Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-05-07
George Swats .556,
Steals Four Bags
In Mack Series
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

By JOHN b. KELLER.
! George Case again is swinging
freely at bat and striding freely on
the base paths and the combination
easily could mean much to the Mats
on their first Western tour of the
season. When Washington's out
field star is getting on first base and
tearing around the sacks it seems
he gets the entire club in a win
ming mood.
In the series with Philadelphia s
Athletics that ended at Griffith
Stadium yesterday, Case sparkled
in attack. He batted at $50 clip
in the four games, Gaping the per-
Torrance with perfect five-hit
game Saturday. He also stole sec
ond four times to run his season to-
tai of bases pilfered to nine. That's
six more than he had at a similar
stage of the campaign last year.
One of his thefts yesterday led to
the run that was all the Mats needed
for second-game victory over the
AS, although they later found the
plate again to cop, to 0. for an
even break on the day. The AS
had bagged the first encounter,
3 to 2, with a one-run uprising In
the eighth inning.
Leonard Hurts Three-Hit Job.
Dutch Leonard, just returned to
the Mats after draft business visits
20 Springfield, ILL.,, and Chicago,
turned in three-hit pitching job in
the nightcap to demonstrate that
neither the examination by the
Army medics nor the train trip
back had worn him down. Only
frankie Hayes and George Kell of
the AS were able to solve Dutch's
hurling-Kell got two hits-and
they were the only AS to get as far
as second base.
The first game was simply too
much Russ Christopher. While the
Mats got to him for a dozen safeties,
the best they could do was tally in
the sixth and seventh rounds. That
only matched two runs the AS had
made off Mickey Haefner, who went
six innings to yield six hits. Two
of the hits were triples and as many
doubles.
But 1t was AL Carrasquel who was
charged with the loss. In the eighth,
the second of the three sessions he
was on the hill, the AS combined a
double and single for their big
run.
Washington did its winning in the
nightcap off Charley Gassaway, a
lefthander making his first hill start
for the AS. They clipped the SOUTH
paw for eight safeties in seven in
nings George Wyatt got three of
the hits, one a double, while Case
socked two. Joe Berry, toiling in the
eighth, allowed a two-bagger, the
second hit for Jose Zardon, after
two were out.
Case Starts Mats to Win.
Cases single, and theft and one
baser by George Binks in the first
inning started the Mats to their
second-game triumph. In the third
inning, Wyatt got an infield hit,
moved from first to third when a
Gassaway pitch jumped away from
Frankie Hayes and scored as Binks
rolled out. Thereafter, although
several times they had a runner in
scoring position, the Mats were help
less. ..
In the first game, Outfielder
Charley Metro elaborated with
Christopher to set back the Mats.
He knocked over the first and last
Of the Mack markers and between
his hits made handsome running
one-hand catch of a liner from Rick
Ferrell's bat that probably pre-
vented two Washington scores.
A single by Kell was followed by
double by Metro in the second in
ming to produce the first run for the
AS. Hal Peck's triple and Bobby
Estalella's single got the AS run
in the third before anybody was out.
The Mats didn't really threaten
until the fourth. when they made
three singles. Binks, who hit the
first, was shared in a double play,
but Gil Torres and Zardon were on
when Terrell rif1ed the ball toward
left-center. The shot looked a hit
all over. and at least a two-baser at
that. But Metro turned to run
almost to the open stand wall, jump
high and haul down the ball with
one hand.
Metro Spells the Party.
Singles by Binks, Torres and Ear
don finally meant a run for the Mats
In the sixth, and in the seventh a
hunted single by Case, Myatt's sac
rifice and Joe Kuhel's one-baser
tied the score.
But Carrasquel persisted in pitch
ing to Metro in the eighth when
there were two out and Dick Siebert,
who had opened the inning with a
two-bagger, standing on third base
AL got to three-and-two count
with Metro. then-bang. 1t was a
single to center and Siebert was
home.
Tomorrow night, the Mats start q
series of four games under lamps in
st Louis Johnny Niggeling will
do the pitching =. Skipper Os
Bluege says he's keeping zardon in
left, for the first part of the West
ern invasion at least Ferrells
hand still is sore, but he managed
to get away with catching one game
of yesterdays double-header.
Christopher and Metro work well
together . Metro has made only
four hits this season, two in a game
twice, and he knocked in the win
ming run in each game And
each Qone uos nit cted b,, ~, S{~