Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-07-13
May Be Idle for Week
with Split Finger;
Mats Star AfieId
BY JOHN b. KELLER.

Still ablaZe, the Mats let their
home folk-who had not seen them
in league action since June I'll
know they mean to make their
presence felt in the pennant pur-
suit from now on.
They deity downed Chicago's
White Sox in the opener of a three
game series, Az, last night at Grit
fifth Stadium and moved within 81
games of Detroit's leading Tigers.
And in scoring their win, they dis
played the fire and fury that
marked their recent amazing prog
ress through the West.
But the win came at some cost,
for Dutch Leonard, the Mats ace
pitcher, sustained an injury that
may have him out of commission
for a week or longer.
AS he hurled and helped hit the
way to his 10th victory of the
Iyear, Dutch was target for White
Sox drives and had to do a lot of
lodging to protect himself. But
he was unable to dodge a smash
by Pinch-batter Guy Outright in
the eighth. The hard-hit ball
struck Leonard on his bare hand
and bounded to Shortstop Gil
Torres, who initiated a force play
for the last out of the round. Then
Leonard walked off the field with
bleeding third finger on his right
hand.
Dutch Second HurIer Hurt.
The smash had split the inside
of the finger just below the top
joint, so Dutch had to turn the
ninth inning over to Al Carrasquel,
who disposed of the Chicagoans in
order.
With Leonard hurt, the Mats now
have two pitchers on the injured
list. Marine Pieretti still is bothered
by the knee he hurt when making
an unnecessary steal of third base
in last Tuesdays exhibition against
Brooklyn's Dodgers and may not
be able to take turn on the hill
for another four or five days.
OS Bluege believes his slab staff
can Withstand the mishaps, how
ever Mickey Haefner will take the
hill against the White Sox tonight,
with Ed Lopat pitching for the OPP
position. Tomorrow afternoon, Ro-
ger Wolff gets his turn and on
Sunday against the champion st.
Louis Browns it will be Johnny
Niggeling and probably Carrasquel.
After that, Pieretti may be ready
for service.
White Sox Pelt Leonard.
Leonard was not himself last
night, for the White Sox pelted him
for II hits, while other hard drives
were made harmless only by the re-
markable support accorded him. 1t
was about the finest fielding exhibit
ton by the Mats here this year.
The Mats faced the elderly Thorn
ton Lee and they did enough to the
left-hander in one round, the Sec
ond, to hand him his sixth defeat
Of the campaign. Then they clus-
tered four of their eight safeties
with one of six passes they got
for three markers.
1t was their fifth straight win
over Jimmy Dykes crew and the
defeat dropped the Chicagoans into
the second division.
The Sox got a run off Leonard
in the second after it looked as
though they would go scoreless.
Runners were on first and second
with two out when Lee reached
across the plate and stuck his bat
against pitch to loop a single to
left. That got Michaels home.
Dutch Sends Mats Ahead.
But the Mats came right back
with three tallies. Binks and Torres
hit and Terrell sacrificed. An in
territorial pass to zardon loaded the
cushions. Leonard, not to be out
done by Lee as hitter, singled to
right to score two. Case doubled
zardon home before Wyatt and
Vaughn struck out.
In the third, the Sox got one run
back when Reynolds singled and
Dickshot tripled to the rightfield
corner, but in the fourth the Mats
again ran their lead to two. Fer
rell's double, Leonard's second sin
gle and Cases hoist did it.
Zardon made the best catch seen
in Griffith Stadium this season in
the second inning when he raced
to deep center to haul down Hook
ett's hoist. Again in the third,
Hockett was the victim of a spec
tacular catch when his liner was
speared with one hand by Vaughn
to start a double play. In the
sixth, Zardon was trapped off third
when he tried to count on Myatt's
infleld hit, but scrambled back to
the bag despite the efforts of three
Sox infielders, the pitcher and the
NoI