Evening star., 1948-06-21
Hudson Snaps Losing
String, but Griffmen
Still Sag al BAT
by Burton Hawkins
By Burton Howkins
Stor Staff Cerrsspondent

DETROIT, June 21.-Washington' S
f1ourishing losing streak has van
ished temporarily at least with the
rejuvenation Of Pitcher Sid Hudson,
but creating cause for alarm among
the Mats Is a general disintegration
of batting power. The Mats hitterS
are leading the league in triples,
but currently it is a hollow achieve
ment.
Hudson. blending overland pitches
with sidearm delivery for the first
time this season, unleashed credit
able 9-hitter to whip Chicago, Al,
IN the second game of a double
header yesterday after the Mats
had hoisted their string of defeats
to eight by dropping the opener,
8-5, before a crowd of 22,729.
Hudson's first Ginning job in two
months has buoyed the Mats pitch
ing hopes, but the Mats have been
creampuff hitters in their last nine
games.
Run OF Hudson is Fluke.
Washington's 80 triples this year
would indicate potential batting
strength, but there has been an
Infectious lack of consistency.
Johnny Sullivan, of all people, is
the only Nat who compiled a 800
average during Washington recent
misery.
Sully has batted 3O4 in the Mats
last nine games and Ed Stewart
has hit .273. No other Nat has hit
over .250 as such key figures as
Mickey Vernon. Al Kozar and Jake
Early have been struggling along
below the 200 mark.
Until Hudson came along to fin
ish his first game in 10 starts, the
Mats pitchers had been taking bru-
tai beatings. Sid, gambling that
occasional overland pitches wouldn't
jeopardize his career by reinjuring
an ailing shoulder which forced him
to quit last year, checked the mush-
rooming inept department of the
Mats staff.
Washington's pitching had been
belted for 81 runs in eight games
before Hudson applied the brakes.
The lone Chicago run scored against
Sid stemmed from luck-anointed
bad hop single by Don Holloway in
the eighth inning after the Mats
had grasped a 40 lead.
Coan's Hitting Big Help.
Eddie Yost's triple and Gil Coan's
single nicked Al Gettel for a run
in the third inning and the Mats
made it 20 in the fifth when Early
scored from third on Coan's long
fly. Coan's double, Stewards single
and Sullivan's double projected the
Mats into command at 40 in the
eighth.
Hudson, who won this third de-
clsion, owned ix-hitter until Kol-
loway's grounder took a weird
bounce over Second Baseman Ko-
zar's shoulder with one out in the
eighth, Dave Philley's single sent
Holloway to third and he scored
after Tony Lupien flied deep to
Stewart.
The Mats were proud possessors
OF q 4-5 lead entering Chlcago'S
seventh inning in the first game
but the White Sox pounded Ray
Scarborough and Early Wynn for
five runs on flve hits and Bill
Wight thus was lifted to his third
win.
Nat notes: When Manager Joe
Kuhel benched Coan in the first
game, it marked the first time this
season that Gil had missed being
named in the starting lineup. g.
Mickey Haefner was slated to open
four-game series against the De-
troit Tigers here today. The
Mats blasted three triples in the
opener and three more in the sec
ond game. Umpire Bill Nc
Gowan didn't relish the sizeable web
in Wynn's glove and ordered him
to switch before he'd permit him
to relieve Scarborough.