Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-09-15
Have Eight Starting
Hur|ers 10 Oppose
Foe Shaky Staff
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

Washington's roaring Mats today
were to begin their final bid for a
pennant and If they fail in the Ave-
game series with Detroit's leading
Tigers they will have no alibis.
Os Bluege has brought his ball
club up to this crucial set at its
top strength of the season. The
Mats regular lineup is in trim, the
club now has eight pitchers who
may be accounted starters and with
the exception Of one member the
reserve is ready for any emergency.
We've got to make it this time,
or there won't be much hope Of
a pennant for Washington" Bluege
admitted as he and the Mats looked
to the double-header scheduled this
afternoon.
The Mats 60 into the series only
a half-game off the lead after their
sizzling 6-5 win over Cleveland's
Indians last night. But to remain
solid pennant contenders. they must
take at least four of the five
games, it appears.
The Mats hold the Tigers in no
awe. All season, they have played
we'll against the club now at the
top of the league and there seems
no reason why they should crack
now when the chips are down. In
II meetings this year, the Mats have
defeated the Tigers 10 times. Seven
of the victories were scored in
Briggs Stadium. the Tigers home
lot.
Here, the Mats have played only
to an even break in six tussles with
the Tigers.
Griffs Have Slab Edge.
On record, the Mats have de-
cided edge over the Tigers in pitch
ing. The lefthanded Harold New
houser has been the lone Bengal to
bother the Mats consistently. He
has beaten them five times this
year. In two of his games, he
barely got by and he is not believed
at his best for this series.
Last year when the clutch came,
the Tigers pitched Newhouser and
Dizzy Trout out of turn frequently
to keep themselves in the running
for the flag to the last day of the
campaign. Trout, troubled with
back ailment, has had an indiffer-
ent season, but Newhouser has
racked up % wins. With the series
here being played in three days,
though, there seems little chance
for the Mats to face Newhouser
more than once.
Other Tigers who have scored
pitching wins over the Mats this sea-
son are Stubby Overmire. another
lefthander, and AL Benton. But the
Mats have knocked off Overmire
three times and Benton twice.
Leading the Nat slab staff in
competition with the Tigers are
Dutch Leonard and Roger Wolff,
the knuckleballer who pitched them
out of a pennant tie in the last 1914
game, has trounced the Tigers three
times. Wolff also has beaten them
three times, but has lost to them
once. Mickey Haefner and Marine
Pieretti have 2-and-2 records to
show for their pitching against the
Tigers.
Tigers Like Niggeling.
Johnny Nlggeling, the veteran
knuckleballer, is the lone Nat hurler
who has started against the Tigers
without winning. He was driven
out by them twice last May and has
not faced the Bengals since.
Physically, the Tigers may be a
trifle under par for the series, but
one of their cripples will be in the
lineup. Hank Greenberg. who has
been hammering home runs to keep
them going strong on their last in
vasion of the East, will tape his
sprained ankle and get in the game
But Eddie Mayo, the sparkplug of
their infield, probably won't make it.
If he is not at second base, the job
will be handled by Red Boron.
Without Mayo, the Tiger infield
was a weak wall when the Mats last
invaded Detroit in August. It's
fumbling and wild throwing con-
tributed greatly to the success of the
Washington club as it took three of
four games played.
In all, the Mats look better equip
ped than the Tigers for this series
that probably will determine the
years pennant winner. And If the
Mats don't give the Tigers a thor
ough beating, well-it will be be-
cause they just were not good