Evening star., 1947-07-18
Mats Pitchers FaIter
As Batters Pick Up;
Tigers Take Two
By Burton Hawkins
Star Stoff Correspondent

CLEVELAND, July 18-It's equiv
alent to discovering 8 diamond
while serving a life term at Sing
Sing, but in their lowly second divi-
sion cell the Mats suddenly have
located a gem in slim Mickey Ver-
non, who is beginning to resemble
his 1916 self that won the American
League batting championship.
Mickey's .266 batting average isn't
on speaking terms with the lofty
1853 mark he compiled last year, but
Washington's angular first baseman
is making a nice stab at a comeback
at time when, ironically, it is ac-
complishing little for the Mats.
In his last eight games Vernon
has battered st. Louis and Detroit
pitching for .406 average, inserting
four doubles and two home runs
among his blows, but the Mats have
dropped six Of those contests chiefly
due to wretched pitching.
Mickey staked the Mats to 80
lead in the ninth inning OF the
second game yesterday at Detroit
with a timely long, fly to right
which enabled Eddie Yost to score
from third, but the Mats blew that
engagement, 4-3. to blend with a
first game defeat, Us.
Yost's Error Costly.
The Mats pitching shortage-so
critical that Chick Pieretti was
forced to relieve yesterday after
pitching nine innings on Wednes-
day-is shackling the club at a
time when it is hitting authorita-
lively and frequently.
For want of fresh reliever the
Mats lost that nightcap. Trailing,
1-2, entering the ninth, Washing
ton collected two runs. Successive
doubles by AL Evans and Early
Wynn touched off the rally and
tied the score. Yost attempted to
sacrifice, but Johnny Sullivan, run
ming for Wynn, was nipped at third.
Buddy Lewis then drilled single
to right, sending Yost to third and
Vernon's fly scored Eddie.
Pieretti was summoned to the
mound to pitch Detroit's half of
the inning and walked Roy Cul-
lenbine. He pitched single to
Dick Wakefield and Jimmy OUTLAW,
running for Cullenbine, stopped at
second. George Kell sacrificed be-
fore Vic Wertz was passed pur-
posely, filling the bases.
In that situation, Yost contributed
brilliant diving stab of Doc Cram
er's liner, then threw wild past
Jerry Priddy at second base trying
for double play. Outlaw scored
and Jimmy Webb, running for
Wakefield, scooted to third on the
error. Eddie Mayo was walked in
tentionally and Hal Wagner lashed
a liner over Priddy's head, scoring
Webb with the winning run.
Hudson's Arm Again Ailing.
1t was a painful loss to the Mats,
who may have lost the services of
Pitcher Sid Hudson again. Out
earlier in the year with pulled back
muscles, Sid sustained a sore
shoulder in the second game and
may be forced to delay his next
starting assignment.
Stan Spence's home run blast into
the upper right-field stand, the first
of two successive homers clouted of
AL Benton, featured a three-run
outburst by the Mats in the first
inning of the opener, but that lead
expired when the Tigers got a
glimpse of Mickey Haefner's pitching
They shelled him for three runs
on three walks, Eddie Lakes single
and Kells triple before Ray Scar
borough arrived on the scene and
permitted Outlaw to steal home.
Spence's second homer came in
the third inning after Vernon had
doubled and lifted the Mats into a
5-4 advantage, but that vanished In
hectic fourth when Detroit scored
run on three singles and another
when Kell stole home.
That steal touched off a violent
argument which resulted in Scar
borough and Manager Ossie Bluege
being elected from the game by
| tSee MATS, Page A-13)