Evening star., 1947-05-26
Mats Find New Punch
with Spence Hitting
Homer Beating As
By Burton Hawkins

If1e NatS punch line, winch rap
idly was becoming joke among the
leagues pitchers, has started to pro-
duce, with Buddy Lewis, Stan Spence
and Mickey Vernon picking up the
slack in VaShington's batting order
with welcome return to normalcy.
In Washin gton's last five games,
the Mats more reliable hitters have
demonstrated they are prepared to
WELD more potent sticks and lift the
club from batting doldrums which
have handicapped it since the sea-
sons start.
Vernon and Lewis have hit safely
In their last five games and over that
span Mickey has swatted at .444
pace, while Lewis has whacked at a
SIS clip Spence, who has been
playing despite a twisted and badly
bruised left ankle. has indicated
he'll inject more dyn&nite in the
lineup
Spence has hoisted his batting av-
erage to .325 and Lewis, off to spec
tacular start and then victim Of a
slump. has regained his batting form
to elevate his average to $40. Buddy
has hit safely in 10 of his last 18
trips to the plate.
Spence Wallops for Victory.
Vernon, American League batting
champion last year with a 1853 aver
age and the fellow who was supposed
to spark the Mats this season, has
recovered after shaky start and
Is moving up toward the select circle
of 300 hitters. Mickey now is bat
ting .282.
Spence presented the Mats 81
victory over Philadelphia yesterday
at Philadelphia, ranming his sec
ond home run Of the season over
the rightf1eld fence in the first in
ming at Joe Coleman's expense at
a time when Eddie Yost and Ver-
non were perched on base.
Early Wynn capitalized on that
blow to capture his fourth triumph
in game called at the end of six
innings due rain and swamped
grounds. Wynn permitted six hits
and the Athletics nicked him for
their only run with two out in the
third when Elmer Valo doubled and
Sam Chapman singled him across.
Chapman, incidentally, obtained
three of the AS hits, while Valo
collected two.
Spence, with homer and two
singles, accounted for the bulk of
Washington's eight hits off Coleman
and Bill McCahal. His single in the
fifth inning, following walk to Joe
Grace and single by Vernon,
loaded the bases, but the Mats failed
to score in that inning as Jerry
Pr1ddy famed, Mark Christman
fouled out and Al Evans took a.
third strike.
Yanks Move in Tomorrow.
The red-hot Yankees, who re-
Gently have been breaking out in
rashes of power, invade Griffith
Stadium tomorrow night for the
opener of a 3-game series. Walter
Masterson will try for his fourth
win at the Yankees expense, with
Bobo Newsonn slated to pitch We'd
nesday night.
NAT NOTES: Treacherous foot
ing on Shibe Parks oozy infeId
created wierd baseball yesterday at
Philadelphia, with Shortstop Mark
Christman and Second Baseman
Jerry Priddy of the Mats electing to
play back on the grass rather than
risk tumbling in the mud,
The mud was the handiwork of
Shibe Parks crew. They lifted
the tarpaulin on the inf1eld yester-
day morning to touch up the foul
lines, then went out for breakfast.
-. A sudden downpour flooded the
field.
The umpiring wasn't too good.
either. Bill Summers, at third
base, called blow by Priddy fair in
the third inning and Plate Umpire
Joe Rue called it foul. Rue won
and Priddy lost. for he then flied out.
Sam Chapman, AS center fielder,
contributed the games fielding gem
when he made diving stab of Eddie
Yost's liner and somersaulted, but
held on to the ball In the second in
ming. -. Eddie Joost struck out six
straight times in three games
against the Mats before hoisting a
fly to Joe Grace in the fifth inning.
The postponed second game
marked the 18th time the Mats have
been frustrated by weather this sea-
son.