Evening star., 1949-09-13
SIates Give Leaders
Edge Only as Long as
Re|iefers Produce
By jack Hand
Assoeiotsd Press Sports Writer

%1So3foteo Ffess SPois Vfho
Joe Page and Ted Wilks, base
balls celebrated f1remen, are key
men in the stretch drives of the
favored New York Yankees and
st. Louis Cards.
The team standings and sched-
ule give the Yanks and Cards the
edge-but only as long as Page
and Wilks continue to produce.
Each has appeared in 81 games.
AS the Yanks and Cards move
into the final three weeks of the
season with the opening today Of
the last intersectional series, the
relief aces figure to tell the story.
New York. out front by three
full games after Sundays double
win while Boston was dropping
two. used Page in 5 Of its II
September games. Three times
he helped Tommy Byrne out Of
trouble. He saved Allie Reynolds
and Fred Sanford once each.
Manager Casey Stengel may
have to call on Smoky Joe to-
day. After Eddie Lopat pitches
the opener against the st. Louis
Browns, Casey has selected
Rookie Wally Hood to pitch the
second game. Hood. a recent
Kansas City grad, will be getting
his first major league starting
test.
Page Saves 3 in Last Days.
Return of Yogi Berra to home
run hitting form was a tremen-
dous boost to Yank morale. They
got another lift from Tommy
Heinrich, injured first baseman-
outfelder, who again Is taking
batting practice and insists he's
ready"
But most important is Page,
who saved three big games in
the last five days.
While the Yanks play a pair
with the Brownies, the desperate
Boston Red Sox must take on
the steaming Detroit club. VIM
ners of 10 straight and ID OF
their last 20. the Tigers invade
the East for the last time. intent
on becoming pennant factor.
Time is fast running out on all
Yankee chasers, but particularly
for Detroit which has only IA to
play and trails by five and one
half games. They are eight back
on the important losing side.
Joe McCarthy's Red Sox. to
keep their hopes alive must gain
ground during the seven-game
home stand against the West.
Then they must knock of the
,Yanks in the five games still to
be played between the two clubs.
Cleveland's chances of. repeat
ing as world champs are even
more dim than Detroit's. The
Tribe. fourth by six games. plays
only three of its last II at home.
The. Yanks play Is of 10 at the
Yankee Stadium and the Red Sox
nine out of IS at Fenway Park
where they have been terrific.
Three Give Cards Boost.
In the National, the Slugging of
Stan Musial and Enos Slaughter
and the efficient relief work OF
Wilks 11-3) have given the Cards
a 11a game edge over the Dodgers.
Wilks has been bumped in his
last few outings. but the st. Louis
staff required his strong right arm
in four of it's last nine games.
The Cards, like all 16 major
league teams had an open date
yesterday, but they're looking
ahead to the big three-game ser
les at Sportsman's Park with Sec
ond- place Brooklyn September
21-22. Those games probably
will decide the pennant race.
Tonight's series opener with the
New York Giants is the first Of
IL straight home dates for, the
Redbirds. After that they finish
with five at Chicago and Pitts
burgh.
Brooklyn has to win this flag
on the road. if it's going to do the
job. Burt Shotton's Dodgers. un-
certain about Peewee Reese's con-
dition, start a 10-game jaunt to-
night in Cincinnati. Only two
of their 16 remaining games will
be played at Ebbets Field.
The Phillies, now holding third
place by six games. can nail 1t
down with a good Western trip.
About the best Boston or New
York can do is scramble home a
disappointing fourth. Chicago
still has a dim chance of escaping
from the cellar. Pittsburgh can
do little more than play out the
schedule, hoping for Ralph Kiner
to continue his hot home-run
pace.
SOUTH ATLANTIC LEAGUE.
| Augusta, SO; Columbia, 0-5.
Charleston, 3; Greenville, !.