The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-06-13
DETROIT TIGERS AND TANKS WIN
 CLOSE QNES'
BY CARL IVY QUEST


 United Press Staff Correspondent
 New York, June 13-(UP)-If John McGraw were alive today and could spare a moment from his worries over the collapse of the Giants, he probably would pici- the Detroit Tigers to win the American league flag. t.s
 It was McGraw, the little "Napo- leon'' of the Majors, who provided the proverb You've got to win the close ones to win the pennant."
 The years have proved that McGraw, the doughty Giant pilot, who hated to lose, was right. The teams that come through in the clutch are the ones that finish in front.
 And that is the way the first place Tigers are going. They are 8 fairly safe bet whenever they get into a close game. They won their 18th low-score game yesterday, beating the Browns, 2 to l in Il in- nings at Detroit.
 Among the other clubs, only the Yankees have been consistent win- ners in sweating out the close ones. They have won seven out of 10 games by one-run margins. Cleve- land has won nine of IT. Washing ton seven out of B Boston is even up with six and six, the White Sox five out of 13, the As four out of 13 with the Browns bringing up the rear.
 Fears that Hal Newhouser, left wing ace of the Tigers wasn't up to his 1914 form were dispelled when he won his eighth game against four defeats, putting him exactly even with his record at this stage of the race year ago. He was miser in the pinches, stranding 13 men on base, as he outpitched Jack Kramer. The Tigers won on Bobby Maier's single which scored Roger (Doc) Cramer from second. Newhouser struck out seven and Kramer nine in the twilight affair. Emil Dutch) Leonard, who makes the second division Senators look like champions when he pitches against the Yankees, beat them for l the second time in a week, to 3, knocking them out of the lead. | Three runs in the seventh on Gil Torres double, Fred Vaughns triple, and Joe Kuhels single with Nick Ettens bad throw provided the win | ming margin.
 Russ Christopher pitching three innings in relief, won his 10th game | to increase his lead as top winner in the Majors. beating the Red Sox at Philadelphia, ' to when Dick Siebert homered in the 12th to break up the game Siebert also singled | in two runs in the eighth to tie the score. Southpaw Thornton Lee, winning | his seventh game in courageous comeback from arm trouble which threatened to end his career, gave | the White SoX to win over the Indians at Chicago. He struck out | 13 and let no batter get past second, besting Al Smith in a duel that was scoreless until Bill Nagel singled home the winning run in the ninth inning.
 l Ile DOURe4S DSdI lllt 4edUillS Giants, to 4, at Brooklyn to move within a game and half of first | place. Rookie Vic Lombardi gave up seven hits to win his fourth game. Goodwin Rosen and Dixie Walker each drove in two runs to pace the Dodgers at bat.
 The second place Pirates advenced to within game of the Giants by toping the visiting Cubs, g to 3. Pitcher Al Gerheauser kept Chicago at bay all the way and paced the attack with four hits. The Bucs made IA hits.
 The Phillies, still going in reverse, lost their 18th straight, 10 to at Boston, to set a new club record for consecutive defeats. Johnny Hutch ings held the Phils to four hits while the Braves made 12 including a homer by Chuck Workman.
 Cincinnati at St. Louis was rained out.
 STERDAY'S STAR-Enil (Dutch) Leonard Washington knuckle- baller W h beat Yankees, 5 to 3, for the second time in a week, knocking them out of first place.