Evening star., 1933-05-05
Lasmn Fading Choice Derby Conn Shoots Soupaus
|CR0WDER CAVES IN
| TOILET INDIANS COP
Grhfs' Big Early Lead Fades
as General for Fifth Time
Fails to Finish.
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

BY JOHN B. KELLER
N ETROIT, May 5.-Left-hand
hurlers will have their
- innings in the series with
the Tigers that was to get
under way at Navin Field here
this afternoon, Joe Cronin says.
Earl Whitehill'S assignment to the
first engagement has been fol-
lowed by Walter Stewards nomi-
nation for the second on the slab
slate prepared by the Nationals
boy manager. After that, Cronin
will call on the right-handed
Monte Weaver for duty.
The Washington pitching choices
must be much more sturdy on the hill
than Al Crowder has been to date,
though, If their club is to get anything
worth while out of the tussling in Tiger
town. The General has shown q sur
prising lack of stamina, and this weak
ness has hurt the Nationals cause no
little.
Five. times Crowder has started this
season without going a full route. Only
once has he been lifted from a game
that his club might possibly benefit
from the substitution Of possibly bet
ter batter. At other times he has been
well punished after getting through sew
eral innings in good style
The General has been prone to fade
fast, once weakening, but as the Ma
tionals opened their first Western Of
fensive OF the season in Cleveland yes
terday his hill cunning slipped from
him more rapidly than at any other
time In the campaign. So sudden
was Crowder's collapse that Alphonse
Thomas, selected for the relief role, had
scant time for warm-up, and 1t was
not long before the Cronin crew took
6-to-5 beating from the Indians.
CROWDER was handed Q four-run
~ lead right off the reel. The Ma
tionals had reached Mel Harder for
four safeties, and these, mixed with
poor infield play by the Tribe, &C
counted for the scoring. The General
breezed along beautifully for five frames,
Welding just three hits and one walk.
Two OF the hits were clustered to pro-
duce a Tribal tally in the third round.
but Crowder had rallied bravely there
after.
He looked strong going into the sixth
session, too. for he deftly disposed of
the dangerous Earl Averill and Joe Vos-
mix, ever a menace at the plate. Then,
with the lower end of the batting order
coming along, everything he had in o
pitching way was lost.
-Four hits, one a triple, ratified of the
Cleveland bats and In q trice the game
was deadlocked. Even Harder hit the
oall sound wallop and 1t took a SPAR
king catch by Fred Schultz In deep left
center to prevent the Indians going
ahead in this inning.
The Nationals Immediately set about
getting another lead for Crowder in
the seventh, when they put over a run,
after two were cut. with Myers double
and Manush's single. but Crowder
couldn't come back. After retiring the
first batter up in the Cleveland seventh,
the General was hit by Burnett for =
single and by Averill for a double.
This lmotted the count again and. as
Averin had made third on the throw
to the plate following his clout, Cronin
decided Crowder was through for the
day.
In came Thomas to strike out vosmik
and get rid Of Boss, and the not so well
prepared reliever went through the next
inning safely. too. although there had
to be sharp fielding Of hard-hit pitches
to get him by
The end came quickly, however, after
Harder had popped up at the start of
the ninth. Porter rolled a single to
center. Then Burnett. after going to a
three-and-two count, walked. Berg, be-
mind the bat; Thomas and Manager
Cronin squawked plenty over Umpire
Van Glafan's decision on the passing
pitch. claiming it was a perfect strike.
but Van won. Averill stepped up to
crack q liner to left, and the Ma.
tionals had started their first Western
tour on the wrong foot.