Evening star., 1946-05-11
Turkey 'sHur|ingG Give!
Nats-A's 15-Inninq
Tie Only Color
By Burton Hawkins
Stor SfofT Correspondent

PHILADELPHIA, May IA shot
in the arm to the Mats pitching stan
is the recovery of slim Vernon (Tur-
key) Curtis, who will desert relief
roles to become a starter on the
strength of sparkling display
against the Athletics here last night
Kept out of much action this sea-
son by lame back, Curtis never.
theless Is regarded highly by Ossie
Bluege. IF Curtis can't win some
games for US, I don't know q pitcher
when see one" says the Mats man.
ager, who has employed 10 pitchers
IN Washington's last two games and
therefore is learning to appreciate
steady hurting on the rare occa-
sions he sees it.
With a sizzling fast ball and q
battling curve, the 26-year-old right
handler looks ready to justify the
deal made several years ago when
Atlanta was paid $25,0oO for his
contract.
Farmed to Minneapolis before en-
tering the Navy, Curtis was rated
the American Associations top
pitcher and emerged from the serv-
ice as one of Washington,s finer
prospects.
Mats Game is Shabby.
Pitching for the first time in three
weeks last night as the Mats and AS
battled to a SIS, 15-inning tie, Curtis
threw four scoreless innings at
Philadelphia and permitted only one
hit. His work was one of the few
redeeming features for the Mats In
shabbily played game witnessed
by 29,477.
Curtis, waved into the game in the
ninth inning after Chick Pieretti
had walked George Kell, got the
Mats safely past the 18th inning and
seemingly was prepared to notch his
first major league victory when the
Mats parlayed a single, double, two
walks and an error into a run in
the 18th to grab Sd lead.
Bill Kennedy replaced Curtis, who
had been yanked for a pinch hitter
and lasted only long enough to pitch
a double to Kell in the 18th inning.
Roger Wolff came on the scene and
apparently was out of serious trouble
when Buck Newsom bunted poorly
allowing AL Evans to nail Kell at
third. Russ Derry singled and Hal
Peck doubled, scoring Gene Handley,
who ran for NewSom. The Mats
averted defeat when Gerry Priddy
relayed Buddy Lewis throw to the
plate to nip Derry, attempting to
score.
Mats Boot Winning Chance.
The Mats crammed the bases with
one out in the 18th as Evans and
Wolff walked successfully. Sherry
Robertson sacrificed and Lewis
walked, but Stan Spence forced
Evans at the plate and Mickey
Vernon forced Spence at second.
The four-hour contest, which was
highlighted by six errors, daffy base
running and Is hits, was ended
by a rule which prohibits the start
OF an inning after 1880 am. It
marked the second successive extra
inning game for the Mats, who en-
tered today's tussle here with q
innings in two days behind them
and only one loss to show for it.
Cecil Travis, who had played 10
consecutive games without an error,
ended that streak smphatically. He
committed two grievous boots in
the first two innings as the AS
nicked Dutch Leonard for two runs.
They added another in the third,
but the Mats locked the score off
Herman Besse in the sixth when
Gil Torres doubled, Spence walked,
Mickey Vernon tripled and jeff
Heath singled.
Tuck Stainback's triple and George
McQuinn's long fly netted the AS
a run in the eighth, but Travis
locked the score at A in the
ninth when he doubled to left
to score Heath, who had reached
first on McQuinn error and shifted
to second on Priddy's sacrifice.
Poor Base Running Hurts.
The Mats had the potential win
ming run on third base with one
out IN the 18th, but at that point
Lewis, whose single sent Robertson
to third. sought to steal second.
Sherry made a dash. for the plate
and was caught in the rundown.
Spence walked, but the threat
vanished when Vernon forced him.,
Ray Scarborough was to pitch
for the Mats here today, with
Mickey Haefner and Walter Master
son slated to work in tomorrow's
double-header with the AS.