Evening star., 1945-07-24
Stay on Tigers Heels
AS Indians Win, But
.Chisox Stage Gain
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

Something has thrown the Mats
scoring machinery out of gear since
their successful invasion Of the
West and unless repairs are made
before tonight they will wind up
the current home stand with a
winning percentage under 500.
After that 81 beating by Cleve-
lands Indians, the Washington
club shows only an even break for
its dozen games against the
Westerners in Griffith Stadium
this month, which is no respectable
pace for a Second-place outfit with
pennant ideas.
While the beating last night left
them still within 21a games of the
leading Detroit Tigers, who sue
cumbed to the AS in Philadelphia, it
dropped the Mats back to within a
game and half of Chicago's breez-
ing White Sox and they are no
comfortable distance ahead of three
other clubs.
Hopeful of topping 500 in the
home stand, the Mats will have
Dutch Leonard pitching tonight in
the last game here until next week.
The Indians will counter with AL
Reynolds, Highlander whoa took a
licking last Sunday after being
rushed to the relief of Steve
Gromek.
Average 3 Runs Per Game.
On average, the Mats have matched
the Westerners hit for hit in the
dozen games here this month. They
have mustered 103 hits, all the op-
position has been able to wallop. But
the Westerners have averaged
around four runs per game and the
Mats but three.
That is far cry from the per-
formance out West when the Mats
were mopping up. Then they
averaged five runs and 10 hits a
game while their opponents were
running along at three-runs-and-
seven-hits pace.
The Mats reached q new low for
the home stand last night as Ed
Klieman restricted them to five
hits, all singles. The Highlander
also dished out two passes, but one
Immediately was brushed off by a
double-play and the other came
after two were out in the sixth
inning. Then Gil Torres lofted.
Not until the fifth were the Mats
able to get hit, then they punched
three to pull up to a tie with the
Indians. Harlond Cliff singled to
center and after Joe Kuhel hoisted
out, George Binks drove what
looked double-play ball until it
took nasty hop, struck Shortstop
Lou Boudreau on the arm and went
on to left for a single.
Tough Loss For Neggeling.
That put Cliff on third from
where he counted when Rick
Ferrell, in hit-and-run play,
rolled to right. Binks moved to
third on the blow, but Joe Zardon
promptly smacked into a double
killing.
Kuhel got an infield hit with one
out in the seventh, only to be forced
out by Binks. The latter stole Sec
ond, but Ferrell came up to con-
tribute Klieman's sixth and last
strikeout. George Myatt opened
the ninth with a hit and Torres
sacrificed. Cliff hoisted out and
Kuhel rolled out. That was how
good Klieman was, or how poor the
Mats were.
Johnny Niggeling took the de-
feat, although he pitched one of
his best games of the season. The
Tribe got 10 hits off him in the
eight innings he toiled, but found
run-making difficult. 1t took singles
by Frankie Hayes and AL Cihocki
backed by Kheman's double to get
run in the fifth. In the sixth, jeff
Heath got Niggeling's lone pass and
was sent around by Boudreau's sin
gle and Hayes hoist to zardon.
Ambitious Indians Tagged.
In the last two rounds, Tribal
runners became too ambitious with
two trying to get from first to third
on singles. Pat Seerey attempted
this in the eighth to be tagged by
George Cases throw and Zardon's
heave cut down Cihocki after Klie-
man got the second single off AL
Carrasquel in the ninth.
1t was the first time this wear
that Washington outfielders cut
down as many as two over-eager
runners in one game.
1t appears that the Mats must
depend on their current lineup
for power for another week at
least. Buddy Lewis, who had been
expected to strengthen them within
few days, is nursing a severe
Charleyhorse and Trainer Mike
Martin says the former batting star
recently released from the Army
will need several more days to
round into good physical trim.
This would happen when the Mats
so SOrely need r,ower