The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-06
YANKEES CREEP UP ON INDIANS
 AS BATS WORK
DiMaggiO Hitting 1858 to Lead LOop-Murphy
 Wins for Champs
By GEORGE KIRKsEY United Press Staff CorrespOndent) )

United Press Staff CorrespOndent)
 New York, May 6.-(UP)-With the hot breath of the New York Yankees on their necks, the Cleve- land Indians, whose burning pace in the west swept them into the Amer ican league lead, appeared afflicted today with their old malady-east- crn road jitters.
 On their first stop in the east, the Indians dropped two out of three to Washington and moved into Phila- delphia today with their lead trimmed to one game.
 Meantime the Yan7s, gradually mastering their blasting power, arc moving along on the crest of four game winning streak and a record of six victories in their last seven games. With all the trouble the Tanks have had-DiMaggio's late start, Gehrig's slump, injuries to Gordon and Rolfe, GomeZ's divorce proceedings, to mention the worst ones-they're all even with the tribe In victories, II each, and trailing only because they've played and lost two more games.
 Oscar Witt, Cleveland manager, paraded ten pitchers to the mound in Washington in three days--four one day, two another and four the last day. Two of his three aces, Bob Teller and Mel Harder, couldn't win. The lone game the Indians won was salvaged in the ninth, 10-9.
 Dr. Witt sent out hurry-up call for case of serum to cure the eastern road-jitters. And while you're about 1t get a load of anti toxin to stave off the Yankee snake bite.
 The Yankees. in their greatest field day of the young season, belted out a 12-10 triumph for a clean three-gamc sweep over the rejuven- atcd St. Louis Browns. For the first time this season old Yankee power prcvailed-16 base-hits, in- cluding two homers, two triples and three doubles. Joe DiMaggio led the assault with homer triple and sin gle. and hammered his way into the American league batting lead with an average of 458.
 Johnny Stones homer with the bases loaded paced Washington's 8-6 triumph over Cleveland, and kept the Senators within a game and half of first place. Washington slugged four Indian hurlcrs for Is hits.
 In the other two American league games the Chicago White Box beat the Athletics, 10-4, and the Detroit Tigers felled the Boston Red Sox, 7-5. Frank Gabler, National league caStoH, won his first American league start, holding the As to seven hits in the Americans best pitched game. Bom Berger and Gerald Walker hit homers. Ben Chapman, Red SoX, and Birdie Tebbetts, Tigers, were banished after cngag- ing in flsticuffs over strike. Rudy York hit two homers and Hank Grcenberg one, his fifth of the year.
 The Chicago Cubs moved within 2 1-2 games of the National league lead by blasting the PhIllies, PIP, while the Giants were losing to the Reds. 5-2. Phil Eppcrly. 19-year old rookie. pitched six-hit game for the Cubs. Augie Galan and Rip Collins hit homcrs in the Cubs 18- hit attack. With 12-runs in the eighth. the Cubs fell only two shy of the record. The Giants lost their first series when the Reds came from behind with q thrcc-run rally in the eighth to win. Mel Ott's wild throw set up the Reds winning rally. In the other two games Pitts burg beat Brooklyn, 4-2. and the Boston Bees won from the Car dinalS, 5-2.