Evening star., 1949-05-02
Eddie Sawyer's Screw,
Once Tagged Futile
Becomes Feared
BY Joe Reiehler
Assoeiosed Press Sports Writer

Assoeiossd Press Sports Writer
They laughed when the Phila-
delphia front ofice announced in
dead seriousness this spring that
the once futile. forlorn Phillies
would be known as the 'Fightin'
Phillies."
They laughed all the harder
when the Quaker City's chronic
second division outfit proceeded
to belle their new nickname by
dropping six Of their first nine
games. But that was four days
ago.
They're not laughing any more.
The rival National League clubs
simply fail to see anything funny
about team that just got through
knocking of the Brooklyn Dod-
gers three times in as many days
in their own backyard. Lest we
forget, the Dodgers generally were
rated as the club to beat for the
flag.
The "Fightin' Phillies" aren't
doing it with mirrors. either.
They're simply combining a load
Of hustle and sound mastermind-
ing from the bench with we'll
balanced attack, alert defense and
good, solid pitching.
As Manager Eddie Sawyer put
it after yesterdays game in which
the Phils drubbed the Dodgers
for the third straight time, AZ:
We've been playing good ball
but we've not been getting the
breaks. The boys have hustled al
the way, but we've lost some tough
ball games. Now that the breaks
appear to be evening UP. watch
our smoke. Whatever you do, don't
sell us short"
Phillies Quit Cellar.
Yesterdays victory boosted the
Phils out of the league cellar. IL
percentage points above the Chi
cago Cubs. They now have won
and lost record of 6-8, are only
half a game out of the first divi-
sion and three games behind the
front-running Boston Braves. With
an 11-game home stand facing
them starting tomorrow. the Phils
are In a position to make Sawyer
look good.
The Phils have been making
everything count in their favor.
They whipped the Dodgers. So.
last Friday on only five hits, and
trounced them again Saturday,
1874, on only eight safeties. They
collected 10 base knocks yesterday.
scoring all their runs on loser
Preacher Roe.
Home runs by Andy Seminick
and Del Ennis gave Russ Meyer a
40 cushion to work on. The young
righthander spaced eight hits for
his first victory. A home run by
Duke Snider with one man on base
accounted for all Brooklyn runs.
The Braves moved into undis-
puted possession of first place.
winning both ends Of q double
header from the New York York
Giants, 6-5 and 4-2, before SO, 400
home town rooters. Sibby Sisti's
ninth-inning pinch single with
the bases loaded drove in the tying
and winning runs. The Giants had
broken q A tie in the top of the
ninth on Bobby Thomson's home
run.
Antonelli's Debut Auspicious.
Johnny Antonelli. Boston's high
priced 19-year-old bonus SOUTH
paw. won his first big league game
in his first major league start
in the nightcap. He allowed six
hits, walked nine and was rescued
by Nelson Potter when he walked
the first three men to face him in
the ninth. Potter got Sid Gordon
to line into a double play to end
the game.
Harry Breecheen and Stan Mu-
sial teamed up to give the st.
Louis Cardinals an 80 triumph
over the Cubs. Brecheen spread
out 13 hits for his second victory.
Musial led the attack of five Cub
hurlers with three hits and two
walks in five times at bat. He
drove in two runs.
Pittsburgh and Cincinnati di-
vided q double header, the Pirates
winning the opener. 1914, and the
Reds taking the second game. So.
Danny Murtaugh helped Bob
Chesnes gain his first victory of
the season in the opener. rapping
out three hits and driving in four
runs. Bud Lively pitched q six
hitter and Danny Litwhiler
cracked out three hits for the Reds
in the nightcap.
The Boston Red Sox. after two
straight beatings by the New York
Yankees, finally came to life,
blasting Allie Reynolds and Frank
Shea for IA hits and an 11-2
triumph. Johnny Pesky, Vern
Stephens and Ted Williams wal
loped home runs for the winners.
Ted's came with the bases loaded,
and Stephens was his fifth of the
year. Mel Parnell doled out six
hits for his third straight triumph.
The game was halted after eight
innings on account of rain. It
was the first New York loss at
Yankee Stadium.
Lemon Loses 2-Hitter.
Bonn Lemon pitched two-hit-
ter for Cleveland. but bowed to
Detroit's Hal Newhouser, So. on
Dick Wakefleld's three-run homer
In the first inning. Lemon walked
two men before Wakefield crashed
his homer. Newhouser registered
his third victory against one de-
feat, although he allowed eight
hits including two doubles and two
triples.
The Chicago White Sox whipped
the Browns twice in st. Louis.
It's and 14-11, to make 1t seven
j in q row over the Browns this