Evening star., 1942-07-02
Hub Club Scores
70 Victories in
Last "a Ti|ts
Tribe Still in Sight;
Auker First in A. |.
ToHurI 1OWins
BY JUDSON BAILEY,
Associated Press Sports Writer.


1t has been some time since any
one needed to feel sorry for the
world champion New York Yankees,
but their plight is getting more
pathetic night and day.
Since marching boldly out OF
Yankee Stadium nearly three weeks
ago they have lost II out Of II con-
tests and last night saw their Amer
lean League lead cut to three games
as they blew 5-4 decision to the
Philadelphia Athletics.
This was a reduction of one and
one-half games in their f1rst-place
margin In single day because Of
the Boston Red Sox's second
straight double header victory over
the Washington Senator'S
The Yankees were held to five
hits by three Philadelphia pitchers,
but this was not what whipped them.
The champs held 40 lead at the
end of four innings, one of the runs
being Joe Di Maggio's 11th homer
OF the year. But then the Yanks
folded, as they have done In four
of their last five games.
Wild Throw Decides 1t.
They couldn't score any more
themselves and they let the AS
rally for two runs in the fifth and
tie the score in the seventh. Then
in the ninth, with runners on first
and second, Johnny Murphy f1elded
Relief Pitcher Luman Harris bunt
and threw into left field to allow the
winning run to cross the plate.
Altogether the AS made IA hits.
Victories by 80 and IL brought
Boston's current surge to 20 in "a
games and put premium on the
three-game series between the
Yanks and Red Sox at Fenway Park
tomorrow and Saturday-Wlth the
possibility that New York may lose
control of first place.
The victories weren't enough to
satisfy some Of the fans, however,
and they booed Ted Williams for his
apparent loaf1ng in the seconp
game, with the result that Manager
Joseph Cronin replaced his star
with Pete Fox in the fifth inning.
Indians Stick in Race.
The Cleveland Indians kept with
In sight of the struggle for the lead
by beating the Chicago White Sox
10, on the seven-hit hurting OF
Lefty AL Smith. The Tribe scored
seven runs in the first inning, rout-
ing Oral Grove before he could get
a batter out. 9
The St. Louis Browns turned loose
a 14-hit assault to score IN all but
one inning and belt the Detroit
Tigers, 1910, on the five-hit hurting
Of Eden Auker, who thus became
the first American League pitcher
to gain 10 victories this season
Home runs by George McQuinn And
Mike Chartak dressed up st. Louis
attack.
Action in the National League
was limited to two games, with the
st. Louis Cardinals shutting out the
Pittsburgh Pirates, 40. and the Chi
cago Cubs cufnng the Cincinnati
Reds, So. in a night game.
The latter affair perhaps was the
last start for both Claude Passeau
and Johnny Wander Nicer before
the All-Star game in New York
Monday. Passeau performed in hi!
customary fashion, yielding five hit:
and scoring his 18th victory against
five defeats. Wander Nicer on thu
other hand, lasted only three in
nings and left the game trailing
Al. Elmer Riddle finished credit
ably and the Cubs were held to
total of five hits.
st. Louis success came on thu
six-hit pitching of Lefty Ernie
White, who had been troubled with
a sore arm earlier this season.