Evening star., 1938-07-16
PITCHING BUCABOO
STILL DOGS MATS.
Slab Staff Not Even Good
Enough to Take Measure
of Weak ChiSox.
BY FRANCIS E. Stan.

As they founder and look anxiously
backward at the gesturing. fifth-place
Tigers, Bucky Harris Senators again
find themselves entirely at the mercy
of their pitching staff. For periods
this season the Griffs have failed to
hit and at rare intervals their de-
fensive play has slipped. But these
were momentary depressions. When
all is said and done the Washington
pitching is what is keeping the firm
from rising.
Harry Kelley's four victories in his
last five startS-victories in which
he allowed total of only two runs
have saved the Senators from tall
spinning. Of what he has shown re-
Gently Kelley stands as the strong
man Of the staff, the losing-streak
checker. But what Harris needs is a
couple of pitchers who can take their
turns and win along with Kelley.
Wesley Ferrell tried it yesterday
In his last start Wes turned back the
AS, although failing to last the dis
tance, but yesterday he couldn't stick
around more than three innings and
the Griffs, with Ferrell leaving them
hopelessly behind and Jimmy De
Shong taking consistent pounding,
went down to an 1l-to-3 defeat.
Leonard's Game Still Vivid.
Harris has peculiar pitching staff
at his command. There are times
when any given pitcher can perform
near-miracle. Dutch Leonard's
13-inning shutout victory over the
Indians on May is a game that will
live long in memory. Dutch gave only
six hits and over one stretch of eight
innings only one hit was made of
him as he defeated Bob Feller.
Ferrell's best game was pitched away
from Griffith Stadium. He threw a
masterpiece at the Tigers in Detroit,
giving up six hits. Elon Hogsett's
best job was victory over the Yam
KEGS Ken Chase rose to greatness in
12-inning victory over Cleveland
one afternoon. Monte Weaver opened
the season with bang-up win over
the Athletics. Pete Appleton has sew.
eral fine relief performances to his
credit,
But outside of Kelley none of the
Nat pitchers are what Harris calls
::repeaters." A good game here and
a bad one there. 1t all makes sus-
tanned winning streaks prohibitive.
White Sox Are Hot.
Expecting an easier series than
offered by the Indians. the Griffmen
encountered trouble with the White
Sox and, off the Chisoxs recent record,
the trouble may continue. Jimmy
Dykes still is playing in hard luck.
what with Jackie Hayes out for two
weeks with a bad knee, but the Sox are
hot, anyway. That was their 18th
victory in 16 games yesterday.
The Mats looked as if they were
going out to win it early In the first
inning they hoped on Thornton Lee
for two hits and took 10 lead, but
Ferrell went bad in the second round
and the Sox pounded him for four
runs.
Many times the Washington pitch
ing looks bad, but seldom has it
looked as weak as yesterday. Ferrell
retired under fire in the fourth in
ming. with Chicago leading by I'll.
De Shong entered, but the Sox got
three runs OF him in the sixth and
Ken Chase gave up another score in
the eighth.
Owens Fielding Gives Thrill.
The 16-hit onslaught took the fight
out of the Griffs. They had Lee
tottering early in the game, but the
fire was gone as their bad pitching be-
came worse and it wasn't much of q
ball game in the last half.
Monte Weaver today was to try to
end the two-game losing streak, with
Kelley due to pitch on Sunday.
Top thrill of yesterdays game was
a negative but stirring sort of a kick.
In the Washington fourth Third Base
man Marvin Owen Of the Sox put on
the best fielding show of the season
at the stadium. He grabbed Al Sim
mons terrific line drive q couple of
inches of the ground to rob him of
a base hit. Then Zeke Bonura rammed
a hard shot directly over third base.
Owen took 1t with his gloved paw and
whipped out Zeke.
To top it OF Myer sent a sizzling
shot on a line over the bag. Owen
dove, stuck out his glove, and the ball
stuck in the webbing Marvin was no
help to the Mats, al In Ill.
y