Evening star., 1945-07-21
Leonard, Wolff Click;
indians Today Open
5-Game Set Here
BY JOHN b. KELLER

Solid pennant contenders again,
the Mats, with hopes high, looked
to the flve-game series with Cleve-
lands Seventh-place Indians that
was to get under way in Grifflth
Stadium this afternoon.
Their twin win over Detroit's IT,
gers last night left them in second
place and only three games of the
top, just as they stood when they
began the tussling with the Ameri-
can League leaders. Swapping a
losing streak that had extended to
four games, the Mats regarded the
4-3 and 81 victories as the tonic
they needed to get them to greater
heights.
The Indians today were to pitch
37-year-old AL Smith. The last time
the left-hander had a turn against
Washington he scored 80 shut
out. The Mats choice was Johnny
Niggeling, aging knuckleballer, who
got 80 triumph in Cleveland the
last time he pitched against the
Tribe. With Niggeling and Smith
at top form, this afternoons meet
ing could be grand pitchers duel.
Wolff Hurls Four Hitter.
Last nights twilight-night affair
was a pitchers jambotee, but only
for Dutch Leonard and Roger Wolff
of the Washington staff. They sub
dued the Tigers in firm fashion, al
though Wolff gave the more artistic
performance. In the second game
he let the league leaders down with
four hits, with their lone run COM
ing from two hits in the fifth.
The Tigers threw everything but
their bats at the Mats in this sec
ond encounter, coming up with a
lot of spectacular fielding, capped
by triple-play that brought a roar
from the 20,528 crowd. This defen-
sive feature cropped up in the sew
enth inning after George Case had
singled and moved to second on
George Myatt's bunted hit.
Gil Torres smacked what looked
like sure hit and the runners went
tearing from their bases. But Sec
ondbaseman Ed Mayo leaped to
spear the liner, wheeled and threw
to Shortstop Skeeter Webb at sec
ond before Case could scramble back
to the bag, and Webb relayed to
Rudy York at first well ahead of
Myatt.
Tigers Get Back at Mats.
1t was the first triple play made
in Griffith Stadium since the final
game of the 1943 season, and then
1t was the Mats who made one
against the Tigers.
The Mats got the game off Zeb
Eaton, making his second start of
the year. They landed on Eaton
for six hits before he gave way to
Walter Wilson with two out in the
sixth, but Eaton also gave five passes
and that was what hurt him. Three
of the passes were turned into runs.
Cliff and Kuhel walked in the
fourth and Cliff moved up to third
when York failed to cover first for
a throw from Cramer that hit the
sack. Cramer had made a falling
catch of Binks' looper that looked a
hit at the start. Kuhel had to dig
back to beat the throw and York,
for not being on the job, got an
error.
Then Kuhel and Cliff broke for
a double-steal. Swift's throw turned
back Kuhel, but Cliff kept on to
beat Mayos return to the plate.
Case walked and made his nine
veenth steal in the fifth to count
when Myatt singled, and in the sixth
kuhel walked, stole, moved up on |
wild pitch and counted on Binks'
fly.
Leonard Scores Big Run.
In the first game the Tigers got
eight hits off Leonard and before
four innings were over had matched
the three runs the Mats had made
OF Stubby Overmire-two after two
were out in the first inning. But
Leonard singled in the fourth to
score when Case and Myatt also hit
and Dutch protected that one-run
lead superbly.
Overmire left in the fourth and
Dizzy Trout took over. 1t was Diz-
zy's first outing since July 8, when
he had to quit the game for the
hospital. The Mats got five hits off
MIN to run their total to IA. but
Dlz was master in tight spots.
pydL: Detroit: AB. H. Q. A: Wash. ABB. H.2o.2A.