Evening star., 1945-08-16
Manager Is Convinced
He Must Lick Grifs
Ito Annex Pennanf
BY JOHN b. KELLER,
Star Staff CORRESPONDENT.


BY JOHN b. KELLER,
Star Staff Correspondent.
DETROIT, Aug. 16.-This town,
stiA slap-happy celebrating the end
Of the war with the Japanese
Twenty-four hours following the
White House announcement of the
termination Of hostilities, Detroit
was in an uproar. But none Of the
hilarity had to do with its Tigers
in front in the race for the American
League pennant.
The baseball angle found Tiger
fans somewhat subdued, despite
their clubs 2h game lead over the
second-place Washington Mats. Ar
8-to-0 win by the outfit from the
National Capital yesterday Gained
the enthusiasm of the 1896 in
Briggs" Stadium-of which 1850
paid their way through the turn
stiles.
It was a history-making y.eek-day
crowd here and the shutout let II
know the Mats still must be reckoned
as formidable flag contenders. That
in the face Of the Washington clubs
rather weak attack upon the Browns
in st. Louis.
The victory was the eighth Of the
season for the Mats in IA games with
the Tigers and certainly restored the
spirit Of the Washington outfit that
mad dropped quite low after the
fiasco in st. Louis.
Confident Against Tigers.
The Mats somehow feel that De-
troit's club is one which they can
master. After all, only the Tigers
and New York's Yankees, of the
more obstinate aggregations in the
circuit, have bowed to the Washing
ton club. OF course, the Mats have
a decided edge over Philadelphia s
Athletics. but that goes for all
other clubs.
1t was vastly different club that
carried the fight for first place to
the Tigers from the club that
played only $3.50 baseball against
the Browns early this week. The
Mats had everything to make them
selves worthwhile. They had pitch
ing, they had hitting and they had
defense. In fact. they had enough
Of everything to make Steve O,Neill,
manager Of the leading Tigers, re-
mark after the game that they are
the bunch to beat for the champion
ship.
That's a high compliment to pay
a club that with its win yesterday
can show only a 500 winning per-
centage for its final trip West. But
with the superb pitching done by
Dutch Leonard against a herd OF
Tigers that has been running rough
shod over all opposition recently
and the sturdy batting done by the
Mats in the opener Of the four
game series here, 1t was deserved.
Leonard Pitches Masterpiece.
Leonard hurled a masterpiece ir
recording his 14th win of the yeal
against 4 losses. It must have re.
minded the Tigers of his pitching
that first Sunday In October last
year when he kept them from q tie
with the Browns for the American
League flag. Dutch allowed just
four hits and one walk and only
once did a Tiger get as far as third
base. On one other occasion one
got as far as second. He threw only
five strikeouts, but three of those
came in succession after a Tiger hao
singled for the first hit OF him a,
the beginning of the third inning.
Neither Jim Tobin, the Tigers
recent acquisition from Boston's
Braves of the National League, mol
Walter Wilson bothered the Mats
In all, they gathered II hits, 8 OF
Tobin in the first four rounds. 1,
was off Tobin that they got Z oi
their runs.
An error by Shortstop Joe Hoover
and couple of singles in the Sec
ond inning produced the first two
tallies. The two in the third came
from Buddy Lewis double and
George Binks' second home run ir
two days and his fourth of the sea-
son. 1t was a drive against the
front of the upper right field stand
Maier Helpful to Griffs.
The last flock Of runs of Tobin
came in the fourth. Two errors by
Third Baseman Bob Maier mixed
with a single by Binks and a triple
by Joe Kuhel got the scores.
Two singles OF Wilson and
KuhePs long fly accounted for a
marker in the sixth. Art Houtte-
man, lS-year-old pitcher, came on
in the ninth to give the Mats only
one pass.
The Tigers made four errors and
the Mats never looked bad as they
closed in on the league leaders by
one game. But there are plenty
OF fireworks to look for in the re-
manning three games of the series.