Evening star., 1943-05-02
yanks Win, 81,
As Robertson
Fly
Complete Miss Lets
Two TuIIies Score
In Zony Contest
BY BURTON HAWKINS.

Griffith Stadium's zaniest baseball
game in several semesters material
lied yesterday before 5000 fans, who
saw the following:
J.. washington manufacture a
4-run rally in the ninth inning to
tie the Yankees at TT, with Stan
Spence's lusty double that cleared
loaded bases as the big blow, but
2. Lose a 81 decision in the
eleventh when
3. Shortstop Sherry Robertson,
nephew Of Boss Clark Griffith of the
Mats, misjudged a soft pop fly that
represented the third out, permitting
4. The ball to fall at his feet for a
luck-annointed double that sent two
New York runners scurrying across
the plate to climax a hectic struggle
In which
5. Ten pitchers-six Mats and four
Yankees-saw service and
6. Plnch-hitter Red Marion pinch
hit for Pinch-hitter George Myatt
when the Mats batted around in the
ninth.
Blow Chance to Lead.
Washington thus blew it's first op-
portunity in years to inherit first
place in the American League at
this stage of the race, for while the
Mats were threatening to spank the
Yankees, Detroit was nipping Cleve-
land. The defeat bumped the Mats
into fourth place but still only one
game back of the leading Yankees.
Robertson made a magnificent
mess OF his only fielding opportu-
nifty. With two out in the eleventh,
Joe Gordon on third and Nick Etten
on second as the result of two walks
by Jim Mertz and wild pitch by
Lew Carpenter. Rollie Hemsley
raised pop fly few yards back Of
shortstop
Robertson, who was in the game
because Manager Ossie Bluege
lifted Johnny Sullivan for a pinch
hitter in the dramatic ninth, drifted
back to make the catch and turned,
only to discover he hadn't drifted
back quite far enough.
The ball plopped at his feet and
also at the feet of Left Fielder Bob
johnson, who could have made the
catch if Robertson hadn't performed
a Barrymore like job of acting as
though he had the situation in hand
until the final split second. Gordon
and Etten, who had seemed to be
running for exercise. sprinted
across the plate to provide the
Yankees their winning margin.
Blow Opportunity in 11th.
The Mats made a gesture of coun-
terattacking for the second time in
their half of the eleventh when
Johnson was safe on Snuffy Stirn-
weiss second error and the Yankees
fifth. Vernon walked to place the
tying run on base with none out,
but Gerald Priddy then missed an
attempt to sacrifice and Johnson,
who had streaked for third with the
pitch, was thrown out. Priddy then
forced Vernon and Jake Early flied
out
Washington brought the custom-
ers out of the seats with that ninth
inning rally. They were trailing 81
entering their half of the inning,
but the fans sensed possibilities
when Myatt batted for Sullivan and
walked and Gene Moore batted for
Milo Candini and singled to center.
Ellis Clary inserted his seventh
double of the season down the left
field line off Jim Turner to score
Myatt and shift Moore to third and
the bases were loaded when Third
Baseman Bill johnson scooped up
George Cases grounder and pulled
Etten off first base with a wide
throw. Pitching to Case was Atley
Donald, the third New York hurler.
Spence Hits Big Double.
The Mats needed three runs to
tie it up and Spence gave 'em those
runs through the medium of a tre-
mendous double over Roy Wealth.
erly's head in center. Spence rep
resented the winning run and none
was out, but the Mats couldn't get
him around.
Spence took third as Johnson
grounded out. Vernon purposely
was passed and the bases were filled
when Priddy walked. At that point
Rookie Tommy Byrne was sum-
'moned to the mound by Manager
Joe Mccarthy and he whipped a
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