Evening star., 1947-08-18
Mats Face Rough Time
In West as Batters
Lose All Punch
By Burton Howkins

It could be the American League
has deadened baseballs dispatched
to the Mats to blend with their pail
bearing department, or 1t could be
the Mats are wearying Of battering
their heads against q wall of frus-
tration and are bowling meekly to
the inevitable. Anyway, Washing
ton isn't hitting. isn't winning and
leaves the impression 1t isn't con-
cerned.
The Mats currently own q per-
sonal season record of seven straight
losses and are sighting 43-year r-old
Washington mark. In 1904, the
Mats compiled q string Of Is success
sive defeats, which still stands as Q
record in reverse for Washington
clubs, but the present crop Of Clark
Grifnth's athletes merely have to
continue their recent behavior to
jeopardize that mark.
When the Mats dropped q double-
header to the Philadelphia Athletics.
81 and So, yesterday at Grifhth
Stadium, they continued to compile
string of disturbing statistics
which hardly reflects credit on the
Grif1th A. C's batting.
Mats Paralyzed ut Bat.
Over a span Of their last IS games
the Mats have scored Is runs. or less
than two q game. In IL Of those
games, in fact, the Mats have scored
two runs or less. Twice they have
been blanked, six times limited to
one run and four times held to two
runs.
The Mats lone virtue at the mo.
ment is consistency, but it's con-
tinued lack Of hitting which catches
the club at an embarrassing time.
After today's exhibition game with
the Philadelphia Phillies at Grifith
Stadium for the benefit of the Cam
Ger Fund, the Mats will head west
into four straight double-headers
starting with twin bill tomorrow
at Cleveland.
Washington's pitching generally
has been of first division caliberJ
but the concerted slump of the Mats
hitters has wrecked the club. The
paralysis of power has infested the
entire lineup and any Washington
hit comes as surprise.
Marchildon In Command.
There was considerable doubt yes
terday If the Mats would obtain Q
hit in the second game. Phil Mar
childon retired the first II Mats in
order, permitting only one to loft a
ball beyond the infield, before Short
stop Eddie Joost ruined what was
looming as perfect game by fum-
bling Milo Candini's grounder with
two out in the sixth.
Marchildon then walked Eddie
Yost, but got Sherry Robertson on
a fly to Barney McCosky. With one
out in the seventh Mickey Vernon
delivered the Mats first hit, a lusty
triple to center, and scored on Jos
Grace's single to right. Washing
ton produced its other run in the
ninth when Joost booted Mark
Christman's grounder after Vernon
and Grace had walked.
While Marchildon was limiting tbs
Mats to four hits and recording his
18th victory, the AS were hammer
ing Mickey Haefner. They pried Q
run from him in the second inning
on Mike Guerra's single, Pete Su-
der's double and Hank Majeski's
long fly. They sprayed four runs
across in the third when successive
singles were smashed by George
Binks, Ferris Fain, Sam Chapman
and Guerra, with Suder climaxing
the assault with double.
Binks, Guerra Sock Soundly.
Binks and Guerra. the ex-Nats,
each collected three hits to spark
the AS 12-hit attack.
Early Wynn gave brave but in
adequate demonstration Of trying to
go it alone in the first game. He
staked the Mats to 10 lead against
Dick Fowler in the fifth when he
g. home run over the right
field fence.
With two out in the eighth. how
ever, Fowler singled and McCosky's
double shifted him to third. Joost
then inserted a double to left, scoring
Fowler and McCosky.
Two were out in the ninth and
Jerry Priddy on first when Wynn
made q valiant bid to tie the score.
He blasted his third hit, double to
right center, but Binks. with his bars
hand, got the ball on the bounce and
relayed 1t to Suder, whose throw to
the plate nipped Priddy. Thus
Wynn dropped his second straight
2-1 verdict.