Evening star., 1943-06-07
Vernon 'sWaIIop
Tells as Tigers
Topp|e Twice
Only Game Off Lead,
Griffs Hope to Keep
Up Pace in Boston


The Mats, at long last, are dis
playing signs of blending potent bat
ting with steady pitching and the
delightful combination has presented
them three-game winning streak
to take to Boston Wednesday for the
start of five-game series with the
, Red Sox.
Washington remains only a game
behind the pace-setting Yankees as
the result of snatching two games
from Detroit, ST. and "a. yesterday
at Griffith Stadium to the undis-
guised Endorsement of 10000 fans,
who saw Mickey Vernon, Bob john
son and George Case insert some
punch into the proceedings.
Vernon has emerged from his pro-
longed slump like bat out of you
know where. Since Manager Ossie
Bluege denoted him in the batting
order swinging Mickey sixth against
rlght-handers and eighth against
southpaws, Vernon has reacted
nicely.
Mickey has batted at the con-
founding rate of .750 since his boss
! displayed disgust at his hitting. COL
lecting nine hits in his last IL efforts.
He'll carry string of four straight
hits against the Red Sox, due to two
singles, double and triple in the
nlghtcap in which he scored two
runs and batted in three more.
Vernon Has Busy Day.
Vernon wasn't total loss in that
first game either. He came up with
two hits after getting three on
Saturday. He scored a run and
drove in another as the Mats manu-
tactured five-run second inning
against Dizzy Trout.
Meanwhile, johnson and Case
haven't been idle. Bob has sWatted
at a .524 clip in his last six games.
which would be marvellous clipping
he also obtained four hits in the
second game yesterday and Case,
who has hit safely in II straight
games. fashioned two hits in each
contest. Over this span of II games
oooIs &c Las DdlLeQ $40.
With that sort of hitting. Bluepe
! isn't inclined to fret too much con-
cernlng the continued slump of Stan
Spence. who has hit timid .l79 in
the Mats last eight games. Spence is
giving the Mats brilliant brand of
fielding to alleviate some of the dis
appointment in his hitting.
washington is hoping to take over
the league lead at Boston while the
Yankees battle the Athletics in a
hVe-game series at Philadelphia but
II they remain only within striking
distance of New York until next
Monday. Prexv Clark Griffith figures
to reap nice profit when the Mats
return here.
Come Back to Face Yanks.
When the Mats get back thevu
pump into the Yankees. who will be
invading Griffith Stadium on June
IA for the first tiff of a four-game
series. Included are two successive
night games and with the league
lead likely to be hinging on the out
come. Mr.. Grifhth's ball park figures
to be a popular place.
The Mats popularized themselves
Yesterday after Euald Pvle had
forced over a run through the me-
alum OF three successive walks in
the flrst inning of the first game
lhey pounced On Trout for five runs
IN the second inning as johnson
walked, Alex Kampouris. Vernon,
Johnny Sullivan and Pyle singled
and Case doubled.
PYLE settled to retain that lead
until clipped on the pitching hand
oH Plnkv Higgins liner in the sew
enth. He turned over the pitching
chores to Alex Carrasouel, who pro-
ceeded to blank the Tigers for the
hnal three innings. Detroit OBJ
tanned 10 scattered hits. while the
Mats Wedged five of their seven
Sa1etles into that hectic second in
ming.
Detroit nicked Milo Candini for
TWO runs in the first inning of the
second game as Sullivan and Spence
inserted errors and Dick Wakefield
Ned Harris and Rudy York belted
singles, but the Mats picked up a run
IN the first and another in the sec
ond to lock the score before Detroit
took a 50 advantage in the fourth
on York's triple and Joe Hooyer's
single
Mats Step Out to Win.
mat situation existed until the
slxth, when the Mats produced a
1our-run inning. johnson. Vernon
and Case singled. Sullivan walked
and Kampouris doubled in that SEES
sion. York belted his fourth homer of
the year among the left-feld bleach
er customers in the eighth to slice
Washlngton's margin to Ga. but
the Mats netted two runs off Virgil
trucks, who replaced Frank Over
mlre in the sixth, with Vernon
triple and singles by Case and Ger
aid Priddy in the eighth.
Candini, lifted for pinch hitter
IN the sixth, notched his fourth sur
cesslve victory as he and Jim Mertz
permitted only nine hits. wash
lngton collected IL hits, with Vernon
Johnson and Case making 10 of
them. Va
The Mats will play an exhibition
game at Springfield, Mass. tomor-
row night against their Eoe+,