The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-04-18
ONLY 5 OF 1S
 FINISHED FIRST GAMES TUESDAY
BY CARL LURIDQUIsT

(Untied Press Staff COrrssp0ndentD
 New York, April 1s.-(UP)-l If coming events cast their shadows before them in the l045 baseball season, it's going to be a rough year for the pitchers.
 In direct contrast to the 1914 opEning day games, the pitchers took 1t hard and heavy yesterday with only five of the 16 startcls managing to stick it out to the finish. There were 77 hits in each league as compared with only 36 doled out by National, league fling CTS in the 1914 opening games and 59 by American leaguers.
 The batterS made 12 home runs. two with the bases loaded. Seven were hit in the National where the batters didn't get any in 1914. open ings and five in the American as compared with three year ago.
 Score 94 Runs
 Production of runs was almost OF an assembly line basis in some parts and the 49 scored in the American league contrasted with only IS a year ago. There were 45 in the National against only 13 on che first day of 1944.
 The most telling homer of the day was delivered by Russ Derry of the Yankees, coming with the bases loaded in the seventh and capping a seven run rally which neLted an 8 to 1 victory oyer the Boston Red Sox. Derry, who also hit an earller homer, delivered the grand slam How with the score tied at 4-all and sent pitcher Rex Cecil to the show CTS. Alley Donald weather a bad first inning when the Red Sox made three runs but went on to gain the win.
 The days biggest hit-fest was at Philadelphia where, Washington got Is blows off five Athletic pitchers to gain 8 IA to 8 victory. Joe Ku- hel paced the Senators with four hits to drive in five runs. Bobby Estalella hit a home run for Phila- delphia.
 The Chicago White Sox rallied fate to win 5 to at Cleveland, left handed Thornton Lee, getting credit for the victory. Both of the h. dianS' runs were unearned, com- ing in the sixth on errors after which Lee retired.
 The St. Louis Browns, who pav- ed the way for their American League pennant by winning their first nine games last season to set new circuit record, started out on the right foot again, topping the Detroit Tigers and their pitching Ace Lefty Hal Newhouser, to |. Pitcher Sig Jakucki yielded only six hits for the most effective job of the day.
 The best mound effort was in losing cause. That was in the National League where Ted WilkS and Eldrey Byerly of the Champion St. Louis Cards collaborated in a losing four-hitter, the Cubs win ming to 2 at Chicago on a ninth inning single by Don Johnson. Bly, erly was tabbed with the defeat and old Paul Derringer, who went the route, gained the victory, his 208th in National League competi- tion. An earlier home run by Bill Nicholson kept the Cubs in the running.
 Best Game
 Outfielder Dain Clay gave the Reds a to G. victory in the 1lth over the Pittsburgh Pirates before 30079 fans at Cincinnati. largest of the opening day crowds. He hit a single with the bases loaded to break up the game, after giving Cincinnati a lead in the fifth on homer with three abase. Relief Ptcher Horace (Hod) Lisenbee, who at A is the oldest active Major League player, went two hitless in- nings to gain the victory.
 Curt Davis, lean dean of the Dodger pitching staff, hit and hurled his team to an 8 to ? vic- tory over the Phillies at Brooklyn. He scattered eight hits effectively and smashed a two run homer.
 The Giants gave their ace pitch CT, Bill Voiselle, an easy victory at Boston, swamping the Braves Il to with a 15-hit attack, which in- cluded homers by Ernie L,ombardi and Phil Weintraub.
 YESTERDAYS STAR Russ Derry, Princeton, Mo, farm boy. whose two homers, one with the rn nlrr fnadad uana kha XankpeS an