Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-08-12
Bob Teller After
No. 70, Facing
Rock Corsica
Dodgers Gain q Game
As Reds Twice Bow
To the Cardinals
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer.


Oscar Witt was in the happy posi-
ton of being able to send Bob
Feller, the best pitcher in the bust
ness, to the mound today as his
Cleveland Indians opened an i'm
portant tWo-game series against the
Detroit Tigers at Cleveland.
The two clubs fought their way
into tie for the American League
lead yesterday, each with "a wins
and A losses, and the outcome of
their battles today and tomorrow
might have a vital bearing on the
race After all, it's getting along in
the summer, when pace settlers be-
gin to crack.
With Feller firing them across for
the Indians and trying to rack
up his goth victory of the year.
Manager Del Baker of the Tigers
was forced to call upon John Cor
sica, his freshman ace, who has
won 7 and lost 5. He didn't have
veteran star ready for duty.
Due for Iron Man Stint.
Should Feller win today and put
the Indians out in front. it would
not be surprising to see Witt begin
pitching his boy wonder out Of turn
and giving him frequent relief as
signments in a determined effort to
widen his lead and stay in front to
the wire.
The Tigers suffered two painful
losses to the Chicago White Sox
yesterday, each by scores of 4 to 3,
to lose the leadership. The Sox
knocked Ace Buck Newsom from
the hill in the first and beat Tommy
Bridges in the nightcap, despite
homers by Hank Greenberg and
Rudy York.
Cleveland gained a full game by
splitting with the St. Louis Browns.
AL Milnar scored his 18th win as
the Indians took the first game, II
to 4, but the Browns came back
to knock Johnny Allen and Al Smith
from the hill and capture the sec
ond, 7 to g. Walt Judnich hit his
22d homer of the year for the
Browns.
The Yankees made 1t three
straight over the Philadelphia Ath-
letics when Joe Gordon slapped a
home run into the left field stands
in the 18th. Alley Donald pitched
the last two innings for the Yanks
and struck out five batterS.
Cincinnati's National League lead
was Whitfield to five games as the
champions bowed to the st. Louis
Cardinals twice, 8 to and 3 to !.
Mort Cooper set the Reds down
with two hits to beat Paul Derringer
in the first. and Lon Warneke cut
them down in the second. Enos
Slaughter's two-run homer decided
/ the opener.
Dodgers Gain a Game.
Brooklyn gained a game by split
ting with the Boston Bees. Bill
Posedel. a former teammate, licked
| the Dodgers, 3 to 2. in the first, but
Lefty Vito TamuliS BANKED the
Bees, 3 to 0, to make it draw for
/ the day.
| frankie Frisch's amazing Pitts
! burgers scored twice over the Chica-
90 Cubs, 7 to 3 and to l, vaulting
into fourth place only two games
| back of the New York Giants. The
Pirates have won 10 of their last II
starts and are red hot. But they
probably have too much ground to
make up-some 1872 games.
The Phillies and the Giants broke
even at Shibe Park Kirby Higbe
snapped a nine-game losing streak
| for the PhilS when he beat the
| Giants, to 0, in the opener. Hal
Schumacher then pitched an equally
artistic victory for the Giants, 8
to 2. as he set the Phils down with
three hits.