Evening star., 1943-06-21
Top To Bottom,
RaceSeen
Tightest Ever
Yonks' 3-Gume Edqe
Over Mats Largest;
N. L. Is ShuffIed
BY JUDSON BAILEY,
Associated Press Sports Writer,

This years pennant race in the
American League may become his
toric as the tightest from top to
bottom that the major leagues ever
have seen.
With the season approximately
one-third gone the standings should
have thinned out like shoe custom
ers after the No. II coupon expired.
But instead, the eight clubs are
separated by only eight games and
six OF them are punched within 21a.
Startling shifts have been going
on in the standings as result. The
Cleveland Indians, who were in sew
enth place before they started play
Saturday, had scared into third at
the close of competition yesterday.
The Boston Red Sox, who dragged
along near the bottom for weeks,
bounced blithely into the first di-
vision. The Chicago White Sox.
who were third 10 days ago, dropped
into tie with the ST. Louis Browns
for last place.
Yanks' Margin Best in Loop.
The greatest distance between
any two clubs is the three games
separating the flrst-place New York
Yankees and second-place Wash
ington, yet in ordinary times this
would be considered a red-hot RI
Valry.
1t is a pretty good one even now,
and yesterday, when the Yanks and
Mats tangled in a double-header at
Yankee Stadium, Washington won
the first game. 5-3, and New York
took the second, 7-6.
Cleveland and the White Sox also
split, Chicago mailing the first, 1916,
With seven runs in the fourth inning
and the Indians capturing the sec
ond, 7-2, with Jim Bagby pitching
six-hit ball.
Boston swept a double-header
from the Philadelphia Athletics. ia
and 6-5, with an attack that includ.
ed flVe home runs. Jim Tabor hit
two to highlight the first game and
Babe Barna got one with one or
TO decide the second.
The Browns downed Detroit twice
6-3 and Sd, with homers fgurins
Importantly. Chet Laabs hit one
with two aboard to decide the frs
game and Harlond Cliff duplicated
the feat in the afterpiece.
National League Shuf1ed.
The National League standing,
also were shuffled with Cincinnati
dropping from third to fifth in on,
afternoon and the phenomena
Phillies regaining a berth in tn,
first division.
Pittsburgh sank the Reds with
double victory yesterday. 5-4 AM
AZ, and the Pirates aScended t.
third place. A three-run homer b,
Elole Fletcher in the eighth inninl
oeclded the first game and a four
run rally in the eighth produced al
the Pirates runs in the nightcap.
The Pnillies swept two at Boston
1877 and TO. scoring 10 runs in tn,
seventh inning of the first game an,
getting a dazzling three-hit pitch
ing performance from Schoolbo,
Rowe in the nightcap, in which
Rowe also hit homer.
The Brooklyn Dodgers nosed ou
the New York Giants. 81, in a sin
gle game that went 10 innings be
fore a hit by Augie Galan drov
home the deciding run.
This cut the first-place margin O
the st. Louis Cardinals to 21a game
as the world champions divided
double-header with the Chicag
Cubs. The first was wild affair il
which 10 pitchers were used, tn
Cards winning. 1919. with a six-rul
rally after two were out in tn
eighth. The second game abbre
waited to five innings by weather
went to the Cubs, 81.