Evening star., 1947-07-25
Rivals Held ScoreIess
Il Straight Innings;
Haefner Faces Tribe
By Burton Hawkins

It's a startling sort of reform the
Mats pitchers have initiated in re-
cent games and as a result of re-
markable mound chores washington
has whisked within three and half
games of the first division with four
victories in its last five games.
With Walter Masterson's 80, 4-hit
shutout OF the Detroit Tigers last
night at Griffith Stadium, the Mats
registered their third shutout in five
contests and separating them from
fourth blanking was an unearned
run which stemmed from mufed
pop fly. That run, achieved at
Early Wynn's expense, is the lone
score yielded by Washington pitch
ing in % innings.
When Mickey Haefner takes the
mound against the Cleveland In
dians tonight in the opener of g.
game series he'll be Juggling string
of % consecutive scoreless innings
compiled by Wynn, Ray Scarbor-
ough and Masterson. Haefner edged
Bob Feller, 10, with a Shit per-
formance against the Indians in his
last start.
Haefner After Fifth Win.
Haefner has an opportunity to
lift the Mats within a game of the
fifth place Indians when he rur-
sues his fifth win. The Mats are
getting a break in that they won t
be required to face Feller, who beat
the Philadelphia Athletics yesterday
and thus will miss action here. Steve
Gromek probably will oppose Mickey.
Masterson notched his fourth
shutout of the season, exclusive of
16 scoreless innings against Chicago
in an 18-inning game won by Wynn,
in whipping the Tigers and pre-
sented the Mats sweep of the s.
game series. 1t was a brilliant
pitching job and marked his second
shutout victory over Hal Newhouser
this year.
One of the leagues most wretched
pitchers last season, Masterson is
coasting with eight triumphs and a
highly creditable $50 earned run
average. He has unleashed a q
hitter against st. Louis, 3-hitter
against Boston and 4-hitter against
Cleveland and Detroit in a stirring
comeback.
Lewis Starts Scoring.
The Mats were 2-hit victims of
Newhouser entering the sixth in
ming, but with one out Buddy Lewis
lashed triple to left and scored
after Tom Mcbride flied to Vic
Wertz in center field.
Washington boosted that lead to
20 in the seventh when Mark
Christman walked, Rick Ferrell
sacrificed and Eddie Yost delivered
a single to center, scoring Christ
man, after Masterson had famed
The Mats produced another run of
Art Houtteman in the eighth when
Christman singled across Stan
Spence, who had forced Mickey
Vernon and moved to second on
Jerry Priddy's inf1eld out.
Neither Masterson nor Newhouser
permitted a hit until one was out in
the fourth. Masterson was clipped
for a single by George Keu and Pat
Mullin followed with single to
right, sending Kell to third. After
Wertz famed, the Tigers attempted
a double steal. but when Kell de-
tected the futility of it he tried to
scramble back to third and was out
when Christman cut off Ferrell's
throw and whipped the ball to Yost
Masterson in Trouble Twice.
Masterson had been in trouble In
the first inning. He walked Eddie
Lake and Roy Cullenbine sacrificed
before Dick Wakefield also walked
The runners advanced when Priddy
tossed out Kell, but Mullin bounced
to Vernon to end the threat.
The Tigers hopes flared in the
seventh when Kell singled, Mullin
sacrificed and Wertz walked, but
Eddie Mayo flied to Spence and Doc
Cramer, batting for Bob Swift, was
thrown out by Priddy. Masterson
retired the Tigers in order in the last
two innings.
| Vernon and Christman each con-
tributed two of the Mats eight hits
with Christman obtaining his first
hit in 10 attempts when he singled
in the fifth.
PetrOit Tste it AB a,o.A Vas Wash d, AB. H. g; A