Evening star., 1943-06-02
Fear They Can t
Wait for Usual
Autumn Drive
St. Louis Beats Arch
RivoI to Get Within
Half Game of Top
By JUDSON BAILEY,
Associated Press Sports Writer

The National League is expected
to have a stupendous scramble for
the pennant every fall as matter
of course, but this year the Brook
lyn Dodgers and st. Louis Cardinals
are staging spring show that may
very well dwarf anything that can
happen later.
Usually at this early date there
are several teams that must be re-
garded as pennant possibilities and
skirmishes among the leaders are
considered as rehearsals for the
main event. This generally could
be counted upon to start when the
first nip of autumn in the air caused
players to start looking at fur coats
to be paid for out of World Series
proceeds
Different This Season.
The script has been changed this
year, though. The Dodgers and
Cardinals know they are the only
TWO teams in the league with any
reasonable chance of winning and
they are counting the games they
play against each other this spring
just as crucial as the ones that will
come at the close of the campaign.
Alter dividing four-game series
at Brooklyn last month and
double-header in st. Louis Monday.
they waded into each other again
yesterday like their lives depended
on the outcome and at the end of
II innings of almost unbelievable
baseball the raging Redbirds had an
ll-9 victory and were within half a
game of first place.
Inc two teams made IS hits. 20 bv
st. Louis and Is by Brooklyn. pa
raded a total of nine pitchers to the
mound and passed the lead back
and forth like hot tip on the sec
ond front.
Walkers Homer Decides.
FlnaIly 1t was a two-run homer
oy Harry Little Dixie Walker, his
flrst of the season, that decided the
game.
But 1t was a miraculous fielding
play by Shortstop Marion Martin
mat won Tor the Cards as much as
walkers Wallop. In the top half of
the 18th the Dodgers loaded the
oases with one out and Pinch-h hitter
Dee Moore smashed Harry Bre-
cheens first pitch to Marlon's left.
! Inc tall shortstop made a dive and
actually stabbed the ball after it had
hopped past him. He made a double
play out of it. The loss was charged
to Rube Melton.
Inc two rivals are ticketed for the
tlnal game of the series tonight and
on the result will depend whether
the Dodgers or the Cardinals are in
first place tomorrow.
Bucs Win in 14th.
Pittsburgh beat the Boston Braves
"a IN IA innings and the Cincinnati
Reds stopped the New York Giants
81 to set up triple tie for third
place among the Reds, Braves and
Pirates.
Plttsburgh's victory came as Huck
Geary stole home with the bases
loaded and one out in the 14th. The
Reos won on five-hit pitching per-
1ormance by Ray Starr.
The Philadelphia Phillies bounced
on the last-place Chicago Cubs for
their second triumph in three games.
~, with old ST Johnson pitching
seVen-hit ball. Afterward the Phil
lies announced deal that sent two
regular outf1elders, Dan Litwhiler
and Earl Naylor. to the Cardinals for
Buster Adams, Coaker Triplett and
Dain Clay.
Action in the American League
was limited to two night games in
which Washington whipped the
Cleveland Indians, 3-2. in 10 innings,
ana the Detroit Tigers came from
oenlnd to beat the Philadelphia
Athletics 5-3, ending a seven-game
winning streak for Jesse Flores.
Pinky Higgins eighth-inning homer
was the decisive blow in Detroit's 5
victory.