Evening star., 1938-05-25
BROWNS HURL|NG
GIVES MATS HOPE
May Be as Weak as Their
0Wn-BoW to Stratton in
g. Chisox Final, 1913.
SIecial Dispatch to The Star.

sfecial Dispatch to The Star.
ST. LOUIS, May 25.-Fate may be
bit more kind to the Nationals here
in that they may find pitching more
like their own, and, perforce, outlast
some of "Gabby" Streets fingers.
Fer certainly in Chicago, where the
Griffmen lost tWo-game series. they
ran into pair of guys in Ted
Lyons and Monty Stratton who made
Bucky Harris boys, including Zeke
Benura, chop their bats up for kindling
wood.
For Lyons whipped 'em. 90, for his
200th victory of career now in its
18th year, and Stratton, making
his first start since he hurt his magic
arm last March q in Los Angeles,
scattered 10 hits without effort, while
his mates pounded Dutch" Leonard,
Pete Appleton and Chief" Hogsett for
Is safeties and 1913 triumph. Now
the Sox are only one game below the
500 mark and only game and half
behind the Griffs.
Hasn't the Pitchers.
It only makes the words of Harris,
uttered before the Chicago series
opened, more prophetic. If we only
had couple of frst-class hurlers, -
heEsaid, I'VE might stick in this flag
race" Unless Monte Weaver, booked
to face the Browns today, is the ex-
ception to Wes Ferrell and others in
Comiskey Park, Harris will have trou-
Bile finding those pitchers.
With Stratton back-and he must
be considered back until another game
at least-only Joe Kuhel and Clint
Brown are missing, along with Luke
Appling. Luke won't return for an
other month, and won't have to. the
way Bozie Berger is going Brown,
of course, is out for at least % weeks
and probably longer. Kuhel ought to
be back most any time, although he
probably won't be asked to strain the
ankle until it become necessary.
Bonura was bust in which, where
he wanted to showboat little, he got
one hit, drove in one run in eight times
at bat. Right now Zeke is hitting a
mere .236, including the SoX tilts,
whereas Kuhel. for all his idleness, is
pointed at 254 for the time being. Zeke
has batted in 81 runs, but in only
three instances have they meant any,
thing in tight game. On the show
ing in Chicago, Manager Dykes has
no cause to regret the swap.
Sox Punish Leonard.
Yesterdays affair was easy once
the Sox got to Leonard, who. at the
end of three innings was leading, 80,
Stratton, having pitched only one in
ming since the season opened, was
rather wild for him and the Mats took
advantage of pitches on which he had
to come in" but in the third the Sox
tied things up, with the help of two
run homer by Gerald Walker, and
from then on they got going.
Everybody, including Stratton, who
beat out bunt while Leonard and
Lewis almost collided near the mound,
eot at least one hit. Berger came up
with double and single and others in
accordance with opportunities.
In two frames, the second and the
fourth, Stratton had the bases loaded
with nobody out and got away I'M
scathed. In the eighth, with Mel
Almada on third and Rick Ferrell on
first, Pinch-Hitter Goose Goslin swung
6 long fly to Steinbacher. Ferrell was
doubled trying to get back to first to
retire the side, but had Almada, in
stead of jogging home, hurried a bit
he'd tofaro Al
with a run that counted.
So much for Nat thinking Cecil
Travis came up with two boots. So
much for Nat fielding.
Not Far Back Now.
Fortunately for all concerned, which
includes the Mats, the Red Sox and
Indians are fighting things out with
the Yankees, with the result that the
fourth-place Harrismen are only four
and half games from the top and, of
course, still dangerous if they had the
right pitching.
If Bonura's hitting doesn't improve,
the punch is apt to disintegrate, too,
because AL Simmons isn't the man he
used to be and neither Stone nor
Myer rate in the murderer class. Best
OF the clubbers are Travis and Lewis
and that leaves too many soft spots for
a pitcher.
From here the Mats go home for a
pair with Boston and to Philly for two
with the AS Memorial Day, after which
they go back to Griff Stadium for a
stand against the West, wherein they
NAV iyoproyo cop,ourbot