Evening star., 1949-05-18
Woes PiIing Up
For Boudreau a!
Pitchers FaIter
Hurting Ills Added
To His Problem Of
Drop in Hitting
BY Joe ksieh!sr
Asso<sasse Press Sesrss Sfrisss

young man today.
The playing manager OF the
world champion Cleveland In
dians Is burdened BY q problem
emanating from . most unex-
pected source-the Tribes vauntec
pitching stan.
A month ago II some one had
tried TO tell Boudreau that his
mound stan would give him his
biggest headache. Lou would have
ordered the guy sent to 4 psyche
pathic ward But listen 10 Lou
now.
Il know we're not hitting q
lick" Boudreau said before last
nights As loss TO the New York
Yankees. But that doesn't worry
me half As much as my pitching.
Big Four In Poor shape.
Every one of my big four
Bob Feller. Bob Lemon. Gene
Bearden and Steve Gromek-has
been laid up by injuries. ]
haven't gotten . complete game
from any Of them for nearly two
weeks. What's worse. don't know
when any of them will be his
old self again. Not one Is In good
shape right now"
Feller has been bothered all
season by . sore shoulder. Lemon
tore q rib cartileee while pitching
against the Yankees In Cleveland
last week. Rearden still hasn't
fully recovered from q pulled leg
muscle and Gromek has a char
ley horse.
The last time one OF the big
four won a game was May S when
Feller defeated the Boston Red
Sox. 7-3. Since then Lemon has
failed to 60 the route In two ef-
forts. Bearden has been beaten
twice. Gromek once and Feller
once.
Bearden and Lemon won 20
games each last year. Feller won
10 and Gromek 8. So far the four
have won Z and lost 7.
Bearden Ineffective.
"Bearden gets his test tonight" "
Boudreau said before the game.
Feller viii try IL tomorrow and I
hope to have Gromek ready by
Thursday. I don't know when
Lemon will be ready"
Bearden showed last night that
he was not yet himself. Plainly
favoring his injured leg. the tall
lefthander lasted seven innings
and was clipped for Is hits as the
Yankees defeated the Indians. As
Only some weird base running by
the Yankees and good fielding
support by his mates. prevented
the winners from adding to their
run total.
A season record crowd Of 1880
saw Southpaw Ed Lopat. long a
Cleveland nemesis. hold the Tribe
to seven hits for his fourth victory
Of the season. He has still TO
taste defeat. It was Lopat's 10th
triumph over the Tribe. who have
beaten him only four times.
A fourth inning Texas League
single by Billy johnson drove in
the first two Yankee runs. Phil
Rizzuto batted In another In the
sixth and Tommy Heinrich fur
nished what proved to be the
winning run by smashing his NTH
homer of the year In the seventh.
Homers by Larry Dolby and Mickey
Vernon and triple by Dale
Mitchell followed by Vernon's
single, accounted for cleveland's s
runs.
Yanks Snap Streak.
The victory snapped the Yankees
four game losing streak, Al the
same time. the Indians dropped
their fourth In q row, and their
11th In 81 games
Philadelphia's Athletics moved
into third place by defeating the
st. Louis Browns. o-2. last night
In Philadelphia. Alex Keliner won
his third relief victory In q row.
holding the Browns TO two hits
and no runs In five and tvo-thirds
innings. He relieved starter Lou
Brissie In the fourth.
vern Stephens ninth home run
In the eighth with q mate aboard
enabled the Boston Red Sox to
nose out the Chicago White Sox.
I4-3. Southpaw Mel Psrnell hung
UP his fifth victory against one
defeat for Boston. Randy Gum
pert was the loser.