Evening star., 1943-05-15
Three Runs Best
Foes Make in 9
Of Last II Ti|ts
Leonard Curbs Tribe,
While Griffs RoIIy
In Ninth for Win
BY BURTON HAWKINS,
Star 9taff Correknondank

by BURTON HAWKINS,
Star Staff Correspondent.
DETROIT, May 15.-One of the
more fantastic baseball events of
recent years Is the Mats current
thlrd-place status. Washington to-
day was in position to move into
second place, only a game behind the
leading New York Yankees, almost
unbelievable when seven of the Mats
eight regular batters are hitting .239
or lower.
Manager Ossie Bluege's pitchers
have performed a remarkable job of
wedging the Mats into threatening
spot. Fourteen times in % games
this season. Washington's pitchers
have permitted the opposition three
runs or less. Six times the Mats
hurlers have restricted their foes to
one run and on six other occa-
sions the opposition has mustered
only two runs. Twice the Mats enc
mics have been shut out and twice
more they've been held to three runs.
That sort of pitching from a staff
that was considered $3.50 before the
campaign was launched borders on
the miraculous. The Mats have been
turned upside down. for their hitters
figured to propel the Mats wherever
they were going in the American
League race and they haven't been
able to approach anything re-
'sembling previous form.
Some Of Hits Timely.
It has been a rarity when Wash
ington pitcher has collapsed. In nine
of the Mats last II games, their
pitchers have yielded three runs or
less. Washington's hurlers have
done marvellous job Of holding the
Mats together at a time when they've
needed it desperately.
Bluege is forced to stick to line
up that includes in Jake Early, Stan
Spence and Mickey Vernon fellows
who are hitting .2ll, POT and 203,
respectively. George Case. Bob John
son, Gerald Priddy and Johnny Sui
livan all are hitting in the .230s and
Ellis Clary is .28O batter.
The Mats are the sockless sensa-
tions of baseball, but some of the
few hits they have collected have
been inserted at timely intervals.
Five times this season they've regis
tered less hits than their foes but
have won.
No small slice of the Mats success
has been due to the outstanding
defensive play of johnson. His
throwing and fielding have been ter
rife. Six times he has thrown out
base runners from his left field posi-
ton and most of them at times
when 1t gave the Mats a tremendous
lift. He also has contributed some
classy catches.
Figures in Indians Setback.
johnson is hitting .239, which is
calculated to disturb a recognized
fine batter. but he is giving the Mats
more hustle than they believed pos
sible for him to possess. Despite his
anemic batting average, he has been
the Mats most valuable player.
Bob again demonstrated his de-
fensive value to the Mats yesterday
at Cleveland as they captured 81
decision from the Indians through
the medium of 3-run rally in the
ninth. In the sixth inning of a
then scoreless pitchers battle, Lou
Boudreau shot a single to left with
one out and when Jim Bagby at
tempted to take third on the blow
he was nipped by Johnson's fine
throw to Clary.
While Bagby had the Mats at his
mercy, the Indians were not getting
anywhere with Dutch Leonard. who
notched his third victory. Dutch
bumped into trouble in the eighth
though. when Buddy Rosar beat out
grounder to Sullivan and con-
tinued to second on Sullivan's wild
throw past Vernon.
Ray Mack flied out to Case in
short right but Rosar shifted to
third as Clary threw out Bagby and
scored on Oris Hockett's single to
left.
Thus the Mats entered the ninth
on the wrong end of a 10 score
and the situation wasn't helped
when Vernon flied out. johnson
walked, however. and on a hit-and-
run play Priddy singled to right
sending johnson to third, and Prid
dy continued to second when Ken
Keltner fumbled Hockett's throw.
Double Play Seals Game.
Pinch Hitter Gene Moore pur-
posely was passed, filling the bases
and Early then slashed a single
down the first base line to score
johnson and Priddy and shift
Moore to third. Moore scored on
Sullivan's sharp single to center be-
fore Leonard sacrificed and Keltner
threw out Case.
Cleveland threatened a counter
attack in its portion of the inning
when jeff Heath singled with one
out, but at that point the Mats came
up with their third double play to
win four of their last five games.
Leonard limited the Indians to nine
hits, while Washington obtained
eight off Bagby.
Jim Mertz or Mickey Haefner was
to face the Tigers today in the
opener of three-game series, with
Alex Carrasquel and Early Wynn
slated to pitch for the Mats in to-
morrows double-header here. Car
rasquel will seek his fifth straight
victory while Wynn still will be
searching for his first.