The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-12
GOTHAM CLUBS RIDING HIGH IN MAJOR LEAGUES
Melton Sets Back Cards For Sixth Win-Yanks
 Lead By ,.0l5
By GEORGE KIRKSEY United Press Stan Correspondent)

By GEORGE KIRKSEY United Press Stan Correspondent) New York, May 12.-(UP)-Thumb the baseball calendar back to Octo- Der, 1897, and take look. Then go back another year to October, 1886, and have another peek. Come all the way back to May l2, 1888, for another glimpse.
 You see the same thing-the New York Yankees and the New York Giants riding high as the dominant teams in baseball In two years and nearly month the other IA teams haven't been able to make any seri- ous inroads into the supremacy of Manhattan's high-priced baseballers.
 After shaky start, the Yankees moved into the American league lead yesterday by throttling the Cleve- land Indians, early season sensa- tions, 4.1. While the Tanks were putting the pressure on for their seventh straight triumph, Washing ton fell from the top by lowing to the Detroit Tigers, Al. The Tanks now lead the league by .015 per cen- tage points. \
 The question now is: "Who's go- ing to head the Tanks off?" Tue answer seems to be-No one. The Indians have drifted into their us- ual jitters away from home with a record of five defeats in eight games on their present eastern road trip. Washington seems to be playing over its head. The Detroit Tigers are struggling to get up among the leaders. The Boston Red Sox are making threatening gestures but aren't frightening the Tanks.
 The situation is even more acute in the National league, where the Giants have won six out of eight in the west, and knocked off their toughest rivals, the Pirates, Cubs and Cards, in their last five straight victories. Combining fine pitching with steady defense and hitting power the Giants have piled up 1-2 game lead. The question here is: How long can the Giants keep up their torrid pace?" Few ob- servers believe they are that good and most predict marked slump for the dog days ahead.
 Spud Chandler outpitched Mel Harder to notch the Tanks seventh straight. He allowed nine scattered hits in winning. his second game Tommy Heinrich and Red Rolfe belted homers.
 Vernon Kennedy pitched Detroit to Al win over Washington, snap- ping the Senators seven-game win- ming streak. A four-run attack on Harry Kelley, featuring doubles by Ross and Greenburg, turned the trick. @
 Lefty Grove won his fifth straight game in pitching the Red Sox to a 4-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox. Ben Chapman drove in two runs with single and double. A triple play executed by Hughes Kress-McQuinn and five Philadel- phia errors helped the St. Louis Browns win their first eastern game over the Athletics, 9-5. The As wasted 16 hits. The Browns made nine runs on eight hits.
 Two runs in the ninth enabled the Giants to trim the Cardinals, 5-3, for their fifth straight. Singles by Ott and Leiber, Mize's tumble, an infield out, and Danning's single won the game. Cliff Melton hung up his sixth straight victory.
 Van Mungo handcuffed the Cubs in winning his first game for Brook lyn, TO. He scattered seven hits, famed nine men and walked only one. The Dodgers rapped three Chi cago pitchers for 16 hits, with Babe Phelps, back in action after a long layof with a broken hand, getting three singles.