Evening star., 1933-06-14
SEES MATS LIKELY
TO CATCH YANKEES
Believes Clubs Punch Sure to
Tell on T0ur-EaStern
Rivals Toppled.
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

NhOCh-r OLL Oh dIIlDlClOIl
and determination, the
~ free swinging Nationals
left town last night looking
forward with glee to the 20 games
scheduled for them before they
come back to battle on their home
lot. Only two and half games
out of the lead, Joe Cronin and
his charges departed highly hope
full of returning next month at
the top of the league.
On their batting more than any
thing else do the Washington players
base their hope Of successful tour.
They do so reasonably, too. 1t is the
best hitting bunch of Nationals in years
that is slated to follow 17-game swing
through the Western sector with trio
of tussles in New York.
The Nationals will go into their series
with the Browns in st. Louis Saturday
at the outset Of the swing virtually a
800 hitting outfit. To be exact, their
season average is .296. They did not
go so well at bat in the early part of
the campaign, which accounts for those
missing four points. But for nearly six
weeks Griffith's hired hands have been
demons in attack.
ST believe we'll hit our way through
the West" said Manager Cronin before
/, he boarded the train with his club last
night. we have the power and it
should get us lot of wins on this trip.
And we should get more help from our
pitchers than we did out West in May.
I'VE didn't have such a fine trip
then. winning six games and losing five.
We're much better now. When we get
out OF the West to face the Yanks we
ought to be IN position to battle
them for first place If we aren't up
there by that time" was Joes parting
shot.
DATING in the West as they have
- in their last II games with East
ern rivals, the Nationals should
make considerable headway. They have
subjected the seaboard slabmen to ter
rife bombardments in recent clashes.
In the II games the Nationals amassed
211 hits.
While the Nationals have no regular
sluggers of the type of Ruth or Gehrig
or Foxx. they are getting much distance
in their hits. OF the 211 safeties, 46
were doubles, 9 were triples and z
were home runs. That is high and
handsome hitting
Pitching became better as the Ma
tionals cowled over their Eastern foes,
SO much better that finally five pitchers
in succession finished games they start
ed and thereby established something
of record for the league this season.
But 1t was the heavy hitting mainly
that got the Cronin crew 10 wins and
tie in the string of II tussles.
The punch steadily became stronger,
too, until the Nationals were able to
round out their stand against the
Eastern rivals with five successive VIC
tories. That. too, is a record for the
Washington club this year.
A LII this heavy cannonading SO helped
"A the Nationals they were able to lop
three and a half games off the
Yankees lead in jig time Just SIX
days ago the New Ycrkers were out in
front with a six-gane advantage over
the Washington club. When the battling
begins on the Western front the Yanks
will feel the Nationals spikes digging
at their heels.
The Capital club is carrying great
clouting array westward Schultz is
setting the pace for the outfit with the
splendid average of 800. Goslin, Ma
nush, Cronin and Bluege are in the 800
class. Kuhel and Sewell are Z90 hit
ters Myer is just above 281, but nor
mally he Is better than that. Wash
ington will have "murderers' row"
from the lead-off man through its
eighth batter on the list facing the
Western pitchers.
Cronin has good reason to believe his
tclub will hit its way through the West