Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-07-11
Showing
On Hill Marks Nat
Win Over Buns
BY JOHN b. KELLER.

| BY JOHN b. KELLER.
Washington's Mats today are
proud possessors of a new title
second-place champions of the big
leagues. And the American League
runners-up did not get the laurel
the easy way.
Those surprising Buns from
Brooklyn, next to the top in the
National League when they were ex-
pected to be close to the cellar
around this time of the season, lived
down their nickname last night at
Griffith Stadium long before the
final 4-3 figures went up on the
scoreboard.
They were scrapping smack into
the ninth inning, scoring run in
the midst of an odd double play
that made their cause all but hope
less. The 23,791 at the ball yard
who contributed 22,760.48 to the
War Relief and Service Fund got
their moneys worth-and more-in
the diamond exhibition that capped
the gala program.
1t was a night of baseball come
backs, with OS Bluege, the Mats
manager, taking over third base for
a couple of innings and Leo
Durocher, Brooklyn pilot, filling in
at second base at the start. There
was Babe Herman in the Dodgers
outfield for spell. But to the
throng, the most impressive come
back was that made by Bert Shep-
ard, who hurled the first four in
nings for the Mats.
Shepard Is winning Pitcher.
For sheer courage, 1t could not
be excelled. Here was a man who
had been blasted from the sky while
flying in combat over Germany, who
lost a leg in the crash and who later
spent eight months in a Nazi prison.
He had been a professional ball
player before becoming an Air Corps
lieutenant and despite the amputa-
ton of the lower part of his right
leg never gave up hope of returning
to the game.
Shepard's courage was rewarded
when he was given the pitching
assignment at the start of the game
last night. 1t was the fulfillment
of an ambition he had cherished
since recovering consciousness after
the operation on his limb. And he
rAade the most of it. Bert Shepard
became the winning pitcher.
The Mats staked Shepard To A.
two-run lead, cleaned off Leroy
Pfund, who had to give way to
Ernie Rudolph after dislocating his
knee when fielding Joe Zardon's
bunt in the second inning. In the
rourth, Brooklyn got four of the
f1ve hits Shepard yielded and tied
the score. The first of the four
hits was sharp single to right by
Dixie Walker. The others were
drives through the infield.
Binks Twice Triples.
But in the Mats fourth, George
Binks, who had tripled in two runs
In the first inning, tripled again to
score as Hills Layne singled. So
Shepard turned a 80 lead over to
Roger Wolff. The knuckle-baller
singled with two out in the sixth
and on hits by George Case and
George Myatt rode home with the
Mats last tally.
Marine Pieretti took over the hill
in the eighth and got rid of the
first three men to face him, but
Herman opened the ninth with a
hit and made third as Luis Dino
singled. When Frenchy Borda-
goray drove the ball to Layne, Her
man headed for home only to find
the shortstop's throw there ahead
of him.
Herman turned back toward
third, saw that Dino was nearly
there, then wheeled again to be
tagged out by Al Evans. Borda-
goray had sped past first and could
not scramble back to beat Evans
throw to that bag. But as the
second out of the double-play was
made, Dino tore home.
Pull Double Steal.
Myatt and Vaughn pulled a dou-
ble-steal in the fifth, then a pass
to Cliff filled the bases. But
both Binks and Layne popped. g.
Bluege did all right for one out of
the game for nearly eight years.
J.. He handled his one chance,
drew pass and scored run. :.
Torres was hit in the side by a
batted ball during fielding practice
and had to remain on the bench.
Bluege says the shortstop will
be ready to face the White Sox to-
morrow night, though.
Social activities have the Mats
busy. They are attending a
clambake today, guests of Benny
Castle, Mount Rainier contractor.
-. Tomorrow, Bluege will be guest
speaker at a Sphinx Club luncheon.
-. He's to tell how the Mats caught
fire on the recent Western tour.