Evening star., 1947-07-15
Spence Drop 10 .B5
PIunges Mats Into
'4-9 Mark on Trip
By Burton Hawkins
Stor Staff Corrsspondsnt

Star Staff Correspondent
DETROIT, July 15.-Chunky Stan
Spence, who for major portion Of
the season hoisted the Mats atop hts
shoulders and lugged 'em along, has
plunged into his most sustained
slump since joining the club, and
consequently washington is stasser-
ing.
Washinston's poor record Of four
victories against nine defeats on It's
current road trip is traceable to
spsnce's complete collapse. He left
the Capital with q fancy 3l2 aver
age which has shrunk to . modest
ass, and on the Mats journey Stan
has compiled distressing Ito mark.
Fourteen successive times Spence
has gone hitless and over that span
he has succeeded in lifting the ball
beyond the confines of the infield on
three occasions, tanning four times
and twice drilling into double-plays.
He has hit safely once in his last 18
attempts and that was glorified
pop which escaped the outstretched
paws of Chicago's shortstop, Luke
Appling.
Hope He'll Bounce Back.
Hero of the All-Star game with
his pinch single off Johnny Sain,
Spence recently hasn't resembled
the steady performer to which
Washington fans have become ac-
customed He has taken to chasing
low outside curves with no success
and mediocre pitchers are giving
him a horrible time Of it.
Briggs Stadium's friendly field may
snap Spence out of his prolonged
slump. When last seen here Stan
was betting a brace of successive
home runs off stubby Overmire and
of Detroits park he says This Is
my spot" Here he may bounce back
and the Mats are hoping so. for
they're facing rugged schedule.
Confronted with a twilight game
here today, in which the Mats Ray
Scarborough was to pitch against
Dizzy Trout or Overmire, Wash
ington is booked for double-he
against the Tigers tomorrow and
Thursday before invading Cleve-
land for a five-game series.
Mats Are Routed, 1873.
Installed as the Mats cleanup
hitter when Mickey Vernon's batting
continued to sag, Spence was one
of the leagues top hitters a month
ago, when his 343 batting was
threatening to take over the league
lead. Now he's faltering and the
Mats are stumbling worse than ever
without his potent bat.
There was nothing Spence could
have accomplished with four con-
secutive homers yesterday, however,
as the Mats absorbed a 1873 pasting
from the Browns at St. Louis.
Washingtons pitching was wretched.
as indicated by the Browns 20 hits,
which included seven doubles, two
triples and a home run by Walt
Judnich.
st. Louis smashed Early Wynn,
who dropped his seventh decision,
for three runs in the first inning on
singles by Billy Hitchcock and Jeff
Heath and doubles by AL Zarilla and
Judnich, who, with Pitcher sam
Zoldak, fashioned four hits.
Browns Have six-Run Frame.
The Mats were in the game briefly
when Eddie Yost and Buddy Lewis
walked, advanced on wild pitch,
and scored on Tom McBride's single
to left In the third inning, but the
Browns sprayed six runs across the
plate in their third on a walk,
Judnich's homer, two singles and
double and two triples.
Jerry Priddys second home run Of
the year. a blast into the left field
stands with none on in the fourth,
gave the Mats their final run. but
the Browns increased Washingtons
embarrassment with a two-run out
burst off Scott Cary in the fourth
and tapered off with two more runs
on doubles by Zarilla, Jake Early
and Zoldak in the eighth. .,
Washington was limited to seven
hits by Zoldak, who registered his
second triumph, both achieved at
the Mats expense. AL Evans &C
counted for the bulk of the Mats
hitting with three singles.
The crowd Of 478 paid was the
smallest in the major leagues In
several years.