Evening star., 1932-07-04

~ AVE HARRIS, by slugging
Southpaw slabbing sav-
agely. has got himself a
regular job with the Ma
tionalS, it seems.
Crashing the lineup yesterday
because Sammy West, regular
center-fielder, was nursing sore
side resulting from his dive
against the grandstand wall in
Philadelphia Saturday, the Sher-
if proceeded to help himself to a
home run, a triple and a single
off Tony Freitas' portside pitch
ing.
That kind of hitting the Ma
tionals can use, so Manager Walter
Johnson has about decided to run
Dave instead of Sammy into the
lineup in the future when the
opposition starts a left-hand
hurler.
Harris was to play in both games OF
this afternoons double-header with the
Yankees anyway, johnson announced
Vests side was so bruised that the
PLAYER was ordered to remain out OF
steady action at least three days. With
the Western clubs coming here soon to
throw a flock of left-handers at the
Nationals, though, West very likely Will
get more time in whic hto rid himself
of the ailment.
Harris, by the way, is the Nationals
leading hitter. Those three safetles he
clouted in the Sunday pastiming ran
his batting average up to .404. west
kingdom. who went in as pinch hitter
Yesterday and smote a single, boasts an
average of 500, but Wes has been at
bat but four times, while Dave has been
up So times Any batting crown the
Washington club may nave certainty
should adorn Harris brow.
Alternating Harris with West IN cen
ter field according to the brand OF nurI-
ing the opposition starts, might get tne
Nationals out of the slump in Wnlcn
thew have been wallowing for quite
smell. Harris is no great shuckS against
the ripht-hand hurlers, but he takes
great fancy to those shooting from the
other side. West hasn't been hitting
either sort of slabbing recently, but ne
goes much better against the right
handlers than against the unorInoooA
gentry of the mound.
The scheme is worth a trial, Johnson
figures. More and better hits are need
ed by the Nationals and Harris looks
to be the lad to deliver them Wnen
there's a southpaw on the slab.
DESPITE Harris husky hitting yes
~ terday the Nationals took a 4-to-
8 drubbing from the Athletics. IL
was their third defeat in two days by
the Mack minionS and in each OF the
other games Johnsons charges were
nosed out by lone run.
Eleven times this season the Ma
tionaIs have been trounced by single
score. They also have won IL games
in which they bettered the oppositlons S
run total by only one. That may ap-
pear to make everything even, put you
can't make the players oeneVe II.
Practically third OF their defeats SUI
fered through the lack of lone marker
has them wondering who wished the
ink on the club.
The Nationals outhit the Athletics
Yesterday, eight safeties to seven, but
the AS were off to good start Wnen
a slip-up by Second Baseman Budoy
Myer let them get three runs IN tne
first frame when only one should nave
been registered. Then Al CroWder
pitched a sterling game, but he gave
way to a pinch batter in the seventh
session and Fred Marberry came on 10
be bumped for marker in the eighth.
Tiny Tony Freitas. the Portuguese
portsider. limited the Nationals to three
hits in the first six rounds. In the sew
enth and eighth innings. though, ne
was sIugged solidly. But he came back
in the ninth to tie the Nationals IN
knots.