACE FOR GR|FFS
filings MasterfuIIy to Beat
Yanks-Team in Boston.
Play AS Tomorrow.
BY JOHN b. KELLER.

HOSTON, september 1.-TWO
K tits with the Red Sox here
- to help Beantown celebrate
its Labor day holiday, then
the Nationals will move to Phila-
delphia for two games in as many
days with the world champion
Athletics. For the first of these
arguments with the club the
Johnson band early in this sea-
son hoped to beat out for the
American League pennant Sam
Jones, the Somber squire OF
WoodSfield, will take the hill. And
if Sam shows the same pitching
stuff he did last Tuesday in the
home of the AS, the Nationals
should cop again.
In eight of their last 10 games the
Nationals have had about the best
pitching from their mound corps in the
past two months. Only in That double
header with the Yanks in Washington
last Saturday did the Johnson hurlers
falter. However, the club has won but
six of its last 10 tuSSleS. The pitchers
did their part against the Red SoX here
a week ago last Saturday, but the bat
ters did not, which meant brace OF
defeats.
Finest of the Washington slabmen in
this recent uplift of the hill corps Is
Alvin Crowder, a veteran who In the
last eight days has scored twice over
the Athletics and once over the YANKEES.
The General licked the New Workers
at a critical time, too, turning them
back when they had an opportunity to
wreSt the runner-up berth from the
Nationals.
WITH his 4-to-l victory over the
w Yanks in Griffith Stadium yester-
day, Crowder made his record Tor
the year read IA wins and 10 losses.
Last year the General won 10 games
and lost Is, but he did about half OF
his losing and little of his winning be-
fore he was transferred from the
Browns to the Nationals in the middle
of June. He was expected to be the
big noise of the Washington hurting
staff this season, but failed to get going
we'll until the flag campaign was lar
under way.
Had Crowder hurled up to expecta-
items the Nationals instead of the Ath-
leticS very likely now would be looking
forward to participation in world
series. But the General may be the
Slabman to save second place for the
Washington club at that.
In checking the Yankees yesterday to
give the Nationals an even break in the
four-game series, Crowder hurled re-
markable ball. Just six hits in as many
innings were made off his delivery and
three of those were smacked by Bill
Dickey, the New York catcher. But one
pass was issued by the General and only
once during the fray did the Yanks
have as many as two on the runway at
the same time. Other than Earl Combs,
who toted over the lone alien tally, but
one Yankee cached second base. In
the second inning. Dickey singled and
made the middle sack when Herb Pen
mock after one was out drew Crowder's
single frank.
The Nationals dix, all their scoring off
the left-handed PenEock, who pitched
seven innings. They got nine hits and
five walks off him, three times cluster
ing hits for tallieS. None of the bat
tiers passed tailed. but one Of the passes
forced over marker. Of George Pip
gras, who hurled in the eighth after
pinch hitter had eliminated Pennock,
but one hit and one pass YVES cleaned.
With Crowder flinging his great
game, though the Nationals did not
need much in the way of attack.
MYERS triple and Manush's single
1V1 got a run for the Nationals IN
the opening innings, then all was
quiet until the fifth, when two more
markers were chalked up by the home
side. After Crowder rolled out Myer
beat out a grounder to the shortStop
and Rice walked. Manush rif1ed two
Dagger to right to tally Buddy. Pen
mock got into trouble while pitching to
Cronin, then purpoSely chucked two
wide ones that passed Joe and crowded
the bases.
The left-hander could not find the
plate while Harris was up and walked
him, which let Rice trot home with the
second tally of the round. The chance
for a fat frame went, though. when
Bluege drilled into a double play with
q grounder to the third sacker.
The Yanks came back for run In
the sixth. Combs opened the inning
with a triple crashed over Rice's head
to deepest center Sewell followed with
a long fly to Harris and Combs romped
over the plate after the catch
This was matched by the home side
in the same inning. Kuhel singled and
Crowder walker after Spencer went out.
Myer forced out the General. but Rice
singled to send Kuhel to the counting
block.
WITH threatening clouds banking,
w Yesterdays game was started six
minutes ahead of schedule
Just as we'll, for Pennock thinks moth
ing of time =. The Yank southpaw Is
about the slowest pitcher in the busl-
ness So slow was he in the nrst
frame Of the Sunday fitting that l9
minutes were needed for the inning
Spencer surprised all hands By
beating out a roller to the second sack
er in the second inning kuhel
swiped the middle sack in the third
round, but forgot to keep his eyes on
Pennock and was neatly picked on :.
Rice made good catch of Lazzeris lott
in left-center in the fifth Sam TOOK
care of the middle pasture, as West
pulled up with a sore elbow and re-
manned on the bench :. Dickey did all
the Yankee hitting in the first flve
innings, coming through with two sim
giles in as many times at bat Rain
halted proceedings twice, once for six
minutes and again for 81 minutes -.
The second halt came as the sixth in
ming ended and Groundkeeper Haisman
and his hired hands had to give the in
field lot of grooming before it was INT
for use again Byrd grabbed Pen
nocks bat in the eighth only to hoist
to Manush :. Larry took Rice's ground
er, held Spencer at third base, then
wheeled to find Crowder, who had come
up from second, standing right behind
him for an easy out in the eighth ses-
sion Crowder spiked the Yankees
big guns, neither Ruth nor Gehrig be-
ing able to drive the ball by the in
fielders In his last turn at bat Geh-
rig fired one back that all but swept
Crowder off his feet The General
retrived the sphere, however and tagged
Lou.
-o-------