Evening star., 1945-09-26
Three Defeats in Four
Games Would Brinq
Tie With Griffmen
By JACK HAND,
Associated Press Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports Writer
Detroit's Tigers, with a go-ahead
sign from the Motor City weather
man, today were prepared to meet
the Cleveland Indians in a twin bill
that may decide the American
League pennant race.
The Bengals, who were reined out
yesterday, were promised fair and
cooler" weather for the all-impor-
tant tests today. A double win for
the Tigers would clinch the flag.
If they lose one today and both
of their remaining two games with
the st. Louis Browns they will tie
with Washington, necessitating a
playoff.
Game Today Means Much.
Things are not quite so simple
for the Cubs in the National, but
they lead by 2la games and can
grind out the st. Louis Cardinals
last hope today by repeating yes
terday's 6-5 conquest in their final
meeting. They still would not be
I'm" mathematically, but it would
be so close that they'd have to lose
their remaining five games and the
Cards win four to miss a tie.
Most of Charley Grimm's Bruins
figured they won the flag when
they beat Harry Brecheen yester-
day, but jolly Cholly wasn't so sure.
Billy Southworth, manager of the
opposing Cardinals, refused to give
up and predicted, We're not out of
it yet. But we've got to win that
last one"
Hank Borowy failed to last
through a desperate Card rally in
the eighth but received credit for his
10th victory as a Cub and his goth
In a combination season with the
Yankees and Bruins.
Prim to the Rescue.
Ray (Pappy) Prim helped him out
with a superb relief job. Some
solid base hits by Phil Cavarretta
and Andy Pafko, each of whom
knocked in two runs, turned a
threatened loss into a glorious vic
tory.
Borowy became the first two
league 20-game winner since Iron
Man McGinnity Of Baltimore and
New York 43 years ago.
After today's series finale, the
Cubs have five to play, three with
Pittsburgh and two with Cincinnati.
while the Cards have only four to
go, three with the Reds and one
with the Pirates.
Manager Steve O'Neill of the Tigers
has nominated AL Benton and Hal
Newhouser, his best available fling
ers, to oppose Cleveland's Steve
Gromek and Allie Reynolds in the
important double-header.
Benton Lacks Endurance.
Benton, hard-luck righthander
who was out of action a month with
a broken leg, hasn't finished any Of
his last II starts, but Newhouser, De-
troit's best route-goer, has won
three four-hit victories in his last
six starts, pitching % complete
games in racking up a season record
Of % wins against nine defeats.
Both Gromek, who has whipped
the Tigers five times while losing to
them just once in two years, and
Reynolds, who has a string Of three
straight triumphs over Detroit this
season, had hopes of notching their
10th victories. Each has chance
to break into the charmed circle of
20-game winners.
Strangely enough, though the IL
gers and Indians were all even at
10 wins each going into their 2lst
meeting of the year, Detroit hadn't
beaten Cleveland but once in eight
games since June 81 and such su-
periority fast was approaching
"jinx" proportions.
Only two games other than the
Cubs-Card affair were played yes
terday, one in each league, as a
Pittsburgh-at-C Cincinnati contest
also was washed out. Brooklyn
tightened its grip on third place and
just about ended New York's last
hopes of regaining a first division
berth with IA triumph on Goody
Rosen's three-run homer in the
ninth.
AL Hollingsworth hurled the St.
Louis Browns to a ST. margin over
Chicago for his 18th success on the
strength of four-run fourth inning
against Ed Lopat.