Evening star., 1948-06-07
Tribe Power on Slab
Increased as Gromek
Stars in Rout Of As
By the Assoeioied Press

By the A,soeioted Press
From a good-hit-no,pitch" team
of a few weeks ago the Cleveland
Indians, leading the American
League race, suddenly have burst
forth with one of the finest mound
corps in the majors.
Remember when the Tribes
pitching staff was derisively de-
scribed as Bob Feller, Bob Lemon
and RAMP" With the aid of
several postponements due to the
weather, Cleveland Manager Lou
Boudreau was in position to pitch
Feller and Lemon almost exclusively
during the first two weeks of the
season.
OF the Indians first II games
this year Feller pitched in five and
Lemon in four. On the rare occa-
sions when the starter was other
than Feller or Lemon, the Indians
fireman crew, headed by Russ
Christopher and Ed Klieman, had
to get busy.
With the change in weather there
also came about change in Cleve-
lands effectiveness on the mound
No longer was Boudreau forced to
depend on the elements. His first
pleasant surprise was the dis
covery" of Rookie Gene Bearden as
a first-rate starting pitcher to team
up with his reliables, Feller and
Lemon.
GrOmek Joins Winners.
The young left-hander from
Helena, Ark. pitched a three-hit
victory in his first starting assign
ment May 8, and has been hurting
splendid ball since. To date Bearden
has won five games and lost only
one He has allowed only 10 runs
and 80 hits in so innings, an aver
age of about five hits and two runs
per game.
Feller, with his five victories and
two shutouts, needs no introduction,
Of course. Lemon appears to have
wrested the No. rating from Feller
with eight triumphs including three
shutouts. The Indian pitchers boast
seven shutouts, more than any staff
in the league.
The fourth starter likely is Steve
Gromek. The 28-year-old right
handler from Hamtramck, Mich,
who won 10 games in 1945, twirled
six-hitter in his first start of the
season yesterday.
Gromek teamed with Lemon in
pitching the Indians to pair Of
victories over the Philadelphia Ath-
letics, So and ILL. The double
triumph increased the Indians first
place margin over the Athletics to
212 games.
Record Crowd Sees AS Lose.
A season-record Philadelphia
crowd of $1,000 watched Lemon help
win his own game by collecting two
of his teams eight hits and driving
in two runs in the opener. The
Indians banged 16 hits off Dick
Fowler and Bob Savage in the night
CAP. Joe Upton smacked five hits
including two doubles in five trips
to the plate. Ken Keltners three
safeties included his 14th home run
of the season. Dale Mitchell got
four hits in six times at bat and
knocked in five runs. 1t was FoWler's
first loss of the season after three
victories. Eddie Joost's home run
ruined Gromek's shutout bid in the
first lining.
Richie Ashburn. rookie Philadel-
phia Phillies outielder, was held
hitless in both games. ending MS
consecutive game hitting streak at
%, a new mark for a first-year man.
Johnny Mize, back in 1896, and Dale
Mitchell of Cleveland last year, each
had % in their first year.
While most of the attention has
been focused on the flrst-place battle
between Cleveland and Philadelphia
the World Champion New York
Yankees have been climbing at a
steady pace and now are only three
games off the pace. They whipped
the St. Louis Browns, 4-3. and 80,
Yesterday to climb within half a
game of the second-place AS.
Cards Again Top National.
The st. Louis Cardinals regained
the lead in the National League
pennant race by defeating the Phil
adelphia Phillies twice in St. Louis,
ILL and 20 Jim Hearn and Alpha
Brazle were responsible for the well
pitched games. Hearn gave up four
hits and Brazle five. Red Schoen-
dienst led the attack for the Cards
with five doubles and a home run.
Red clouted three doubles Saturday.
The Cards teed off for IA hits IN
the opener against three pitchers.
They dubbed four home runs IN
the sixth inning-by Enos Slaughter.
Erv Dusak,' Schoendienst and Nlppy
Jones. The record of five home runs
in one inning was made by the New.
York Giants in 1899. !
The New York Giants fell out OF
first place, a half-game behind the
Cardinals. when they were held to
split in their double-header with
the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Scoring
six runs In the first, four in the
sixth and six more in the seventh
inning. the Giants manhandled the
Pirates, 1914. in the opener. Ray
Peat had an easy time racking up
his fifth triumph against one loss.
Sid Gordon hammered grand
slam home run for the. winners.
Ralph Kiner's home run in the last
half of the ninth broke 3-3 tie
and gave the Bucs a 4-3 victory
in the second game.
Dodgers Climb to Sixth.
The Brooklyn Dodgers moved
past Cincinnati into sixth place by
defeating the Reds, SO. in the
first game of scheduled double
header in Cincinnati. Rain halted
the first game after five innings
and prevented the second game
from being played. Jackie Robin
son made his first major league
appearance at third base for the
Dodgers.
The rebounding Red Sox vaulted