He Is a good ballplayer and one who
will improve.
In the series beginning with Bos
ton today the Sox have a chance to
get out of sixth place, for they are
but half a game from the world's
champions. Four out of five from
Washington materially boosted the
South Siders, and they would have
undoubtedly scored a clean sweep if
Ed Walsh had not been used.
Jimmy Lavender pitched a one-hit
game against the Giants yesterday.
He hit three men, but did not issue
a pass and fanned five. He was never
in danger.
Now, one-hit games are infrequent
occurrences, and Lavender does not
have to repeat this performance to
be considered one of the strongest
cards of the Cub defense. It is time
Lavender was becoming effective and
having a break in luck. He has been
toiling manfully for several seasons,
but has always halted when on the
point of arriving in stardom.
Usually he has been a whale of a
pitcher for seven innings, then loses
his effectiveness. On other occasions,
when he has gone a hot pace through
the game, his mates have failed mis
erably to use their bats. Jim has lost
two l-to-0 games this year and de
feats like that are not disgraces.
In fact, his predilection for explod
ing in the seventh may be partially
laid at the door of his mates. It is
disheartening for a pitcher to go
along at a fast pace, holding the op
position, and watch his mates idle
with their bats, doing nothing to help
in copping the game.
Lavender does not have to be any
more effective than he has been in
his last three or four games. That
will insure him a regular turn in the
box beside Packard, Vaughn and
probably Tom Seaton. Lavender can
stand a good bit of work. He has so
much stuff on the ball that it affects
his control and he can acquire con
trol only by being freqently used.
A winning record of six victories
a'jid two defeats on the eastern trip ,
has lifted the Cubs to fourth place
and they are but one game from the
third-place Giants. Three more
games are slated on this expedition,
all in Brooklyn, and a continuance
of the ball played so far will mean a
safe return to the North Side.
The Cubs have achieved this good
record by a complete reversal in
their defensive play. The pitching
in every eastern game has been mas
terful and the fielders have settled to
steady work. The infield combina
tion, with two youngsters enrolled,
works smoothly, and no outfield in
the older league can cover more ter
ritory than the Tinker outfit
No better batting was needed, but
there has even been an increase in
that department, notably in the cases
of Mulligan and McCarthy. The
former has been aspecially prominent
in New York. He cracked three sin
gles off Mathewson yesterday, which
made his record for the last three
games 10 hits out of 13 trips to the
plate.
And winning a few games has
hearteried'the entire team. It is play
ing reaj ball, the ball of which it is
capable; and there is no reason to ex
pect a sudden and disastrous break.
The stuff has been there all season,
but it is just beginning to show proper
results.
Mitchell pitched better than Ra
gan, but breaks went to Braves. Ma
gee saved game for Boston when he
caught a liner off Mollwitz with his
bare hand. Mollwitz and Egan each
hit a triple and single.
Six of seven Dodger hits were for
extra bases and seven Cardinal er
rors made soft victory for Brooklyn
Ames was forced to quit.
Niehoffs homer in 12th with two
out enabled Phils to lick Pittsburgh.
BJxey held Pirates to five hits, but
passed eight.
Mogridge was knocked from box
by Tigers. First time Yank hurler
has been forced to quit in American
league. Veach poled, two triples
and two singles. Cobb got a triple