Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-07-26

Moore Apt 10 Replace
Spence TO Help Mats
Stay Up in Race

Prexy Clark Griffith of the Mats.
who still is having something to say
in connection with the operation of
his club, will recommend to Man.
ager Ossie Bluege that Center
Fielder Stan Spence be benched
when the ailing Bob johnson again
is available for duty.
Replacing the slump-shackled
Spence, hitless in his last 13 trips
to the plate, will be Gene Moore,
who in Johnson's absence has batted
a commendable .375. Griffith indi-
Gates the alteration of the Mats
lineup merely will be temporary,
but is hoping Spence.s shelving will
help him.
Spence has lapsed to become just
the kind of ball player he was
when we got him from the Red
Sox. He's hitting 237 now and he
was hitting .232 then. He had
great year last season, but he's lost
the spark that made him a good
hitter.
Last year he wanted to vindicate
himself. He wanted to show the
Red Sox they had made a mistake
Stan felt he was better ball player
than Dom Di Maggie and he wanted
to prove it. He hit 1923 and gave
us a lot Of good outfielding, but
right now 1t seems he could go a
month without getting hit.
Leonard Faces Tribe Tonight.
We'll need another pitcher to
help us out-We're still not too far
back to catch those Yankees-and
I'm trying to get one. Rae Scar
borough going in the Navy means
one of our better pitchers is leaving
and he'll be tough to replace. That
boy is just beginning to arrive at the
point of being whale of pitcher"
Their longest losing streak of the
season ended as the result of taking
a II decision from the Indians in
the nightcap of a double header yes
terday at Griffith Stadium before
l4,S00 fans after dropping a fifth
straight game, 81, in the opener.
The Mats again will tangle with
Cleveland tonight at $50
Dutch Leonard, pounded by the
Tigers in his last start, will seek his
seventh victory, with Jim Bagby ex-
pected to toll for Cleveland.
1t was Jim MertZ, slim rookie
highlander. who brought the Mats
out of their losing habits. He hurled
a four-hit shutout until the ninth
when Hank Edwards double, jeff
Heath's single and Ray Mack's
double fashioned the Indians only
runs.
Mats Jump on Naymick.
Meanwhile, the Mats had been
getting some help. Ray Poat, who
had retired 10 Mats in order to start
the nightcap, was lifted after George
Case and Moore singled successfully
with one out in the fourth. Manager
Lou Boudreau strangely yanked Poat
and inserted Mike Naymick, which
was all right with the Mats.
Naymick walked Mickey Vernon
and Spence before Boudreau could
rush Joe Heving to the scene. He
forced over another run with a walk
after Gerald Priddy had forced
Moore at the plate and Angelo Giu-
liani then staked the Mats to 40
lead with single to left that scored
Spence and Priddy.
Washington picked up single runs
off Al Milnar in the fifth, sixth and
seventh innings and that, combined
with Mertzs pitching, gave Bou-
dreau and his three coaches their
first shaves in a week. They had
stuck to resolution not to shave
until the Indians lost a game and
Cleveland proceeded to win seven
straight.
Candini Misses Again.
Milo Candini failed for the sew
enth time to register his eighth vic
tory in the opener. He was clipped
for four runs in the five innings he
labored before yielding to Ewald
Pyle. who was no success. PYLE
pitched the Indians four runs in the
sixth.
Vernon Kennedy, a former Nat,
scattered seven Washington hits. He
was touched for a run in the first
inning when Case singled. stole sec
ond and scored on Moore's single
ana another run in the fifth when
George Wyatt batted for Candini
and walked to score on singles by
Case and Vernon.