Evening star., 1944-10-05
Clever Pitching, Tight.
InfieId Work Hold
Cards in Check
BY JOHN b. KELLER,
Star Staff Correspondent.

1
| Star Staff Correspondent
ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Oct. 5.-A World
Series tussle apparently means no
more to the American League cham
pion Browns than a game during
the pennant season. At least, that's
the way they played yesterday be-
fore the 33,242 paying faps to take
the opener of baseball's fall classic
from the Cardinals, top men of the
National League. They didn't devi-
ate from the pattern of their season
style in winning, to l.
In todays game Nelson Potter
was slated to pitch for the Browns
and Southpaw Max Lanier for the
Cards.
All the Browns did as st. Louis
baseball civil war broke out was
make. the most of what little hitting
they could do and bear down in
their fielding behind pretty keen
pitching, the kind of pitching they
flashed through most of their flag
campaign. They made but two hits,
but those were all they needed.
And this persistence in following
their tight style of play might upset
the Cards in the chase for baseball's
most coveted laurel. 1t certainly took
the naughty National Leaguers by
surprise.
Experts Were Astounded.
Accustomed to a slam-bang kind
of game-the National League isn't
noted for mild and modest manner
of battling-the Cards moved along
with plenty Of hustle without get
ting anywhere until it was too late.
Against cautious pitching and a
tight infield they never had a |
chance to get runs in gobs.
The Cards, though, were no more
surprised than the hordes of experts
and ardent National League fans at
the outcome. Even American League
cohorts, who lifted their eyebrows
when Manager Luke Sewell an
nounced Denny Galehouse as his
starting hurler, were somewhat more
than surprised. Here was pitcher
with the poorest season record
among the Browns five starters. In
the rush down the stretch to the
flag Galehouse was the only Brownie |
to take beating There seemed
nothing logical in the selection.
Yet Galehouse vindicated the
choice in superb style. Never hur-
ried, he made a careful study of
every Cardinal batter and went
along smoothly and easily. Only
Stats Marion, the lanky Card short
stop, gave him any real trouble.
Stats got two of the seven hits Gale
house gave up and in his other twol
turns at bat he socked soundly, but
into deep outfield retirements.
Tough Situations.
Galehouse found himself in cou-
pie of tough situations early in the |
game, but he and his support took
good care of them. With two on and
two out in the second, he struck out
Morton Cooper, his pitching rival.
In the third, when two singles and a
sacrifice had runners on third and
second, he deliberately walked Walk
er Cooper, the Cards cleanup batter
the intentional pass was employed
frequently by Galehouse during the |
cham pionship season-then struck |
out Whitley Kurowski. and the best
Danny Litwhiler could do was drill
into forceout.
Galehouse's infield handled the
job in the fifth after a pass had
put Ray Sanders on with one out.
Don Gutteridge took Stan Musials
sharp rap and initiated a double
play. Augie Bergamo stepped up
for Emil Verban at the outset of the
seventh and drew pass, but never
got past second base.
Mike Kreevich's desperate at
tempt at shoetop catch paved the
way to the lone Card score. Had
he not rushed in on Marions wallop
to left-center it probably would have
been held to a single. Then Ber-
gamos infield erasure and Ken
O'Dea's pinch fly wouldn't have
been enough to get Marion around.
Cooper Was Plenty Good.
Cooper, ace of the National
Leaguers, was plenty good outside
the one inning in which the Browns
copped the game. In his seven
rounds before giving way to pinch
hitter, Mort struck out four and
franked three batters. His fast ball
had the American Leaguers bafled
in all but the fourth.
But with two out in the fourth,
the fast ball proved Cooper's un-
doing. Gene Moore ruffled Cooper
by singing to right. Then ball
called on George McQuinn seemed
to irk the Card pitcher considerably.
So Cooper poured waist-high fast
ball right through the slot. That
was all McQuinn wanted. He rifled
the pitch to the roof of the pavilion
back of right field and the Browns
were two up.
After that, Galehouse appeared
stronger than ever. He deserved a
shutout and but for Kreevich's over
Jealous play would have had one.
Blk Donnelly came along to pitch
two innings after Cooper's departure