Evening star., 1948-10-02
E1e af $pofts Race Goes to Last Day Third Time in Years
Leagues First 3-Wa)
Tie Is Possible Since
Tribe S Lead Is Cut
By Ben PhIeeor
Assoeioted Press Sports Writer

By Ben PhIeeor
Assoeioted Press Sports Writer
For the third time in five years
the American League pennant racs
won't be decided until the last day
For the first time in history it may
end in a three-way tie come to-
morrow.
Cleveland holds the upper hand
The Indians lead New York ano
Boston by one full game. Each OF
the three teams has two games left
Cleveland against Detroit in Cleve-
land and the Yankees and Red Sox
against each other in Boston.
Many Things Can Happen.
These are the possibilities, pro-
viding rain doesn't interfere:
l. Cleveland can win the pennant
by whipping the Tigers twice, re-
gardless of what happens in Boston
2. Cleveland can win by splitting
with the Tigers. providing Boston
and New York split.
3. Boston or New York can win
the pennant if one team sweeps
the Boston series while Cleveland
loses twice to Detroit.
4. Boston or New York can tie
Cleveland if one team sweeps the
Boston series while the Indians split
with Detroit.
S. All three teams can finish in a
tie. This would happen if Boston
and New York split and Cleveland
loses twice.
Since all regular season games
must be completed by tomorrow
night or go unplayed, rain could
have a big hand in determining the
winner.
If Cleveland is unable to play any
further games it will win the pen
nant regardless Of the Boston Sc
ries. And if Cleveland loses two
while the Boston series is entirely
washed out, New York and Boston
will tie for the pennant with the
Indians one percentage point behind
Mild Rain Won't Halt Play.
With so much at stake. however
they will make every possible effort
to play every game.
The race last went to the limit in
1945 when Detroit won the flag on
the final day by whipping st. Louis
in the rain on a field almost ankle
deep in mud. The Browns won on
the last day the year before by de-
feating the Yankees while Detroit
was losing to Washington.
The chances of a three-Way dead
lock became stronger yesterday
when Detroit whipped Cleveland,
5-3. Boston and New York weren't
scheduled.
The Tigers struck for three runs
in the ninth inning to gain the ver-
dict. Bob Lemon, who was trying
for the fourth time to win his 21st
game. set up his own downfall.
Eddie Mayo. the first Detroit bat
ter in the ninth, dribbled a slow
roller down the third-base line
Lemon fielded it and hit Mayo in
the back with his throw. Mayo
reached second base as the ball
bounded away. Lemon settled down
TO strike cut Johnny Bero and got
two strikes on Johnny Groth. but
walked him. He couldn't find the
plate against Joe Ginsberg, the
third straight pinch-hitter, and
walked him on five pitches.
Christopher Walks In Tie.
In came Russ Christopher, the
Indians No. l relief man. He tried
to keep the ball low to Johnny
Lipon, but the first four pitches
stayed so low Lipon drew walk
forcing in the tying run. Neil Berry
bounced to Third Baseman Ken
Keltner, who threw to the plate for
. force-out. But the double play
failed when Walt Judnich dropped
Catcher Jim Hegan's throw at first.
With the count two balls and one
strike, Jimmy Outlaw singled into
center field, bringing home the VIM
ming runs.
In the only other American League
action, the Browns and White Sox
split twilight-night double header
in Chicago. St Louis won the first
game, 40. behind the three-hit
pitching Of Cliff Fannin. Chicago
won the second, 80. The victory
was the 59th of the year for the
Browns, the same number they COM
piled last year before their mass
housecleaning that saw the sale of
such stars as Jack Kramer, Vern
Walt Judnich. Bob Mum
Grief and Billy Hitchcock.
St. Louis took over the second
place in the National League by
whipping Chicago, Ga, on Ron
Northey's three-run home run. Stan
Musial, the leagues leader in every
batting department except home
runs, collected a double and two
singles to raise his average to $3.50.
Brooklyn slipped to third by losing
to the champion Boston Braves, 81.
Vern Bickford won his 18th game for
the Braves. Pittsburgh scored two
runs in the ninth inning to edge
Cincinnati, 81. after getting only
two hits off Walker CreSs in the first
eight frames.
Philadelphia and New York in
the National League and Washing
ton and Philadelphia in the Amer
ican League weren't scheduled.