The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-05-16
Red Sox Bot
SIumpAfter
Win Streak

NEW 1Ofks May 40-NOEJ-4abs~
ball sIeuths were trying to solve the
case Of Boston's disappearing bat
ting averages today with little to
work on except the evidence that
the Red sox are making only az
hits a game on the road after get
ting 10 a game at home.
The best clue to the batting mys-
terry is that the team was due for q
hitting slump after It's sensational
smuggling in q 15-game winning
streak. But Manager Joe Cronin
wonders If the boys aren't override
ing 1t q little.
Since leaving Boston, the Red
Sox have made total Of 81 hits in
five games. In contrast, they
banged out SIS in the last five
games they played at home.
SIuggers in Tailspln
Outfelder Ted williams leads the
team with a respectable average OF
1871, second high in the League.
But that mark is down 43 points
from last Friday when the team
started its road junket. At the
same time, shortstop Johnny Pes
ky's average has dropped 81 points
to 1916 and Dom DiMaggio Is off
Al points to .345. Hal Wagner is
below 300 for the first time, hav-
ing tumbled Al points to q .20e
mark.
Johnny Rigney, conquering arm
soreness that had threatened to end
his career, held the Red Sox to
three hits yesterday in a 3 to 2 tri-
umph at Chicago. Rookie Murrell
Jones hit a two-run Chicago homer
in the fourth to Offset homer by
Williams with no one on base in the
first. Rigney's squeeze bunt in the
seventh produced the third Chicago
run and gave him enough margin
to offset a Red Sox rally in the
ninth that ended a run short Of a
tie.
The Red Sox previously had been
held to four hits by Joe Haynes Of
Chicago, to three hits by Spud
Chandler and to two hits by Ernie
Bonham in the Yankee series.
Their best showing was the nine
hits they made off Red Ruffing and
Joe Page in the Yankee opener.
Since that day they have averaged
3 game. However, superlative
pitching Of their own has enabled
them to escape with only two de-
feats against three victories on the
trip to date.
The second place Yankees missed
a chance to cut down Boston's 5h
game lead by dropping an 8 to 2 de-
cision at st. Louis. The Browns,
capitalizing on Johnny Berardino's
grand slam homer, won going away
after New York took a first inning
lead on HARLEY Keller's two-run
homer. Sam zoldak, who was beat
en- by the Yankees at New York,
blanked them after the flrst inning
for his fourth victory.
Rookie Batted Out
Washington again mauled Tiger
pitching In a 12-hit, 8 to 3 victory
at Detroit. Rookie Ted Gray, 81
year-old southpaw making his
major league debut, was batted out
in the second inning. Stan Spence
tagged him for q three-run first
inning homer and started Emil
Dutch Leonard off to his third
victory. Gil Torres made four sin
giles for Washington.
Old-timer Mel Harder and young
ster Steve Gronnek gave the AS
double dose Of shutout pitching at
Cleveland, 3 to 0 and to 0. Hard
er, starting his 10th season, won his
213th Major League game with q
six-hit job in the opener. Gromek
gave up just four hits and struck
out seven men. Hank Edwards
gave him ample support with q
two-run homer and two singles.
The cards made it two in a row
over the Dodgers, HOWE Pollet
beating them / to o on five hits at
Brooklyn as the winners took over
first In the National. Loser Les
Webber also gave up only i've hits
but a double by George Kurowski
and triple by Dick Sisler gave st.
Louis an all-important run in the
second.
The Cubs won 8 to 4 in IS in
nings at Philadelphia On catcher
Clyde McCullough's three-547, hom-
er. The Cubs held a 8 to / lead
until the seventh but late homers
by John Wyrostek and Del Ennis
tied the score. Wyrostek and Ennis
each doubled in the 18th to give
the Phils another run but the rally
died after that.
Right fielder Jack Graham
dropped Mike McCormick's fly in
the 10th and Max West scored from
second to give Cincinnati a 2 to /
night victory at New York. Will
lard Marshall had sent the game
into extra innings with a Giant
homer in the ninth. Joe Beggs