Evening star., 1932-07-19
WABBLY SLABMEN
. MUST FACE TIGERS.
Johnson Would Hold Weaver,
CroWder for A's-Griffs
Lose Two, Fall Back.
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

= NoSAGO OuO "a AOdA ia R&oSN
K by the club they had dis
N possessed only last Saturday,
the Nationals now must
take two of the three games re-
manning in the series with the
Tigers to regain the first division
of the American League. And the
state of their pitching staff at
present makes getting the two vic
tories a somewhat difficult task.
When their winning string, that had
run to nine games, was snapped In
yesterdays double header as the Tigers
copped, 8 to and 2 to l, the Ma
tionals very likely eliminated from
further consideration in the series the
one pitcher who did good work for
them Al Crowder, in the second game
of the twin bill, did all that could have
been asked of him, and deserved bet
ter fate.
OF the quartet employed in the first
clash, however Lloyd Brown and Bob
Burke, who fer some time have been
slipping sadly, showed no signs OF i'm
provement.
However, Manager johnson may have
to press these left-handers into service
again in the Tiger series. He deems it
quite necessary to reserve Crowder for
the fitting with the AS here the end of
the week. and excepting Tommy
Thomas, who was to do the hurting to-
day, the Washington pilot has little to
choose from other than Brown and
Burke
Marberry hasn't been able to make
any headway as q starting pitcher this
season, and Coffman's failure since his
transfer from the Browns is most
marked. Monte Weaver, of course, could
go into one of the remaining battles
with the Tigers, but johnson wants to
save Monte for the AS.
Locks as though the Nationals will
have to depend upon hurlers who for
some time have been Indifferent In their
efforts in the fight to regain the first
division.
A IL Of that fine hitting the Nation
"a ais had been doing was markedly
missing in the latter part of the
double-header with the Tigers. The
johnson band carried its free swinging
into the first encounter, then seemed to
forget what bats are made for.
think their failure to walop in the
nightcap yesterday might indicate q
slump is at hand. After the two-way
licking the pilot declared his confidence
in his clubs ability to come back at bat.
The club has been hitting so we'll
for some time that there is no reason to
fear slump simply because it didn't dc
anything worth while against Bridges.
When he has control, he's a pitcher not
SO easy to solve. Bridges can mix his
pitches well, and his style is so indi-
vidual he Is troublesome to batters who
haven't seen much of him on the
hill" johnson said.
Il am confident the letdown yester-
day was only natural after the clubs
winning streak had been broken in the
first game. Nothing for me to worry
about, though. They'll be in there hit
ting hard and often again"
IN the free-for-aIl opener of the twin
i bill yesterday the Nationals did
plenty Of hitting and with any de-
cent kind of pitching would have won
hands down. The Tigers, though,
matched the johnson band blow for
blow and made much more of their
blows
Earl Whitehill did the f1inging all
the way for the Tigers, and the left
handler certainly was not at his best.
He was touched for 13 hits and three
passes and several times he was in
such serious trouble that good, sound
wallop would have blasted him from
the slab Unfortunately. the Nationals
didn't have the punch in the pinch.
LLOYD Brown, Dick Cofman, Bob
hill for the home side, and all but
Coffman we're nicked. as the Tigers
pile up 10 safeties. Only Brown and
B. though, yielded scores.
l was slammed for three runs
in the starting round and he gave up
two more before Coffman relieved him
in the third. Burke began four
inning term In the fifth frame to be
found for four hits, all doubles, and
trio of tallies.
Getting to Whitehill in the third and
fourth rounds, the Nationals got within
a run of the Tigers, then the latter
forged we'll ahead. Not until the tne nlnsa dd
could Johns charges score again, ana
then their two runs crossed after two
were out.
A MOUND duel between AL Crowder
n and Tom Bridges marked the sec
ond set-to. Crowder, who went the
route, granted six safeties and no
passes, while Bridges, who lasted INTO
the eighth inning, allowed five hits and
four walks. The Tiger twirlers control
was slipping from the fifth on, so when
he pitched a ball to Harris after walking
Bluege the Tiger management rushed
George Uhle to the slab. All the Ma
tionals got off George was one hit.
Only one of the three runs OF the
game was earned. The Tigers got 1t In
the second inning from Webb's double
and Walkers single. 1t was Myers
tumble of Hayworth's grounder at the
start of the fifth that opened the way
to the second Detroit score, while
Bridges, covering first, dropped throw
from Gehringer that should have re-
tired West to give washington its start
toward a tally in the sixth.
CTONE had a great time in the first
y game he hit two doubles, two
singles, walked once and scored four
runs in this set-to Walker drove
four runs across and SO did Rhiel
Manush ran to II his consecutive games
with hits by doubling and singing IN
Of the second they couldn't keep
B,uege of the runway in the second
engagement he drew tour passes, ssss ;
busy day the Tiger second-sacker
had four put-outS and eight assists in
the first fray and six put-outs and four
assists In the second the Nationals
now have but two rained-out games TO
play off one Is Scheduled LOT tne
Cleveland club series here next month
H. ~