Evening star., 1945-08-03
Bank on CarrasqueI,
NiggeIing Tonight;
Sweep As Series
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

| WAideCNCl GiAC Naoo AdNC W P0l
out, they must put out freely, for
now or never" days are at hand.
Boston's bludgeoning Red Sox in
wade Griffith Stadium tonight,
carrying the greatest challenge yet
to the Washington ball clubs hopes
of a far-up finish in the American
League race, If not the flag.
So uncomfortably close is Joe
Cronin's clan that the six-game
series to be played in one night
and two afternoons could drop the
Mats from the second spot they
now clearly possess and slam them
into the depths of the second divi-
sion.
Grabbing two successive double
headers from the AS was sweet, but
running slambang into three sue
cessive twin bills with the Red Sox
is something else.
| The BoSoX are among the Mats
toughest foes of the season. In IA
meetings, they have been on the
better end of the score nine times.
And they are coming in when the
Mats are a trifle worn from their
struggle with Philadelphia.
O'Neill Is Pitching Again.
The top end of the Mats pitch
ing staff is worn to nub, George
Case, who was the leading batter
of the league not so long ago, is
in his worst slump of the season,
and George Myatt, second base
man, is having a time getting around
on an ankle that was badly twisted
in a play Wednesday night.
To make the start of the series
more unpleasant, one of the pitch
ers Cronin plans to send to the
hill tonight is Emmett O'Neill. All
O'Neill has done this season is lick
the Mats four straight. In the
other end of the twilight-night
double-header, however, the Mats
may get a break. For Boston, like
Washington, must conserve what
pitching it can for such a series,
SO Cronin also will send to the
slab Randy Heflin, a 'teen-year- -old
who has lost four games.
After using the best at his COM
mand in the sweep of the series
with the AS, Manager Os Bluege
must rely on the efficient
Johnny Niggeling and gamble with
AL CaTrasquel, reservist, tonight.
Carrasqual may not be such a gam
BILE, though. While he was beaten
in the only game he started this
year, in his last % innings in re-
lief roles he has yielded but one run
Mats Off in Hitting.
Those four wins over the AS got
the Mats back in second place again,
but they did not show the club to
be in any keen batting mood. Each
of last nights games was bagged 2
to l and in the entire set the Mats
scored but nine runs from 27 hits
and 10 bases on balls.
Mickey Haefner and Marino
Pieretti got the pitching laurels, but
they found Lou Knerr and Steve
Gerkin worthy opponents. To win,
Mickey had to hurl a four hitter
and knock over the decisive tally
himself, for Knerr pitched a six
hitter in the first game and after
yielding run in the third inning
breezed along until after one was
out in the ninth. In the second set
to, the AS outhit the Mats, seven to
six, and got run at the outset.
Gerkin had everything his way un-
til the seventh, then the Mats swung
on him for just enough to get by.
They were out in the first games
third inning when Joe Kuhel
walked, moved up on wild pitch
and scored as Harlond Cliff sim
gled. The AS matched that run in
the fifth when Ed Busch got Haef-
ner's lone pass and Knerr rif1ed a
two-bagger against the wall of the
open stand back of left.
Haefner's Hit Tells.
Extra innings loomed when Gil
| Torres rolled out at the start of the
Mats ninth, for Knerr had allowed
but four hits. But AL Evans dou-
bled to left and Haefner, for the
second time this season, won his
game with his bat. He shot a long
single to center to bring in his bat
terry mate.
An error by Myatt helped the AS
to an unearned tally at the begin
ming of the nightcap. 1t gave Hal
Peck life. Dick Siebert forced
out Peck, then rode home on singles
by Bobby Estalella and George Kell.
Estalella also tried to score on Kell's
hit, but was cut down at the plate
by Buddy Lewis throw.
1t was Lewis who began the win
ming rally in the seventh with a
single. And it was fashy base run
ming that told in the scoring. Lewis
went to third on Kuhel's hit to
rather short left, barely sliding in
under the outf1elder's throw. Kuhel
took second on the throw and moved
up to third as Lewis went home
after Smith got Cliffs hoist to left.
George Binks lined to the right
fielder and Kuhel slid over the plate
1 a -. H. L