Evening star., 1946-05-16
Cuban S Hitting Spurs
His Team 10 Sweep
OF Tiger Series
By Burton Hawkins
Sfor Stnff Correxnondent

CLEVELAND, May l6.-GlVlng the
Mats tremendous lift toward third
place is Gilberto Torres, the slim
Cuban third baseman whose decision
to shun Mexican League offers and
cast his lot with Washington now
makes Ossie Bluege beam.
Torres, who deserted the Mats in
spring training to make a hasty
trip to Havana in an effort to bring
his wife to Washington and thus
got off to slow start, now is giving
the club $40 hitting and while his
fielding isn't flashy it is adequate.
Gil, who collected four singles yes
terday as Washington thumped De-
troit, 6-3, has batted at a All clip
in his last four games. He won t
supply much power for the Mats, but
as leadoff man he is becoming in
creasingly valuable for his singles
and touching off big innings for the
club.
Torres has little range around
third base and consequently doesn't
come up with many spectacular
plays, but he has a sure-shot arm
which doesn't throw away games. He
may not get his gloves on as many
balls as more nimble third basemen,
but his accurate arm offsets much OF
that flaw.
Gil Gives Mats Good Start.
AS the Mats invaded Cleveland
with three-game winning streak
for the opener of a three-game Sc
rles, Torres has the inside track on
regular duty at third base over
Sherry Robertson, whose hitting has
been sporadic, and George Myatt,
who has joined the club after nurs-
ing an ankle broken at the start of
the season.
Bluege won't be inclined to over
work the frail Cuban, however, for
he wilted last season under the bur-
den OF steady play and hot weather.
With occasional rest, Gil is calcu-
lated to be more effective.
Torres yesterday spurred the Mats
to three-run flrst-inning outburst
against Ted Gray, 21-year-old Navy
discharge. Gil and Buddy Lewis
successive singles and Stan
Spence then rammed his third home
run of the season into the lower
rightfield stands.
With two out in the second inning.
Torres singled to right and regis
tered on Lewis double to center. In
came Hal White and the Mats con-
tinued to relish Detroit's color
scheme, clipping him for run in the
fourth as Evans doubled and Dutch
Leonard singled.
That SO lead was whitfield when
Birdie Tebbetts doubled across Ansel
Moore and Jimmy Outlaw-both had
the Tigers fourth. Leon
ard bumped into serious trouble in
the seventh when he loaded the
bases with none out by pitching
successive singles to Tebbetts and
Pinky Higgins and walking Eddie
Lake.
Kennedy Curbs Tigers.
Bill Kennedy stepped into that
unenviable situation and came out
of it nicely. Skeeter Webb, running
for Tebbetts. scored as Gerry Priddy
threw out Eddie Mayo, but Ken
nedy famed Pinch-hitter Dizzy
Trout and after walking Moore,
disposed of Roy Cullenbine on a
force play.
Kennedy permitted no hits in his
three-inning appearance, retiring
the last five Tigers in order to
present the Mats another neat bit
of relief pitching. Leonard, who
hasn't finished game this year,
achieved his third triumph against
no defeats, and the victory was his
sixth straight over the Tigers.
Mickey Vernon continued his
hitting streak, batting safely in 13
consecutive games when he singled
to right in the seventh inning. The
II hits the Mats obtained off Gray,
White and Hal Manders boosted
their hit total to 40 for their last
three games.
Mickey Haefner, who beat the
Indians, 81, in 10-inning game
the last time he viewed them, was
to face Cleveland today as the Mats
sought their fifth win in six road
games.