The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-06-05
LUKE SEWELL
 HAS DONE AN
 EXCELLENT JOB
Club Only Half Game Out of 4th Place; ; Ott Passes
 HOrnsby R.B.I. Mark
By GEORGE KIRKSEY Limited Press Stan COrrespOndent)

Limited Press stan COrrespOndent)
 New York, June 5--CUP)-With. out fanfare or hullabaloo, the St. Louis Browns are battling their way into a first division berth in the American league. By wining II of their last IS games the Browns have separated themselves from the sec ond division White sox, Senators and Athletics.
 Although they still are in fifth place, the Browns are only half Q game behind the fourth-place Red Sox who once more are having pitchers cramps. Luke Sewell has done 6 remarkable job with the Browns, considering that he lost regular shortstop Johnny Berar- dino, outfielder Joe Grace and a couple of others to the armed services.
 The Browns weren't overloaded with pitching prospects this spring but Sewell has Eldon Auker, John Niggeling and Al Hollingsworth pitching winning ball and there are some hopes that Bob Muncrief will come around soon. Last weeks deal which brought catcher Frankie Hayes to the Browns has improved the clubs punch.
 Rookie Star
 The league is raving about rookie shortstop Vernon Stephens, who is not only 8 classy fielder but has considerable power. Jimmy Dykes, White Sox pilot, rates Stephens over the Red Sox's highly-touted rookie shortstop Johnny Pesky.
 The Browns got of on the right foot in the second eastern invasion by winning the opening series from Washington, taking the odd game of Q three-garne series yesterday, 7--2 (called in eighth because of weather). Al Hollingsworth, cast of Southpaw from the National league, scored his fourth victory, keeping the Senators well under control on eight hits. Harlond Gifts homer with one on was the Browns big punch.
 The Yankees, as usual, kept roll- ing. They piled up eight runs on luckless Edgar Smith, years most consistent loser, in the second in ming and beat the White Sox easily 8-2. It was Smiths ninth straight loss. JNe Gordon had a single and double and was robbed of another hit by third baseman Bob Kennedy. It was the 20th straight game in which Gordon has hit safely.
 Les Fleming's double with two on and two out in the ninth enabled Cleveland to beat the Red Sox, 4-2. Oscar Judd held the Tribe to three hits until the ninth when he allowed two more and two walks which beat him. Jim Bagby gave up nine hits in beating his former mates for his seventh victory.
 A fast finish by the Tigers gave them an 8-7 victory over the Ath- letics. Don Ross homer with two on in the eighth tied the score, A, but the Tigers needed four more runs in the ninth to win. Ned Har- ris hit homer with one on in the ninth and Birdie Tebbetts singled with the bases loaded.
 Braves Rested
 or Lon Warneke, who they say can't throw hard enough to break an eggshell, gave the Boston Braves enough of this and that to beat them, 6-2, and the St. Louis Car- dinals picked up half a game on the idle Brooklyn Dodgers, who now lead the National league by six lengths. A five-run inning, in which Walker Cooper tripled and George Kurowski doubled, turned the tide in the second.
 Will Marshallis eighth homer, ty- ing him with Dolf Camilli for the legaue lead, gave the New York Giants 4-3 victory ocer the Chi cago Cubse in the 1lth after Rip Russell had tied it, 3-3. with his third homer in three days. Cliff Melton scattered six hits for his .,,s-.