Evening star., 1933-07-19
WILL FACE STRING
Of GOOD PITCHERS
Series Beginning Tomorrow
Severe Test for BatterS
Still in Slump.
BY JOHN b. KELLER.

THERE'S grease on the tracks
and the Nationals appear
to be fresh out Of sand.
They're back of first place
now for the first time since they
went to the top with their win
over the White SoX on June 70.
And some more skidding seems
likely unless they dig up pile
of grit. For the Tigers, the Wash
ington club toughest foes in the
Western up, are coming TO
town.
Through with the Browns to-
day, the backsliding Griffith band
will run smack into four days OF
fighting with Bucky Harris bunch.
The series promises to be no bar
gain for the Wavering Washington
warriors.
OF course. the Nationals may sud-
denly clear their batting eyes and swing
merrilV as they did for weeks before
falling into the present disastrous
slump. But Bucky will have for the
set starting tomorrow Marberry, FlSher,
Rowe. Bridges and Sorrell, no nice pack
of pitchers TO be faced by a CLUB en-
deavoring to find its way back at bat.
Probably more than hitting. thougn,
will be needed to pick up ground at
the expense of the Tigers. The De-
troiters. while no great shucks at bat
n
strongest offensive efforts for their tus-
sizes with the Washingtons. 1t would
be well for the Nationals to show
some Improvement on the hill. Despite
those two shutouts hurled by the left
handed Stewart and Burke last Satur-
dav. the Washington clubs pitching
has been spotty the last 10 days.
Griff Defense Needs Bracing.
~HE Nationals must look to their
defense, too, as they face the
- Tigers. The Harris horde packs
lot of speed on the hoof and Is capa-
BILE of stepping out to make trouble
should the opposition crack ever SO
little. FREQUENT reverses recently ap-
pear to have made the Washington
fielders quite shaky There must be
a Tightening all along the line If the
club is to swing back into cham
pionship stride.
Taking the series from the Tigers,
the Nationals would remain in the
thick of the flag fight. But Bucky
Harris men will take lot OF beating,
They're a second-diViSion lot, but they
play like f1rst-fighters whenever they
meet the Cronin crew.
While the Tigers are here Moe Berg
may go behind the bat for Washington
in two or three of the games. In
fact. there was a chance that Moe
would do the receiving this afternoon
in the final of the st. Louis series,
for Luke Sewell. first-string catcher,
seems badly in need of rest.
In all but two Of his clubs games
this season Luke has done the catching
in most of them. He probably has not
missed donning mask and protector in
more than dozen engagements. ana
the strain is telling on him.
Through the greater part of the flrst
half of the campaign SeWell contributed
a potent punch to the Nationals OF
fensive and proved an especially val
liable batter when there were men on
the runway to be hit home. His recelv-
ing left nothing to be desired and he
cut down would-be base stealerS regu-
larly.
In the current home stand there has
been a marked falling off in SewellS
work, however In II games he has
made but ) hits and has not batted a
run across. His throwing to bases has
been weak and his performances behind
the bat off color.
Sewell really looks well worn. A brief
rest now might bring him around to
fine form again. Continued toll
thought, might easily reduce his value
to the Nationals the remainder of the
season.