Evening star., 1947-04-28
Hudson S Fine Victory
|0yer Yanks Gets Club
West al 500 Mark
By Burton Hawkins
StoF Stoff CORRESPONDENT

l
CHICAGO, April 28.-An annoy
ing item to Ossie Bluege is his Mats
lack of hitting, but as they escape
from the East and a rigorous start
ing schedule which originally de-
manded that Washington battle Bos-
ton and New York in II of its first
13 games, he also has reason for Ella
ton. His club is getting superb
pitching.
Only once this season have the
Mats collected as many as nine hits,
yet they are invading the West with
"A record which is tribute to
steady pitching by Sid Hudson in
particular. Sid notched his second
victory over the Yankees yesterday
at New York, q neat 10 job which
got the Mats their fourth triumph
in their last five games.
IT think well break out in a rash
of hitting soon," says Bluege, "and
| if our pitching holds up we're going
to be tough. I believe our hitting is
off simply because we haven't been
playing enough. We've played eight
games in the last Is days. Our hit
tiers haven't had enough action"
Six Regulars Swing Poorly.
The Mats were rained out of two
games each with Boston and New
York and another with Philadelphia,
all of which has some of Washing
tons hitters grumbling. Mickey Ver-
non, for instance, has fashioned one
hit in his last 81 attempts and the
fellow who led the league in batting
last year now is struggling with a !
1877 average. !
Vernon has considerable company.
Jerry Priddy has obtained one hit
in his last "a tries and is fuming
with an .072 average. Mark Christ
man is batting ISL, Joe Grace is |
hitting .231, Stan Spence Is a 200
hitter and Cecil Travis average is
.214.
Thus the Mats are fretting with
six regulars who are hitting .231 or
less. Remarkably, they have done
no worse than split their first eight
games, despite such meager maui
ing. .
Responsible for giving the Mats a |
lift when they have needed 1t des-
perately is Hudson, who has un-
leashed two brilliant games against
the Yankees, who have produced
only two runs off him in 18 innings.
Hudson Finished Well.
Sid was off to a shaky start be-
fore $3.50 fans who paid tribute
to Babe Ruth. He was smashed for
six hits in the first four innings and
escaped damage only because Spence
and Lewis were romping all over
Yankee Stadium to snatch deep |
smashes at critical moments. |
In the last five innings, Sid
spark1ed. He stif1ed Yankee bats
with two hits down the stretch and
meanwhile launched the rally that |
beat Spud Chandler in the eighth |
inning.
Chandler was operating on a |
three-hit game entering the eighth,
but Sid opened that frame with a |
looping single to left and Grace
moved him to second with sacri- |
flee. Lewis then lashed a single to |
left center, scoring Hudson.
Hudson was in trouble in the first |
inning, but with two on base and /
two out Spence backed against the
centerield barrier for a one-handed
stab of Charley Keller's 400-foot |
drive lewis contributed siy MT. |
outs in the first five innings and
three virtually were plucked from
among the customers in the right
field stands.
Mats Threaten in Ninth.
Until the eighth inning, the Mats
moved only two men as far as sec
ing base and neither advanced to
third. After coming up with run
in the eighth, they threatened in the
ninth. Travis opened with a single
to center and with two out Evans /
sent him to third with a single to /
left, but both were stranded as Hud-
son flied to Joe Di Maggie
Travis and Evans each gathered
two of the Mats seven hits, while
Bobby Browns two doubles and a
single led New York's eight-hit at
tack.
Idle today, the Mats will battle the
White Sox in the opener of two
game series here tomorrow with
Early Wynn slated to pitch for
Washington. /