The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-05-04
TEAM SPARK PLUGS AIDING GREATLY
 IN FLAG DRIVES
Ruth Snaps Yanks Out of Slump - Robins Show Class on Bases-Ferrell Wins Again
BY DIXON STEWART

United Press Staff Correspondent) New York, May = UP) =. Baseball, essentially 8 team game, has been featured in the major leagues this season by individual performances.
 Naturally enough the individual players have needed the aid of their mates. but 1t has become apparent that the pennant prospects of sev- eral clubs rest squarely upon the shoulders of star athletes who serve as spark plugs" for their teams. This group includes Babe Ruth of the Yankees, Rogers Hornsby of the Cubs, was Terrell of Cleveland. Dazzy Vance and Adolfo Luque of the Robins and the Big Five - Simmons, Foxx, Cochrane, Earn shaw and Grove of the Athletics
 AttabOy. Babe!
 Ruth returned to the game yester- day after a 10-day layoff because Yankees to defeat Boston, 8 to 5. The Yankees, in a slump since Ruth was injured, played high class ball and Pitcher Roy Sherid coasted to victory. Ruth retired after the game was on ice, but rapped out two sim gles, drove run and scored once during his five innings of play.
 With Dazzy Vance on the mound, the Brooklyn Robins showed their real class for the first time this sea son and defeated the New York Giants, 4 to 3. Vance, who has been absent from the team because of death in his family, was in fine form and held the lead from the first inning when his mates scored a run. Strangely enough, the Robins, noted for poor base running, scored the winning run by clever and dar- ing work on the paths = Fresco Thompson stealing second in the seventh and scoring from there on an infield out.
 Five Wins
 Wes Terrell, Cleveland's ace pit cher who has promised to win 30 games and put the Indians in the pennant fight, won his fourth straight victory and his fifth of the season yesterday, defeating Detroit. 2 to 4. Three of Detroits's runs were scored in the first, after Ho- dapp muffed Gehringer's foul for what should have been the third out.
 Al Simmons, leader of Philadel- to 8 to 1 triumph over Washing ton. Simmons triple in the first ac- counted for one run and he homered in the ninth for another. Rube Walberg held the Senators to 7 hits and was not scored on until the ninth when Cronin homered.
 Ray Ben turned in a mound mas terpiece to give Philadelphia's Phil lies a to 1 victory over Boston. Benge held the Phils to six widely scattered singles and aided the at- the final run. Pinkey Whitney ac- counted for the Phils' first scores with a homer in the second and opened the seventh inning attack which produced two more runs, with a single.
 Overtime Battle
 St Louis Cardinals made a clean sweep of three-game series with their most dangerous rivals = the Chicago Cubs - by winning Sum days game, to 4. in Il innings. The Cards scored four runs in the first and were unable to tally again until Gelbert counted on Frisch's sacrifice in the 11th.
 The Cincinnati Reds and Pitts burgh Pirates divided a double header, Pittsburgh taking the opener, 6 to 3, and Cincinnati the second, 10 to 5. The victory broke Cincinnati's losing streak of seven consecutive games. after errors by ftOuSH, rOEu dHu SuCCiucliO Hdu cost Red Lucas a defeat in the first game. Charley Wood, prize pirates pitching prospect, was the victim of Cincinnati's triumph
 Three Boots
 Luke Appling, rookie Chicago White Sox shortstop, made three glaring errors which helped St Louis defeat the Sox. g to 5. Two of Appling's bobbles occurred in the sixth inning when the Browns tal- lied runs. Jim Levey, St Louis kid shortstop, also made two errors but redeemed himself with double and a single, scoring two runs and driving in two more.