Evening star., 1932-05-04

M Having swept n o u g n
4 Y Eastern opposition to a
record of IA wins against
defeats, with finish marked by
6 successive victories scored even
ly over the league-champion Ath-
leticS and the 1881 runner-up
Yankees, it looks as though the
Nationals should be ready to repel
the invasion of the clubs of the
inland sector of the American
League.
The Westerners' invasion gets under
way Friday-schedule necessities giving
the johnson band a two-day lay-off
from play. but there will be a drill to-
morrow with the made-oVer White Sox
heading the lot. After Lew Fonsecas s
aggregation will come the Indians.
Tigers and Browns in order All are
listed for three-game series except the
Browns, who are to put on four engage
ments in the Georgia avenue bali yard.
The White Sox have been about as
helpless in the West as have the Red
Sox in the East and may not disturb
the Nationals much, but those Indians
and Tigers are likely to make the going
rough. The Second-place Tribe was
stopped only yesterday after chalking
up nine wins in a row and though the
Tigers were checked after flying start
they still are gG.ng good. The Browns
have yet to show themselves really
formidable.
Last year the Nationals were great
at home. They have done well on their
own lot this season, too, with 10
victories in a dozen starts. In 1881 they
were particularly strong against the
Westerners in Griffith Stadium Though
the West may be better this time, John
sons charges certainly look much
better than in the last campaign.
customary stand against the in
vaderS during the next two weeks and
the Nationals should be right where
they are at present-on top and sittin'
pretty.
<"CTOP those big hitters and you stop
- the Athletics and the Yankees.
They aren't as fast as we are and
they can't put up a defense like ours. -
That's what Clark Grifith had to
say on the eve of the string of tussles
with the AS and Yanks last week. and
the Nationals president knew what he
was talking about.
While the AS were here the Wash
mgton pitchers took good care of
Cochrane, Simmons and Foxx, and they
certainly looked after Ruth and Gehrig
the last three days while the Yanks
were trying to get somewhere in Grif-
nth Stadium.
The Babe and Lou got a lot of walks
m the three games, the former collect
ing seven and the latter two. But Ruth
got Just one hit in sava5 Zines at bat
and only three Of the times he hit the
ball did he send it beyond the infield
Gehrlg got just two hits in 10 trials.
his only smash past the infield was
tnat homer over the scoreboard.
In the six games the Nationals beat
the AS, Cochrane hit for 200, Sim
mons Tor .26l and Foxx for BIT. Jimmy
olo most OF his hitting in that big-score
battle IN Philadelphia, when the Ma
1onas began overpewering the league
champions.
Inose fence busters were well con-
troued by the Washington pitching and
E didn't do their team any good.
N as wild and woolly a ball game as
Il ever staged in Griffith Stadium the
Nationals made it three straight
over the Yanks. From the start it
seemed the Clan Mccarthy was not
70 De headed OF. The New York bat
terS were on the bases as thick as flies
on coconut cake, but all the fortune
OF the diamond was with the johnson
pand TO send it to 5-to-4 triumph.
On to a flying start, the Nationals
6hodenly pulled up to wait until the
Yanks walked into lead in the eighth
linen In the same inning old Sam Rice
rushed to the relief of the home side
and with corking two base hit pulled
the game out of the fire.
The weird affair was a parade of
batterS and pitchers, with the club
sw1ngerS doing much more paradinp
than the fingers. Twenty-three passes
16 to the YankS, were given out by mud
died marksmen, only two of the seven
trotted to the hill failing to display any
generosity. The Yanks did So much
watchful waiting at the plate, though,
that Is OF them were stranded on the
paths.
The venerable Pennock and the youth
fu Burke began a left-handed argu-
ment. Pennock was pummeled from the
plcsure In the first frame when with a
pass and four successive drives the Ma
tionals garnered three runs. Then a
right-handed Yank rookie named Allen
proceeded to hold the Nationals hitleSs
TO the end Of the sixth session.
In the meanwhile Burke kept the
Yanks from hitting much, but not off
the runway. An even dozen walks
reeled off Bobs left hand in six and
two-thirdS innings, but only four hits
Two Of the hits from the bats of the
first two up in the fourth inning pro-
duced run, the only one of the four
Yankee markers IN which hits figured.
THHEN Bob walked two after two
Wv were out in the seventh Manager
Johnson turned the pitching job
over to Weaver The right-hander
promptly filled the sacks with another
pass, but got out of trouble. He was
not so fortunate in the eighth when,
without the sernblance OF a safety. the
Yanks went ahead with a brace of
walks and his own wild heave after
picking up Gehrig's grounder Weaver
crowded the stations again and followed
with two wide pitches to Chapman
Here Crowder came on to complete the
walk, forcing over a run, and long
fly and fielder's choice enSued to give
the Yanks two more.
The Nationals then got to Rhodes
Aliens successor. West walked TO start
the home eighth only to be forced out
by Cronin, trying to sacrifice. But Rey-
nolds singled and pass to Judge filled
the stations. Rice grabbed Bluege's bat
and rif1ed the ball to the right field cor
ner TO send two over the counting block.
Andrews relieved Rhodes and there was
no more plate-denting.
sparkling double play nipped a
Yank threat in the ninth after two had
singled off Crowder Sewell hoisted
deep to West and Jorgens essayed to
make third after the catch. Myer had
to relay Vests throw, but Buddy's
neave was so fine that the Yank going
into the far corner was tagged by a
whisker.