Evening star., 1945-09-01
Trail by Only Il Tits
Despite I losses
In Their Last 9
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

aside. Four times since they becam,
solid contenders for the pennan
the Mats have muffed chances to &
to the front.
Before they went into theil
double header with New York;
Yankees at Grifith Stadium las
night, they knew Detroit had los
| in the afternoon and that doubl,
win would put them in first place II
the torrid American League race
fBut they dropped both games to loss
more ground to the pace-settinf
Tigers.
Now the washington club, al.
though still second, Is q game and
half out of the lead. And to make i
tougher, the Mats are only two games
ahead Of the third-place st. Loui,
Browns and just IN games up or
the fourth-place Yanks.
It was the third successive double
loss to the Yanks by the Mats withir
| a week and the seventh licking fol
them in their last nine games. Anc
in taking their beatings the Nat
looked nona-too good to the 30,036 al
hand-the record crowd of the
Washington season.
The beatings last night came be.
cause the Mats could not muster
any punch. Their pitching was moi
poor, for the Yanks won only by
80 and 81. But the Mats still were
uaakljnpS at the Mate
They have made but runs In
their last 36 innings. Unless there
lis q sudden resumption Of the keen
attack that marked their recent
progress through the West, the
Washington clubs front ONCE won't
have to bother over any World
Series plans.
Case, KimbIe Disappoint.
Os Bluege had hoped that the
resumption Of play by George Case
his clubs leading hitter, after q
layon of three weeks because Of In
Jury, and Dick Kimble, new short
stop who had been out with a
broken rib, would brace the Mats
But the manager was disappointed
Case got only one hit in the first
game and had to leave the second
after four innings Of play. Kimble
went hitless.
The Mats were unable to do more
than make the first game uncom-
fortably close for the Yanks. They
got nine hits and two passes OF
Ernie Bonham and the visitors
kicked in with three errors, but
the Mats always were trailing.
Oh Mickey Haefner, the Yanks
collected 10 safeties and three walks
But the Mats made four errors and
one of those accounted for the first
Yankee score that went over In
the third round. The two othel
alien runs were earned.
With one out, Bonham had
scratched a single, only to be
forced out by Stirnweiss. Kuhel
dropped the relay from Kimble that
would have made Stirnweiss the
third out. Stirnweiss stole and
Metheny walked. Here Ferrell let q
Haefner pitch get by and Stirn-
weiss scored all the way from sec
lond on the passed ball
Gifts single, Ferrell's bunt that
Bonham picked up and threw toe
late for play at second, Kimbles
sacrifice and Haefner's fly In the
fourth got the Mats even, but the
Yanks Immediately went ahead
again.
Garbark Fools Cliff.
Garbark opened their fifth with
. single. Gift came in, expecting
Bonham to sacrifice, but the pitcher
crossed him by smashing the ball
under the third baseman for two
bases. After Stirnweiss struck out, a
pass to Metheny crowded the bases
Stainback's hoist got Garbark home
Singles by Stirnweiss and Stainback
and Kellers long fly accounted for
a seventh-inning tally.
In the Mats ninth, a poor throw
by Crosetti put Lewis on after two
were gone. Kuhel's third hit, a
triple to center, followed, but Binks
hoisted harmlessly.
4
The Mats offensive in the second
setto was even more feeble. They
cleaned but six hits and two passes
OH AL Gettel and only wild throw
by Third Baseman Grimes In tht
ninth saved them from q shutout
The Yanks found Johnny Niggeline
for nine hits and five passes in eight
innings. Two Of the passes backed
two hits in the first to force across
a Yank run. Two were out in the
eighth when Gettel doubled and
Stirnweiss singled for another.
Marino Pieretti pitched the ninth
and oollaborated with Catcher
Guerra in prize boner to give the
Yanks their last tally. Hits had
Yanks on third and first with one
out. Robinson bounced a fine
double-play ball to Pieretti, but the
pitcher threw home instead of to
second and that after looking over
the situation carefully. Guerra
stepped on the plate instead OF
tagging Stainback, who scored, but
finally threw to first for an out.
1t was a fitting finish to a terrible
night for the Mats.
FIRST GAME.