Evening star., 1941-08-17
Red Sox Humble
Leonard 10 End
8.Game Streak
Weak AfieId, On Slab,
Mats Blow 6-2 Lead
In Bowing by 6-8
By BURTON HAWKINS.

The law of averages, the Red Sox
and some wretched Washington
fielding caught up with Dutch Leon
ards eight-game winning streak
yesterday at Griffith Stadium and
deposited the Mats into the cellar.
Boston achieved an 8-6 victory, but
credit the Mats with an assist.
Washington cleaned the hollow
satisfaction of frustrating Lefty
Groves bid for the 301st triumph Of
his career, but in blowing a 6-2 lead
the Mats were pathetic figures.
When Leonard shifted from his baf-
fling knuckler to his fast ball the
Red Sox shifted into the lead.
Grove survived only six innings.
At that juncture the Mats were hold.
ing what appeared to be a COM
manding 6-2 advantage, but the Red
Sox mustered two runs in the sew
enth, three more in the eighth and
another in the ninth to move with
in half game of the second place
Cleveland Indians.
Make Four Straight Hits.
Four runs clattered across the
plate in the second inning when
Cecil Travis. Mickey Vernon. George
Archie and Jimmy Bloodvorth
blasted Grove for successive sin
giles. Those hits produced two runs
and Jake Early's sacrifice and
George Cases double to center
scored Archie and Bloodworth.
That situation existed only brief
", however, for Case misjudged
Groves fly into double opening the
third inning. Lou Finney flied to
Case. but Pete Fox walked and Joe
Cronin looped a single to left, scor-
ing Grove and sending Fox to third.
Cronin took second on Cases throw
to Archie.
Ted Williams grounder fetched
Fox home and moved Cronin to
third, but further damage was
avoided when Archie whipped out
Jim Tabor.
The Mats moved into 6-2 lead in
the sixth. with the Red Sox lending
considerable aid. Travis singled to
center and Vernon was safe when
Tabor allowed Mickey's grounder to
skid between his legs. Archies
single to left scored Travis and shift
ed Vernon to third, but Bloodvorth
and Early famed.
Grove Foozles Bunt.
Grove was a sizzling article at that
point, so Leonard elected to bunt
and it developed to be a wise de-
cision. Grove fumbled the tap,
allowing Vernon to score with the
Mats last run.
Boston whitfield the margin to
Ga in the seventh Bobby Doerr
launched the inning with a single to
left and Frankie Pytlak walked.
Stan Spence batted for Grove and
flied. to Lewis. but Finney singled to
right, scoring Doerr and sending
Pytlak to third. Pytlak scored after
Fox lined to Case.
In the eighth the Red Sox
snatched a lead which Joe Dobson
preserved. Williams singled to right
to start things and Tabor duplicated
his blow. Foxx's slow roller to Travis
filled the bases.
Zuber Forces In Run.
Doerr's smash caromed off Leon
ards glove to Travis. who fumbled
the ball, preventing a play at second
base. Williams scored and the bases
remained filled as Leonard made an
exit. Bill zuber replaced him and
promptly walked Pytlak, scoring
Tabor and leaving the bases filled.
Foxx scored after Dobson flied to
Case and the Red Sox owned a is
lead
That was increased to s-6 In the
ninth when williams bounced a
double over Vernon's head, took
third on Walter Masterson's wild
pitch and scored as Travis furnbled
Tabor's grounder.
Buddy Lewis stirred a flicker of
hope among the 5000 customers
when he doubled to left with two out
in the ninth, but Travis grounded
to Doerr fer the game lending out
Grove and Dobson yielded II hits.
while the Red Sox blasted Leonard.
Zuber and Masterson for a dozen.