The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-04-21
CHICAGO WHITE
 SOx SHAPE UP
 ASFLAC THREAT
BY CARL LUNDQUIST United Press Staff COrrespOnde1


 New York. April 21-cUP)-They may come down to earth with a crash. right in their own Comiskey park today, but the way the Chicago White Sox have been playing to date entities them to a revised rating in the American League pennant pie ture.
 At this time a year ago, the event. ual pennant winners, the St. Louis Browns, were passed off just as lightly as the White Sox are now. They went on to win nine straight at the seasons start, building up a margin that gave them the cham pionShip in the stretch battle that developed later on.
 Flag Contender
 The Chicagoans have won only three straight, but that is enough to start the pennant bee buzzing in the bonnet of the ever-optimistic Jimmy Dykes, who has his club hustling and is getting a combina- tion of timely hitting and adequate pitching There isn't a lot to criti- ci7e about his team, although 1t has weaknesses. If it can keep up the early season pace it might at least rank as contender.
 Yesterdays 3 to 3 victory in the home opener against the champion Browns came the hard way with the chips down in the 10th inning.
 Outfielder Oris Hockett hit his third single, went to second on Johnny Dickshot's sacrifice bunt and scored on Roy Schalk's double. Ed Lopat, veteran southpaw, shaded Al Hollingsworth, Brownie lefty, in a duel in which both were hit fre- quently, but at scattered intervals.
 The White Sox, who won only one game in their first seven starts last season, have gotten three creditable pitching jobs from Lopat, Bill Diet rich, and Thornton Lee, another southpaw. And the hitting has been both plentiful and timely.
 Also atop the American League with four straight victories were the New York Yankees, who beat the Senators at Washington in their home opener, 6 to 3. First baseman Nick Etten drove in three runs with three hits to lead the II hit attack. Floyd Bevens, with relief help from Al Gettel, gained the victory.
 Cleveland gained its first triumph, topping the Tigers at Detroit, to 1, on Steve Gromek's siX-hit pitch ing. Southpaw Prank (Stubby) Overmire permitted all the Indian runs to score in the first three inn ings and although relief man Walt Wilson pitched Shutout ball the rest of the way, the damage was done. A two-run homer by Frankie Hayes in the first inning started the Philadelphia As off to to 3 vic- tory over the Red Sox at Boston It was the fourth straight loss for the Sox. Don Black scattered nine hits to gain the win for the As. | Hero
 Miner (Butch) Nienlan hit . three run homer in the ninth to give the Boston Braves . 6 to 5 victory ovel the Phils in their home opener al Philadelphia. Relief pitcher Charley Cozart was the victor, taking over 1T the seventh. Vince DiMaggio hit : two run homer for Philadelphia.
 In battle of homers, the Giants won their home opener from the Brooklyn Dodgers, 10 to 6, Phi Weintraub getting two and pitcher Harry Feldman one for the win ners. Eddie Stanky and Mike Sand lock got their first big league hom- CTS for the Dodgers in losing cause
 The Pittsburgh Pirates and Chi cago Cubs, expected to be pennant contenders, put on battle royal at Pittsburgh, the Bucs winning, to 4, when Al Lopez singled in the eighth to score Frankie G,lstine from second. Truett (Rip) Sewell won his tooth Major League victory going the route for Pittsburgh.
 St. Louis and Cincinnati in the National were not scheduled. YESTERDAYS STARE m I Nieman of the Braves, whose three run homer in the ninth beat the Phillies, 6 to 5.