Evening star., 1942-08-20
Sudden Collapse
OF Tribe, Reds
is Big Puzzle
Must Brace Quickly
To Avoid Finishing
In Second Division
\x/ 4.
BY AUSTIN BEALMEAR,

Ass Soclsted Press sports Wrltef.
If the baseball fans of Ohio have
any krack for solving puzzles. they
might use that talent to good ad-
vantage right now by finding a rea-
son for the sudden collapse of their
two entries in the major leagues.
Not so many days ago the Cleve-
land Indians were runnersup in the
American League, the Cincinnati
Reds were skipping along in third
place n the National loop and citi-
Zens OF the Buckeye State were spec
ulating on the possibility of an all
Ohio World Series for the first time
in history.
But today the Indians and the
Reds .ook as if they'll be extremely
fortunate to finish in the first divi-
sions.
Each team has lost nine OF its last
II games. The Reds have dropped
into fourth place, only three games
away from the second division. The
Indians are hanging on to third in
the American League by four per-
centage points, but will find them
selves sharing that position If the
st. Louis Brownies win today.
Pirates Rout Reds.
The Pittsburgh Pirates, cunning
for C.ncinnatis first division place,
handed the Reds their sixth setback
in a row yesterday and beat Paul
Derringer in the bargain, go. The
drubbrg left the Reds SIG games
behind the third-place New York
Giants, who were idle.
Hank Gornicki gave only eight
hits. although the Reds ended a
scoring drought that had reached 10
consecutive innings when they tai
lied in the fifth. The Bucs scored
eight runs in the seventh inning
when they shelled Derringer of the
hill.
The Detroit Tigers pasted the
third straight loss on the Indians,
6-1, in a twilight game. Virgil
| Trucks pitched six-hit ball for the
Tigers and had the help of three
run homer by Rudy York, which
bounced Jim Bagby in the third in
ming, and another round-trtpper by
Ned Harris.
The Boston Red Sox divided
! double-header with the New York
Yankees, continuing a stretch duel
that would be more interesting II
the Yanks were not liz games
ahead.
Homers Decide Both Dueis.
A pair of homers by Jim Tabor
and another by Ted williams ac-
counted for all of Boston's runs and
a Ga triumph in the first game as
Tex Hughson limited the Yankees to
seven hits for his sixteenth pitching
victory and his tenth in a row.
Charley Keller, who hit his
twentieth home run in the opener,
smashed No. 81 with the score tied in
the ninth Of the nightcap to break
up a pitching duel between Ernie
Bonham and Joe Dobson and give
New York a 81 decision. The blow
carried Bonhom to his sixth straight
win and his fifteenth of the year.
In the National League pennant
chase, the Brooklyn Dodgers crushed
the Boston Braves, ILL, but the st.
Louis Cardinals stayed six and one
half games behind by walloping the
Chicago Cubs, 5-1, in night contest.
Mort Cooper distributed seven hits
in beating the Cubs for the first
time In three attempts this season.
while the Cards clipped Lon War;
neke and Vern Olsen for II blows.
including home runs by Walker
Cooper and Enos Slaughter.
The Dodgers pounded four Boston
, pitchers for 10 hits, three each by
Pete Reiser. Dolph Camilli ard Billy
Herman. Curt Davis hurled eight
hit ball for his thirteenth triumph,
but missed his sixth shutout when
Eddie Miller nicked him for a homer.