Evening star., 1949-08-15
Once Il TiIts Behind ,
Fast-C|osing Boston
Now 0n|y40ff Pace
BY Joe ReichIer
Associotsd Press Sports Writer

As.eeiatsd Press Sports Writer
A penny for Casey Stengel'S
thoughts today as once again the
manager of the New York Yankees
feels the hot breath Of the on
coming Boston Red Sox on the
back Of his neck.
Wasn't 1t just seven weeks ago
that Stengel wrote off the Red
Sox?
This is it," he exclaimed jubi-
lantly on July 4 after the Yankees
had whipped the Bosox for the
fifth straight time. "The Red Sox
won't bother us any more. We
knocked them right out of the
race. They'll never recover"
And who was there to say that
Casey was wrong? Those were
dark days for Ted Williams and
company. They had suffered eight
defeats in a row. They were wal
lowing in fifth place. The Yam
KEGS were IL full games away, and
it appeared only a miracle could
pull them back. Why, the Red
Sox would be lucky to finish in the
first division.
Today, exactly seven weeks later,
the Red Sox, in an amazing about
face. have made UP two-thirds Of
the ground on the Yankees. Now
in second place. they've picked up
eight games and trail by only four.
Oddly enough, there are exactly
seven weeks left in the playing
schedule. 1t doesn't take a certi-
fed public accountant to figure
out the pennant winner, should
the Sox repeat their last seven
weeks work.
Seven More Games With Yanks.
The Sox. piling up "a hits and
18 bases on balls. overpowered
Washington twice yesterday, 9-3
and 1874. to pick up another game
on the Yankees. Stengel's crew
whipped Philadelphia, AZ, but the
Athletics came back to win the
second game of the double-header,
4-3.
The triumph gave the
Red Sox a record of 80 victories
in Al games since that fateful
July 4. They've now won ID OF
% in their latest home stand.
Five in row have come at the
expense of the Mats, whom they
meet 10 more times. In one, they
hold an 8-3 lead after six innings.
The game will be completed later
! this week. Boston also has seven
games left with the Yankees.
The Brooklyn Dodgers regained
the lead from st. Louis in the
tight National League race, win
ming from Boston, To, while Pitts
burgh was trouncing the Cardin-
ais, 40. This turn Of events put
the Brooks one game in front OF
the Redbirds. e
The. third-pla New York Gil
ants remained IL full games off
the pace despite their two victor
les over the philadelphia Phils,
8s1 and $50. The Cincinnati Reds
came out on top in the battle
Of the cellarites, winning two from
the last-place Chicago Cubs, 4-2
and 80. -.
q Kellner's Fourth over Yanks.
Alex KeHner scored shis fourth
victory over the Yankees and his
18th Of the year with a five-hitter
for the AS in the second game. A
triple by ex-Yankee Pete Suder
in the seventh off Allie Reynolds
sent in Ferris Fain with the win
ming run. Suder also homered in
the fifth.
Bob Porterfield bested Lou
Brissie in the opener, but needed
help from Fireman Joe Page in
the eighth. Third Baseman Billy
Johnson. who drove in all three
Yankee runs in the nightcap,
batted in what proved to be the
two winning runs in the first
game.
The third-place Cleveland Indi-
ans advanced to within five games
of the top by winning a double
header from the Chicago White
Sox. 4-3 and SO. Bob Lemon
hurled his 18th victory in the
opener and Garcia his 10th in the
nightcap. 1t was the Mexican's S
third shutout.
Larry Doby's 17th home run
with Dale Mitchell on third fol-
lowing his 18th triple, accounted
for half Cleveland's runs in the
opener.
The fourth-place Detroit Tigers
downed the st. Louis Browns twice
60 and 4-3. Fred Hutchinson
coasted to his 18th victory and
his sixth straight with a six-hitter
in the opener. George Kell paced
the Tigers with double and triple
to drive in three runs. Aaron Rob-
inson knocked in three Tiger runs
in the nightcap to help Art Houtte-
man register his 10th triumph.
Kiner Hits 31st Homer.
Duke Snider cracked two doubles
to drive in three runs in Brooklyn's
victory over Boston. Joe Hatten,
third Dodger hurler, allowed three
hits in four and a fraction in
nings to gain his 11th triumph.
Cliff Chambers hurled a three
hitter against the Cards as the
Pirates pounded Howie Pollet and
two successors for II blows, in
cluding Ralph Kiner's 31st home
run. Pollet, 15-game winner, was
charged with his sixth loss to
snap a six-game winning streak
for the southpaw.
Dave Koslo and Larry Jansen
stopped the Phils without an
earned run, with Jansen's two-hit
shutout coming on the heels of
an eight-hit effort by Koslo. Will
lard Marshall, Johnny Mize and
Bill Rigney drove home two runs
apiece in the opener. Singles by
Whitley Lockman and Mize fol-