Evening star., 1936-09-21
Mats Need Extra Ounce
DOOMED TO TRAIL
BY 1-RUN LOSSES
Drop II of Last II Close
Ones to Fritter Away
Second-PIace Chance.
BY FRANCIS E. STAN.

BY FRANCIS E. STAN.
TN SPITE of all the nice favors
the Browns have done for them
by whipping the White Sox. your
Il Nationals were home from their
final road trip of the year today with
secondly place chances about as big as
Hitler's mustache.
Lurking somewhere in the makeup
Of the Washington ball club is a
weakness that Clark Griffith must ex-
pose and remedy before next season II
he hopes to have team that will go
places. The current edition, it has
shown definitely in the last couple
weeks. simply lacks what it takes to
make the most of an opportunity.
They booted their chances all
season. beginning in April and reach
ing their first peak on July 4, when
they had second place locked up, but
blew their chance by folding in front
OF the Yankees. They had their big
gest chance little over a week ago in
Chicago. but again they folded. Over
the week end in New York, they had
another opportunity to go places.
While the Browns we're walloping the
Sox the Griffs could have moved up.
but they lost two games by one-run
margins and the series, 2 to !.
Can't Win the Close Ones.
THAT Mr.. Griffiths firm needs
little something extra is shown
particularly by the alarming number
of one-run decisions it has been in
the habit Of losing. A high-class club
wins its share of these, but the Griffs
after a good start, haven't been doing
It,
For the campaign they can show
. record Of II victories by one-run
margin as against % defeats. This,
however, is only due to an early
penchant for winning the close ones.
Lately their record has been nothing
short of pathetic. When they dropped
the nightcap in New York yesterday
by a 3-to-2 count it marked the
eleventh one-run game they have lost
in the last IL of this kind and the
sixth in row.
The lowly Athletics started the
run games when they won two games
late in August, 3 to 2 and to s.
Cleveland came along to grab another
by this margin and then Chicago
grabbed two more. The only one run
game the Mats won during this string
OF close battles was from the Browns
because the Tigers, AS, Red Sox,
White Sox and Yanks came along to
win after that St. Louis victory, with
the Yanks grabbing two games of
this kind on Friday and yesterday.
WhitehiI Great in Opener.
\ S THE picture looks today, Wash
ington's chances of winding up
in second place are slim. While st.
Louis has been walloping the White
Sox and the Griffs have been tread
ing water. Detroit has slipped into
second place and now holds it by
two-snd -one- half-game margin over
the Mats and by a two-game margin
over the Sox
Washington has five games in which
to overtake the Tigers and this is
brohibitive job.
Earl Whitehill staked the Griffs
to flying start in the opener yester-
day coming through with probably
his best effort of the season to win
. Stool decision. Red Ruffing, seek
ing his twentieth victory of the season,
opposed Earl and started like a whirl-
wind, but the Griffs began to find the
range in the late going and won
going away.
Overcoming Yankee threats in the
first three innings, Whitehill was pre-
sented with a 1-to-0 lead in the
fourth when Kuhel singled with one
down, moved to second on Stones
fnfield out, and scored on a single by
Travis. In the Yanks' half of the
fourth Jake Powell hit home run
to tie it up, but after that blow White
hill was in command while the Griffs
pounded the ball freely.
Lewis Is Big Howitzer.
BUDDY LEWIS, emerging from a
slump. led the Washingtons to
victory when he led of the sixth
inning with line drive home run in
the right field bleachers. Singles by
Kuhel and Stone. a sacrifice by
Travis, and Singtons long fly pro-
duced another run, making it 3 to /.
In the eighth Lewis started with a
double and moved to third base on
Kuhels sacrifice, but when Stone
grounded to Rolfe he was nipped at
the plate. Travis, however, tripled
Rocky across and when Sington sin
eled Cecil also scored, boosting the
count to to l. The final run was
scored when Lewis socked his second
home run of the day into the bleach
ers In right field with two down In
the ninth.
The nightcap found Buck Newsom
and Lefty Gomez trying to determine
the widest pitcher in the league.
Newsom won the title and the Mats
lost the ball game. Buck walked 10
men and gave up hits while Gomez
walked and held the Griffs to 2 hits.
Both of them were lucky to get away
with what damage was rendered.
Bucks WiIdness Ruins Him.
IN THE first inning Newsom gave up
TWO walks ana Two hltS put d0u-
BILE play helped him emerge with only
q 1-to-0 deficit. In the second inning
he walked three men and pitched
singles to Gomez and Di Maggie for
two more runs, making 1t 3 to 0.
The Mats big chance came in the
fourth inning when Gomez walked
Hill and, after Kuhel went out. also
walked Sington and Kress to fill the
bases. Ossie Bluege here inserted the
FIRST Washington hit to score two runs
but Mihalic and Hogan went out
after q wild pitch had advanced the
tying and winning runs into scoring
position.
In the fourth the Griffs were given
their only other chance to win the
game when Chapman singled with
but one out and Kuhel and Sington
ILL., 49,