Evening star., 1943-05-16
Mats Blasted in Detroit Start
By Ex-Mote's Homer, Double
Mertz Yields Runs at Outset, Hoefner
Is Hit Hard; Trout Stops BIuegemen

They greeted him with everything
in the book and when that first in
ming was over Mr.. Mertz was soap
ing himself and Detroit possessed
SO lead.
Bloodworth Mops Up.
Detroit inserted a walk, single,
double, triple and home run into
that first inning. Doc Cramer, an
other ex-Nat. launched that out
burst by humping a double to cen
ter with one out and Rookie Dick
Wakefield promptly fetched him
around with lusty triple to center
Pinky Higgins was a comparative
failure He singled to center, scor-
ing Wakefield, before Rip Radcliff
flied to Stan Spence in short center
and Rudy York walked. Into that
situation stepped Bloodworth and
bounced a home run off the second
deck of the left field stands, scor-
ing Higgins and York ahead of him
while registering the Tigers second
homer Of the season.
The Mats made one threatening
gesture Of getting back in the game
when they loaded the bases with
none out in the fifth inning. but that
didn't develop as promisingly as it
started.
Mickey Haefner. who replaced
Mertz on the mound for the Mats
starting the second inning, singled
to left and George Case singled to
center before Spence walked to
cram the bases.
Vernon Averts Shutout.
Mickey Vernon delivered single
to short center that scored Haefner
and left the bases full, but Bob
johnson then lashed a steaming
liner into Bloodworth's glove and
he quickly tipped the ball to short
stop Don Ross to catch Spence off
second for double-play. Blood
worth then tossed out Gerald Priddy.
That was the last time the Mats
caused the raw-boned Mr.. Trout
any anxiety for the Tigers bounced
back with two runs in their half
of the fifth. Higgins pumped his
third straight hit to center, a dou-
BILE and after Radcliff popped out
York walked.
Bloodworth then whacked a dou-
BILE off the left field screen, scoring
Higgins with what represented
Bloodworth' fourth run batted in.
York shifted to third on that blow.
of course, and scored after Ed Par
sons flied deep to Case.
Don Ross double and Cramer's
single produced the final Detroit
run in the sixth inning. Dewey Ad-
kins took over the Mats hurting bur-
den in the seventh and succeeded
in holding those Tigers through no
fault of his own.
Trout Battles Mats.
Adkins walked York to open the
seventh, but Bloodworth drilled into
double play. Adkins then pitched
single to Parsons, walked Trout
and pitched another single to Ross
that filled the bases, but Cramer
grounded out.
Meanwhile the Mats were getting
nowhere rapidly with Trout's fast
ones. The Mats didn't get hit in
the final four innings and the only
time they reached first base over
that span was when Trout walked
them. With one out in the ninth,
he walked Johnny Sullivan and
Pinch-hitter Gene Moore, but Case
struck out and Spence forced Moore
at second.
That censored stuff was falling
throughout the game, but to the
Mats regret it never fell heavily
enough to merit postponement, so
the Tigers took over third place as
the Mats skidded to the bottom Of
the first division.
The defeat was MertZ's third,
while Trout was scoring his third
triumph for the Tigers.