Evening star., 1943-04-23
$3.50, New Low
For Yank Start,
See Mats Bow
Rookie HurIers Lose
In 9th After RolIy
Has Foe TroiIinq
By Staff Correspondent Of The Star

was 1alnt praise Tor pair OF Mats
in particular today, but concerning
the conduct of his team in general
in dropping a hectic Sd game TO
the Yankees here yesterday, Man.
ager Ossie Bluege detected a silver
lining in the cloud of defeat.
1t was only one loss and more
will follow, but Bluege is indicating
that while he relishes victories he
also can take bitter losses without
being bitter. It was game the
Mats had stored away and were
ready to lock up, but which Rookie
Mickey Haefner promptly handed
back to the Yankees in the last half
of the ninth. .-...
Bluege might have snorted bit.
cursed finicky fate and otherwise
behaved badly, but in the Mats
defeat he thought he saw some
thing encouraging. He thought the
Mats at least looked good losing.
which is an accomplishment Wash
ington teams have lacked in re-
cent seasons.
Fuzzy Yank Double Tells.
With two out in the first half of
the ninth inning and trailing, 2-3,
the Mats produced a two-run rally
to snatch 4-3 lead. The rear end
of the Yankees batting order was
coming up in New York's portion
of the ninth and since Early Wynn
had been removed for a pinch-
hitter, Bluege summoned Haefner
from the bullpen to replace him on
the mound.
Haefner proceeded to walk Bill
Dickey and when Johnny Lindell
sacrificed, he scooped up the bunt
and hit Tuck Stanback, running
for Dickey, in the back as he slid
into second. Mickey then unleashed
a wild pitch to advance both rum
ners and Bluege waved Owen
Scheetz from the bullpen to relievs
him.
Scheetz disposed of pinch hitter
Rollie Hemsley on an infield fly
but walked George Stirnweiss ia
load the bases and into that situa.
ton stepped chunky little Roy
Weatherly and dropped a loopel
in the left field.
That sent Stainback across the
plate with the tieing run, but
Lindell fell rounding third and
scampered back to the bag. In thu
meanwhile, though, Outfielder Bot
johnson had rushed in for a fast
play on the ball, muffed it and
then gave up on it. He realized too
late that Lindell had fallen and
returned to third. Lindell ther
proceeded home with the winning
run on Johnson's tumble In a Bit
of generous scoring, Weatherly wa,
credited with double and johnson
wasn't charged with an error.
Sticks by Haefner.
Its disheartening to lose a gami
like that after coming up with two
runs in the ninth after two vert
out" says Ossie, but I can't he'll
liking the way the boys looked uI
until that final frame. We gave
'em great battle and if we car
keep on doing that we'll win om
share Of the tough ones.
I'm not giving up on Haefner-
not that easily. That boy has
lot on the ball He didn't show i
in that instance, but he's showed
me he can pitch and he'll get everJ
opportunity to prove himself. HI
has all the courage in the world
and he didn't drop a bit in my
estimation"
Before that narrowing half of thu
ninth inning. the Mats had don't
very well indeed. They entered the
ninth with a one-run deficit but
Mickey Vernon drew a walk before
Gerald Priddy famed and Jak.
Early popped out. Johnny Sullivan
lashed single to left, Vernon halt.
ing at second. and up stepped Pinch.
Hitter Gene Moore to drill a sharu
single to center that scored Vernon
with the tieing run and shifted Sui.
livan to third.
sEllis Clary prolonged the rally BY
ricocheting double off third bas(
into left field, scoring Sullivan
before Johnny Murphy rushed I'd
Ernie Bonham's rescue and disposed
OF George Case on foul fly. E
Mats Idle Today.
The Mats had grasped a 10 lead
in the fifth when they parlayed a
walk to Vernon, Early's single and
Joe. Gordon's error into a run, bui
the Yankees bounced back with
three of the five hits they made
off Wynn to score two runs in theil
half of the fifth. I
Washington locked the score al
% in the eighth after two wers
out. Case was safe when Stirnweiss
fumbled his grounder, stole second
and scored on Stan Spence's singla
to center, but again the Yankees
took command when Gordon ham,
mered home run into the left field
stand with none on and two out in
the eighth. 8,
That was the situation when
Washington staged its ninth inning
rally, only to fall victim to the
Yankees counter ATTACK as the
result Of Haefner's hurting and
Johnson's fielding lapse. 81
| Idle today, the Mats will tangls
with the Yankees here tomorrow,
with Dutch Leonard slated to pitch
for the second time in three WASH
ington games. Dutch survived only
four innings against the Athletics in
the Mats opener on Tuesday. Sun.
day the Mats will battle the Ath.
letics in double header at pfltls-
delphia. returning to Grifith Sta-
dium Tuesday to meet the sans
team after an of day Monday.
| Only $3.50, smallest opening day
crowd in Yankee Stadium history,
viewed yesterdays engagement., -.