Evening star., 1941-08-11
Dodgers Cards
Twice Wa||op
Braves, Bucs
Root Tradition Victim
As Defect Follows
Gifts From Fans
BY BILL BONI,
ISsociated Press SnnrtS Writer


Drama being somewhat outside this
Department. scope. there will be no
effort made here today to tell you
in glowing phrases of the history
making National League pennant
race now in progress
The drama, instead will be left in
the hands of the Brooklyn Dodgers
and st. Louis CardinalS-and ca
pable hands they are, too-while this
will serve as simple recitation of
the facts.
The facts are theSe-last Friday
night Brooklyn was in front by three
percentage points. Since then each
team has played three contests. Yet
today those same three points are
all that separate the Dodgers in first
place from the Cardinals in second.
Maintain Level Pace.
This was achieved by a chain OF
circumstances which first saw the
Boston Braves snap a seven-game
Dodger winning streak on Saturday,
and the Cardinals promptly lost a
| 13-inning thriller to the rambunc-
tious Pittsburgh Pirates. Then yes
terday there was double victory for
Brooklyn over the Braves, where
upon the Cards, already having won
the opener of their double-header
from Pittsburgh, broke lose with
three ruus in the eight inning Of the
nightcap to take that as well.
The Dodgers, in making their rec
ord nine wins in their past 10 starts,
used divergent means. In the first
tilt, which almost broke into open
warfare because the Dodgers felt
Dick Erickson was trying TO dust
them off. Brooklyn pounded three
pitchers for II hits. including four
doubles and homer by Ducky Med
wick. for 14-4 decision. The night
cap saw stout Frederick Fitzsim-
mons and his knuckle ball shut out
the Braves, 40, on six hits.
Cards Get Tight Hurting.
Close-to-the vest pitching was the
winning prescription for the Cards.
A crowd of 26,513. one Of the years
largest in st. Louis. saw Ernie White
take the opener, 80, for his l4th
decision as Terry Moore's pinch
single drove in the deciding runs. and
then watched Mort Sooper. though
touched for 10 safeties, bear down IN
the clutch to win his 10th OF the
year
Not only was this the first time
the hopeful Pirates had lost TWO
straight in the space of three weeks.
but 1t dropped them 9i2 games on
the pace.
The baseball tradition that it's bsd
luck to get presents held true tor
the Chicago Cubs Charley Root.
The 42-year- old veteran got
station wagon from his fans, 81 500
check from his club and even a baby
pig. But when he settled down to
work he got a 81 trimming from the
Cincinnati Reds, whose Johnny
Wander Nicer was in 7-hit form.
The New York Giants ran the
last-place Phillies' losing streak to
eight in a row by winning the first
half of their double bill, 5-4. getting
4 runs on homerS. But then the
Terrymen. riding a 3-game victory
string that was their longest since
June. rode it to a fall as veteran
81 Johnson turned them back, 4-3.
Yanks Take Pair.
In the American League the New
York Yankees took two from the
Philadelphia Athletics, 1l-2 and Al,
and thereby climbed back into q
14-game lead over Cleveland. The
Indians helped things along by bow
ing to Ted Lyons and Thornton Lee
of the Chicago White Sox. who held
them to six hits apiece in winning
by So and 2-1, respectively.
Buck Newsom of the Detroit
Tigers, who hasn't won a game
since July Is, didn't win one yes
terday, either. The st. Louis Browns
got to him early for nine hits in
four innings, got six more off School
boy Rowe, and won, 7-3.