Evening star., 1938-07-05
WASDELL'S SPURT
CONSOL|NC GR|FFS
App|eton's Pickup on Hill
Also Ray of Sunshine
to Battered Band.
BY BURTON HAWKINS.

Stocky, clean-cut Jimmy Wasdell,
rescued from the minors by the pro-
longed slump Of zeke Bonura, and
Pete Appleton, the relief worker, are
showing signs Of becoming the wedges
to fracture the Mats manacle OF
misery.
The Mats. with the exception of
All-Stars Rick Ferrell, Cecil Travis
and Buddy Lewis, today launched a
welcome three-day vacation after serv-
ing as stepping stones for the Yankees
nine-game winning streak and first
place tie with Cleveland.
Serving to pierce the gloom escorted
into their presence by the loss of
six of their last seven games is the
recent labor of the classic featured
Wasdell and piano-playing Pete. Both
are presenting evidence they are ready
to lift the Mats from the less respected
company of the second division
Appleton, who was throwing an as
sortment of home runs and triples
before his recovery, has made an
amazing comeback, inspired by his
eagerness to become starting pitch
er. Manager Bucky Harris soon
may grant him promotion, for Pete
lately has unraveled some choice
chunks of hurting.
Hurls Seven Hitless Innings.
Pete, who started his last game a
month ago today, has twirled hitless
ball in the last seven innings he has
toiled. retiring 81 men in order. He
has yielded only one hit, a single,
in eight innings and Boston's Jimmy
Foxx slammed that In short, Pete
currently is the hottest article on
the club.
Wasdell, after a slow start. has
gathered momentum and is making
gestures of running the amiable
Bonura out of a job Still employed
only against right-handers, Jimmy
lately has been pounding them solidly
enough to impress Harris he might
click against southpaws.
Jimmy is no robust fence-buster
but, by the same token, he is demon
strating he may become valued line
drive blaster after the fashion OF
George Case In his last IA trips to
the plate, Jimmy has collected eight
hits, meanwhile handling the first
base assignment neatly.
1t was Wasdell who touched off the
ninth-inning rally in the second game
yesterday at Griffith Stadium before
$4,000 spectators and Appleton who
preserved the A tie which resulted.
With the bases crammed, Case rif1ed
single to center scoring Wasdell,
who had doubled to left, and Goose
Goslin, running for Rick FerreN. who
had walked and moved to second when
Pinch-Hitter Taft Wright was hit by
pitched ball.
The Yankees, who captured the first
game, 10-5, held Az lead entering
the ninth inning of the second game
but the Mats tied it up and Appleton
moved 'em down through the thir-
teenth inning, when the game was
called.
Five double plays. four in the first
four innings. kept Chief Hogsett out
of more danger, but New York grasped
the lead in the fourth inning on Jot
DiMaggio's thirteenth home run OF
the season, built it up to Az in the
eighth, and apparently was headed fol
rndisputed possession of first place
The Mats cleaned some consolation In
averting that.
There was less to become excited
about in the first game, however, fol-
the Mats exploded in the seventh anc
eighth innings, yielded six runs or
three hits, a balk by Ken Chase that
scored Tommy Heinrich, and three
stolen bases
Case nullifled q ringing double IL
the fifth inning of the first game
Immediately becoming the victim o
frankie Crosetti's pet play, the hidder
ball trick in being picked off second
Wasdell also was erased there il
the second inning of the second game
when he fell rounding second on Ricl
FerrellS single.
Bottle Barrage at Rue.
Umpire Rue's decision at first in re-
firing Sammy West in the third inn.
ing of the second game precipitatet
barrage of pop bottles 10,
Gordon had made a backhand stal
of Samny's sizzling grounder, but tn
crowd thought the ball arrived a
first too late to nip West tn,
resulting shower Of glassware delayed
the game 10 minutes the fans il
leftfield, some 400 feet away from tn,
scene, sent George Selkirk to cove
with another barrage.
The Yankees outfield pulled /,
almost to the infield when AL Simmon
was at bat with the bases loaded ant
one out in the ninth inning of tn
second game but AL rolled int,
double play to retire the side ant
eliminate the possible necessity of ,
New York outfielder catching a driv
and whipping it home for q play il
the event Taft Wright, who wa
perched on third, attempted to scor,
following the catch.