Evening star., 1943-06-03
Loop Lead Goal
As Griffs Open
Tiger Series
Tie Necred as Heavy
Attack Routs Tribe;
Condini SpurkIes

A microscopic margin that reads
.OOS today separates the Mats from
first place in the American League,
a goal they hope to attain at the ex-
pense of the third-place Detroit
Tigers in a five-game series to be
launched tonight at Griffith Sta
dium.
Washington will carry an infant
winning streak of two games against
the Tigers at $50 o'clock and on
the slim shoulders of young Jim
Mertz may fall the burden of at
tempting to pitch the Mats into the
league lead Should New York
drop decision to St. Louis today.
or even If weather prevents t,oeir
meeting the Mats would vault into
the top spot by beating Detroit.
The Mats and Tigers will tanole in
4 brace Of succ >siVe night games.
then clash in a single game on Sat-
urdaT before cOlliding in double
header on Sunday For the other
tour battles Manager OSSie Bluege
will be prepared to employ his recog-
nlZed regular starterS-Dutch Leon
ard, Early Wynn, Alex Carrasquel
ana EWald Pyle-but tonight Mertz
is his man.
Mertz was no ball of fire in pre-
VlouS start against the Tigers. They
shelled him from the mound after
a hectic inning in which they pro-
duced five runs but Jim since has
turned IN two impressive relief Jobs.
Candini SqoelcheS Tribe.
Blucge now i, in the enviable
position of having a fifth reliable
starter at his command. for after
spanking Cleveland, 1871, on eight
hits last night before l4.222 Gus
toners Milo Candini has pitched his
way into Ossie's plans It was
brilliant sort of game Candini un-
raveled in making his major league
debut as starter.
Washington didn't require expert
pitching last night. The Mats un-
leashed a l7-hit attack for their
biggest barrage OF the year, scoring
four runs IN the fifth inning and
seven more in the eighth. but Cam
dini's hurting also was heartening
to Bluege.
The sturdy Italian right -hander
vas clipped for a run in the first
inning when Oris Hockett doubled
and jeff Heath singled, but after
yielding three hits in the opening in
ming Candini braced and scattered
the Indians remaining five hits.
He wasn't hurting himself by is
suing bases on balls He gave up
only one and immediately there
after the Mats second base combina-
ton got him out Of difficulty with
a snappy double play He struck
out three and retired the last 10 IN
dlanS in order.
Early Heads Nat Attack.
Candlnls pitching, though. was
oveTshadoWed by the Mats hitting.
Against the Tigers tonight Jake
Early will carry a string of four sue
cesslve hits. He slammed A triple
and three singles after drilling into
a double-plav in the second inning.
Bob Johnson inserted triple.
double and single into the proceed
1ngs. scoring two runs and batting
in three more, George Case. Alex
kampourls, Johnny Sullivan and
Candini each contributed two hits
and the Only Nat who failed to hit
IN fact, was the slump -shacklod
Mickey Vernon.
JohnSon', triple and Gerald
Prlddy single to right fetched the
Mats a IL tie IN the second inning.
but in the fifth they pounced on
Jack Salveson for tour runs Is Kam-
pourls, Sullivan. Spence and john
son singled and Early tripled.
Washington picked up another
run in the sixth off Paul Calvert
when kampouris walked moved to
third on Earlys single and scored
tSee HAWKINS Paoe AIT,