Evening star., 1935-05-02
HARRIS HENCHMEN
VASTLY IMPROVED
Sock in Pinches, Display
Lots of Fight-Conquer
Yanks, 7 to 6.
BY JOHN b. KELLER,
Staff Correspondent of The Star.

BY JOHN b. KELLER,
STAFF Correspondent of The Star.
)HICAGO, May 2.-Thoroughly
tempered by their successful
round of the camps of rival
clubs in the East, the Ma
tionals are heading toward the West
for the first time this season calmly
confident of profitable swing
through the Hinterlands.
Now that they have revealed dis
position to hit in pinches and game
ness that keeps them fighting to the
final out, the Harris hands have gooo
reason to look forward to the tussling
in the Western sector fully satisfied
that they are prepared to cope with
the best they will encounter.
The Nationals make a much better
ball club today than they did when
leaving home 10 days ago. The i'm
provement has been remarkable and
all along the line, too. There has
been a particularly satisfactory pick
up and general rise in pitching, even
though Manager Harris has yet to
uncover the fourth pitcher he needs
to round out his staff of starters.
All that the Nationals have prob
ably will be needed to make this
Western swing a success for them.
Not only will they run into the most
powerful all-around club of the league
in Cleveland, but also they will tackle
the most surprising outfit OF the cam
paign in the White Sox Of Chicago.
Indians May Be S0ftened.
las THE schedule has been ar
~ ranged. the Washington club
will meet these fiery foes at the
beginning and the end of the Western
tour. Right of the reel they will run
into a Chicago club that has been
hitting we'll above 300 from its lead
off batter through the eighth man in
the attack list. The three-game
series here will be no sweet assignment
for the Harris hurlers.
In meeting the Indians at the end
of the tour, the Nationals may find
themselves fortunate. Maybe by that
time the other Eastern clubs will have
softened the johnson jousters some
what. That would help, for four games
are booked with the Tribe, the long
est series on the Western trip.
Harris has planned to go into the
Chicago set with Bump Hadley on the
pitching peak. Bob Burke and Earl
Whitehill tentatively are booked to
follow the chunky chucker. but the
manager may vary this program in
order to open fire against the Browns
In the next set with one of his start
ing southpaws.
Pitching plans at best are uncertain
with the Washington club these days,
however Should the White Sox take
to mauling the moundsmen the way
the Yanks did in several splurges the
last three days, Harris undoubtedly
would revise his schedule completely.
It is not that the Washington pitch
ing is so poor, but it is trifle Spotty.
Too many Of the fingers carry on
wonderfully well for several innings
then sag and away goes the bali game.
Monte to the Rescue.
"HIS sagging tendency hurt plenty
in the second game of the series
In New York and it almost
ruined the fitting for the Nationals
yesterday as they wound up their play
with the Yankees. Leon Petit, start
ing for the first time, left-handed a
whale of game up to the sixth ses-
sion, then wilted and an early Wash
1ngton lead contemptuously was
brushed aside by the New Yorkers.
Only the fighting spirit of the Ma
tionals plus some timely humping by
Clif Bolton and AL Powell and a cork
ing piece of relief pitching by Monte
Weaver got the game out of the fire.
Bolton and Powell got their telling
clouts of Lefty Gomez, who only two
days before had blanked the Nationals
with four hits, after two were out in
the ninth to build three runs and bag
the ball game, Z to 6.
After fuzzy first inning, in which
the Yanks had filled the bases only to
get one run, Petit breezed along
nicely and was staked to three tallies
picked up by the Nationals in the
third and fourth innings off Vito
Tamulis, rookie left-hander. The
Yanks got two hits in that opening
round, then not another was made off
Petit until the sixth
In this sixth, though, the curving
portsider got himself in trouble right
OF the reel by failing to field Rolfe's
bunt fast enough to keep hit from
the Yank.
Petit then hit Selkirk and Gehrig
cracked a single that sent over a
score. Then Kress fumbled a throw
from the pitcher that was intended to
nip Gehrig of first and Selkirk got
home. Dickey walked and tailed with
Gehrig when Lazzeri doubled. Two
singles, sacrifice and a long fly got
the Yanks another run in the sew
enth.