Evening star., 1946-09-10
Pressure Is on Cards,
Invading East; Bosox
Could CIinch Today
By RoIph Roden
Associated Press Sport, Write,


The do-or-die stage for the st.
Louis Cardinals and the Brooklyn
Dodgers in the National League
pennant race gets under way today
with the Redbirds beginning 49,
game road trip at Philadelphia while
the Dodgers entertain the Cincin-
natl Reds.
While the Nationals Western
teams embark on their final invasion
Of the East, the American Leagues
Eastern clubs take their last journey
through the West with the pace
setting Boston Red Sox needing only
to defeat the Detroit Tigers today to
clinch their first pennant since 1918.
Leading the Dodgers by two
games. the Cards will play the Phils
twice and then invade Flatbush for
a three-game series with the Dodg-
ers that may be the deciding factor
in the flag race.
With the exception of three games
at Boston, the Dodgers play the re-
mainder of their II games at home,
where they have won As and lost
only Is so far for .750 percentage.
The Cards have only five games left
to play at Sportsmans Park in st.
Louis.
Dodgers Hurting Improved.
Brooklyn hurting, paced by Rookie
Joe Hatten and Veteran Kirby Higbe,
and the return to form of Pete
Reiser, have increased the Brooks
confidence in their chances of over
hauling the Redbirds.
The Dodger pitching to date
hasn't produced many nine-inning
performers, but in their last four
games, Brooklyn pitchers have gone
the distance. Only once previously
this season have Dodger hurlers
gone the route four straight times.
Reiser. the circuits top base
stealer, has been in and out of the
lineup during the campaign due to
various injuries, but the 1941 batting
leader has resembled the Reiser of
old during the past week, running
wild on the base paths and batting
in his accustomed fashion.
On the other hand, the Ridbird
pitching staff has fallen off some
what with Howie Pollet and Murry
Dickson hit exceptionally hard in
their last outings. Pollet, winner of
18 games, has been i'll, but he should
be up to his usual form shortly.
Meanwhile Red Munger, recently
discharged from the Army, has
taken up some of the slack, win
ming two starts and allowing only
six runs in his last Is innings on
the hill.
Cards in Slugging Mood.
While the hurting has tapered off
somewhat, the Redbird hitters are
enjoying some of their biggest days
of the season at the plate. Enos
Country Slaughter has taken a
commanding lead in the runs
batted-in department and Stan
Musial continues to pace the league
in batting, while Red Schoendienst
and George Kurowski also are hit
ting timely and often.
Both contenders have won of
their last 10 games and Manager
Eddie Dyer of the Redbirds is ex-
pected to start Pollet, Munger and
Harry (The CaD Brecheen against
the Brooks who will have Higbe,
Hatten and Vic Lombardi to pitch
against the Cards.
The Red Sox, who lead the Amer
lean League by 16 games, can elimi-
nate mathematicaIy both the sec
ond-place New York Yankees and
the third-place Tigers by defeating
Detroit, defending world champions,
today.
Manager Joe Cronin has nomi-
mated Dave Ferriss to pitch the de-
Gliding game against the Bengals. A
Red Sox win will give them a 81
and 43 record with IA games left
to play, while the Tigers would have
rs and So with 20 games to go and
the Yanks have a 70 and SO mark
with II contests left to play.
In the only game in either league
yesterday, the Philadelphia Phillies
nosed out the New York Giants,
Sd, under the lights at Philadel-