Evening star., 1932-06-16
NATIONALS MISSING
BATTING Of CRON|N
Drop Fourth in Row for
Second Time as Tigers Grab
7-to-6 Verdict.
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

American League, the Ma
tionals feel keenly that punch
lost when a cracked thumb tenn
porarily shelved Joe Cronin.
While Cronin, when in the
game, was not the flashy hitter OF
other seasons, he was a timely one
and ranked among the four driv-
ing across the bulk of the Ma
tionalS' scores.
With Cronin out, Heinie Manush,
Carl Reynolds and Sam West, al
though they have done right WELL have
not been able to shoulder the whole
burden of checking in the majority of
counters at the plate and little assist
ance has been given them by others
OF the outfit.
How dangerous Cronin can be at the
plate when Nationals are on the run
way was seen yesterday when for the
hrSt time since he was hurt in Boston
on June 4, Joe took a turn at bat. With
the stations crowded. Joe picked up
Ossie Blueges mace and rif1ed a single
to left field that accounted for two
talies
That scoring. though, left the Ma
tionalS run shy of the Detroit total
so Cronin'S fine effort went for naught
But the blow responsible for the scor-
ing clearly showed what threat Joe
is in a pinch and indicated that the
Nationals probably have lost much
through his absence from regular duty
Cronin very likely will be unable to
return to his regular post in the short
field for several days, however which
&c blouy RI tho Nationalc Poforo
terday's engagement Joe took a thor
ough workout at bat and declared
handling the fail did not affect his
battered thumb, still thickly bandaged
Then he took turn at fielding. but
1t was no go. The first drive that
landed in his glove made the injured
left thumb as sore as a boil and Cronin
had to give up.
So the Nationals will miss that punch
at the plate a little longer, unfortu
nately.
EOR the second time this season the
L the Nationals have dropped as
many as four games in a row. and
that 7-to-6 defeat by the Tigers yes
terday following the three trimmings
suffered in St. Louis put the John
son band below the Athletics in the
standings and left it with only meager
advantage over the local aggregation
and the Indians.
The Nationals outhit the Tigers in
the opener of the four-game series here
but lacked the punch when they had
fine scoring opportunities. In the course
of the contest the Washington club
had II runners stranded on the base
paths. Three times one solid Wallop
would have tucked away the ball game
Off the right-handed Whitlow Wyatt
the Nationals got 10 base hits. Two
were homers hit by Manush and Reyn-
olds. Wyatt grew tired in the ninth
and gave way to the left-handed Elon
Hogsett. 1t was off the relief hurler
that Cronin singled to raise his clubs
hit total to II.
Just 10 hits were made by the Tigers
off Al Crowder and Tommy Thomas
CroWder breezed along we'll for five
frames, but he blew in the sixth when
four-hit rally netted the home side
four runs and put them in front to
stay. Nine hits had been made off
the General before Thomas, newest of
National hurlers. was sent in.
Tommy checked the hitting in the
sixth, but while he was chucking to
batter after two were out Gerald
Walker stole home from third.
A s result of Manush's drive into the
"A bleachers back of center field with
CroWder on in the fifth frame and
Blueges single backing Judges double
in the next the Nationals held 3-to-1
advantage when the Tigers came up
for their sixth turn at bat. Two sin
giles and two doubles were banged off
CroWder, though. before Thomas could
reach the mound.
Reynolds homer in the seventh made
the game close but only for a minute.
AS it turned out, the Tigers grabbed
the affair in their seventh turn at the
plate when they got only one hit off
Thomas but scored twice.
Davis walked to start the round, and
when Judge threw too late to second
base after picking up Rogells bunt,
there were two on the runway. Stones
bunt forced out Davis, and Gehringer
grounded out. Up came Webb, who had
hit two doubles, and he was purposely
passed.
That filled the bases, but the strate-
gem didn't work Walker who also had
hit two doubles, promptly cracked sin
gle, and so far as the Nationals we're
concerned the ball game was over. At
that Thomas was impressive in his
debut as a National.
After Bob Burke set the Tigers back
in order in the eighth Johnson's charges
flared up to tally twice. Manush sin
gled, but was forced out, and Reynolds
lofted out. Judge walked, and Hog
sett completed pass to Kerr that
Wyatt had started. Here Cronin did
all he could in pinch, but Spencer,
with the potential tying tally on second
base, famed.
yIIEBB made his first appearance as
w a Tiger and he certainly gave
the home fans treat Earl
doubled and carried across the Tigers
first run in the second session and in
the sixth he doubled again to drive
over two and deadlock the game :.
Manush had a great day at bat, getting
his tenth homer of the season, three
singles and a pass for perfect record
=. Bluege flashed a lot of speed when
he pilfered second base in the sixth,
but he had to make fine slide to get
under Shortstop Rogell covering, as
Hayworth'S throw had him licked
Davis, going down to second in the
sixth session, upset Kerr and the little
shortstop was out of action about three
minutes Nothing more serious,
though, than slight spike wound on
q foot i. Brown and Whitehill were
expected to put on southpaw slab
duel today No game tomorrow.