Evening star., 1938-04-21
MATS AGED ROOKIE
STRONG |NP|NCHES
BoIsters Hurting Corps as
Club Looks to Series
With Yankees,
BY FRANCIS E. STAN.

SAsssNSSSo
By FRANCIS E. STAN.
The Griffs had the day of today
to ponder the pleasantries Of leading
the American League and to grid
themselves for the week end, when
they invade the lair Of the world
champion Yankees for three more or
less crucial games.
You know. of course, how the Mats
stand. Dutch Leonard, the mellow
ing knuckle- -balling rookie" made
his American League debut yesterday
at Grifith Stadium and pitched to a
3-to-0 victory over the Athletics. It
was Washington's third victory in as
many starts.
Looking back over their first half
week of play. the Mats find them
selves wondering just how strong they
really are. In the Southland they
could not click, losing IL of Is en-
gagements with major league foes.
Now the AS are not the best ball
club in the American League, but
Philadelphia still holds a franchise,
and, after all, until those three vic
tories are proved hollow they are good
enough. A win over the AS still
counts as heavily in the team stand
ing as victory over the Yankees.
Mats Now Are Clicking.
So far the Mats have left nothing
to be desired. On opening day they
received sloppy pitching job from
Wes Ferrell, who was handicapped
by crick in his neck. Yet the Wash
ingtons managed to bang out 16 base
hits and IL runs of their own to win,
1913.
In chalking up their second VIC
tory, 90, the Mats again overpowered
the AS. Too, they also got pitching.
Monte Weaver held the enemy to
six hits.
Yesterday the Mats ran up against
the best hurting they have faced all
year. The pitcher was Connie Mack's
sensational young right-hander, Lee
(Buck) Ross. For six innings Ross
baff1ed the Mats, but yesterday was
a day when Bucky Harris got some
fine pitching at the right time. Leon
ard was just as good as Ross, and
for q longer period.
Ross eventually weakened. In the
seventh the Mats scored three runs
and made of with the ball game.
But big Leonard. pitching his head
of for regular job, did not weaken.
He was better and stronger at the
finish than he was at the start.
Leonard Wins Regular Job.
Skipper Harris had no alternative
today but to write Leonard on his
list Of starting pitchers. Dutch,
Weaver and Ferren are sure to start
every fourth day. The No. hurler
IS yet to be determined. Chief Hogsett
will open against the Yankees to-
morrow and he may be the man. Or
it may be that Harris will alternate
Hogsett and Pete Appleton, depend
ing upon whether the Mats are facing
right or a left handed hitting club
at the time. It may even be that
Ken Chase will come around
At any rate, Harris isn't worrying
now. Ferrell figures to be all right
the next time he works Weaver
has been star all spring and Leonard
has pressed Monte closely This Leon
ard chap, incidentally, seems to be
the real article. He not only has his
muckler. but he also knows how to
pitch and he showed himself yesterday
to be dead-game hombre
There were couple Of anxious
moments for the 28-year-old Brooklyn
castoff yesterday. In the opening in
ming, for instance. he gave up single
and walked two hitters. This loaded
the bases with only one down, but
Leonard forced Dario Lodigiani to
ground to Cecil Travis at shortstop
and the Mats executed q fast double
play to end the inning.
Dutch Good in Pinches.
In the third inning, with one down,
Lou Finney tripled to center. Lou
should have stopped at second, for
Travis had the ball and was in a
position to throw him out as he tried
to stretch the blow. But luck was on
Finney's side and against Leonard.
Our Mr.. Travis threw wide to Buddy
Lewis at third base and Finney was
safe.
Still the AS couldn't score. Bill
Werber walked, but Babe Barna
grounded to second base and when
Werber ran into the ball 'he auto
matically was out. This was one time
Lady Luck smiled on Leonard. The
runner who crossed the plate, Finney,
was sent back to third base. When
johnson popped out it was all over
The only other time the AS came
close to scoring was in the seventh,
when Amber singled with one out
and Travis booted Hayes grounder,
letting Amber reach third. Working
carefully on Ross, Leonard struck him
out. AS Ross swung on the last pitch
Rick Ferrell tried to pick Hayes off
flrst base. He failed, but Amber
thought he could score when Zeke
Bonura fell down. Zeke's throw, from
sitting position, nailed him at the
plate and the inning was over.
Case Ready to Play Again.
This play was the turning point in
the game. Ross mastery over the
Nats ended In Washington's half of
the seventh, when Johnny Stone
opened with . single. Travis forced
Stone at second, but Buddy Myer
continued his sensational hitting,
sending Cecil to third, and Rick Fer
rell scored the run with long fly to
center. The clincher was put ON the
game when Lodigiani fumbled Leon
ards roller and Mel Almada tripled
across Myer and Dutch for the last
two runs.
Today was an off day on the sched-
ule only. The Griffs were to work
out ct Griffith Stadium early this
afternoon and then hop q train for
New York in the evening.
Cheering news was heard from Out
fielder George Case, the spectacular
rookie centerfelder. Cases bad
shoulder Is about healed and he will
b ready for the test in New York.