Macks Beat Nats, 4-1

April 25, 1926 - Washington DC Evening Star

A.'S BUNCH HITS ON BUSH; QUINN TIGHT IN PINCHES

Goslin's First Homer of Season Is Only Tally Made by Champions, Who Finish Series in Philly With Even Break in Four Games.

BY JOHN B. KELLER.

PHILADELPHIA, April 24.—Stopped by old Jack Quinn when hits meant runs, the Nats were licked, 4 as 1, by the A's today in the final game of their first series of the year here. The defeat left the champs with an even break for the set of games contested at Shibe Park and an advantage over the A's for the season of five games to three.

The Nationals got 10 safeties off the venerable hurlers of the Mackian corps, but Goose Goslin's first homer of the year gave them their only marker.

Opposed to Quinn was Joe Bush, starting for the third time this season. Joe gave up but seven hits in taking his second defeat. However, four were bunched against him in the third, netting three runs, and those brought the downfall of the Harrismen. Bush was extremely wild, too, issuing six passes and was fortunate that only one of them figured in the opposition's tallying.

The Nationals missed hitting safely in but three frames, but excepting the Goose’s wallop, they had only one real chance to count. That came in the fifth, when it seemed that Quinn was becoming too shaky to last long. A double play by the Macks, though, killed that opportunity.

Half of the National hitting was done by Joe Judge and Hank Severeid, who did the catching instead of Muddy Ruel. In four times at bat, Judge got three solid hits, while Hank got a pair of clean drives to left field.

Dust Clouds Mar Play.

A brisk breeze that at frequent intervals sent clouds of dust scurrying across the field hampered the work of both clubs. The Nationals, though, appeared to be more handicapped by the haze than were the Mackmen.

It was one-two-three for the Nats in the initial round, but the A's gave Bush some trouble. He walked Bishop, first up, and after Hale flied a foul that Goslin nabbed after a hard run, Lamar also drew a pass. But Judge grabbed Hauser’s sharp bounder for a force play at second, and Joe Harris ran back to catch Simmons’ high one.

Rice’s fumble of a high bounding ball gave Judge a life in the second, but Joe became the first out when forced by Myer. After passing Welch in the A’s half, Bush put on more steam and whiffed Cochrane and Quinn, Galloway’s left to Joe Harris being sandwiched between the strike outs.

Their side broke into the hit column in the third frame, but a couple of singles were wasted by the Nationals. Severeid opened with a sea-huger to left, only to be doubled with Bush when the latter grounded to Galloway. Blue bent out a slow bouncer to Pedro, but was caught by yards when he tried to pilfer second.

Bishop Starts Trouble.

Bishop started the A's with a single to right and Hale sacrificed. Bush made a wild throw past Myer trying to get Bishop off the sack and Max scampered to third. After Simmons finally missed a catch of a foul lifted by Lamar, the latter sent a long fly to center, Rice got his hands on the sphere, but it bounded from his grasp, to become a two-base hit that scored Bishop.

A couple of terrific drives followed. Hauser shot the ball down the right field line for enough for a three-bagger, but a ground rule sent him back to the middle station, although Lamar counted. Simmons came through with a homer triple, a line drive over Rice’s head, to tally Hauser. Simmons attempted to score when Welch grounded to Bucky Harris, but was flagged by the pilot's fine throw, and Joey snared Cochrane's wicked grounder to end the scoring riot.

Goslin Drives Over Wall.

The Nationals got a marker in the fourth when, with one gone, Goslin drove the ball over the right field wall for his first homer of the season. After Joe Harris called out, Judge and Blue singled, but Myer followed repeated fouls with a pop to Hale.

Severeid’s slowing on the base cost the Nationals a tally in the fifth. Hank and Bush got singles and the former reached third as Rice forced out the pitcher. Bucky Harris sent a long fly to Lamar and Severeid started for the plate with the catch, only to find Cochrane waiting with the ball. That ended the Nationals' last good scoring opportunity.

After their third inning splurge the A's were fairly quiet until the seventh. Bishop began that frame with his third pass of the day and there were two on when Hale beat out a bunt to Blue. As Lamar whiffed, Bishop stole third, from where he tallied when Hauser doubled down the right field line. Hale, who stopped at third on Joe's hit, was trapped trying to score after Simmons lofted to Rice.

WEAK IN THE PINCHES

Washington........0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0—1

Philadelphia.......0 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 x—4

Source: (1926, April 25) Evening Star. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/sn83045462/1926-04-25/ed-1/.