Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-07-26
|Redbirds Hold Margin
AS Teams Move Into
Western Cities
By Joe Reiehler
Associated Press Sports Writer

| Associated FTesS SPorfS VIII"
Throw the first three months
out of the window. boys-the Ma
tional League pennant race Is
just beginning.
1t took IA weeks, but now that
the wheat has been separated from
the chaff, the same old bitter
rivals-the Brooklyn Dodgers and
st. Louis Cardinals-are battling
for the coveted prize. It's the
same story for the seventh time
in nine years.
At the moment the edge lies
with the Cards. Back home from
a successful 12-game Eastern
jaunt, the Redbirds are in first
place today, a half game in front
of the slumping Dodgers. AS far
as the flag is concerned, the other
six clubs can start rebuilding for
next year.
The rampant Redbirds. who
took over first place from Brook
Ign by knocking off the Dodgers
three straight in the Dodgers own
back yard, begin a 19-gan1e home
stand today.
In the meantime the Dodgers
will play II games on the road,
beginning with trio in Chicago.
Tribe Cuts Yanks' Margin.
The American League race is
showing signs of becoming a hum
dinger, too. It appeared prac-
tically over last week when the
pace-setting New York Yankees
knocked off their mcst persistent
challengers-the Cleveland In
dians-two out of three to in
crease their margin to 51a games.
Things have changed since
then. though. The Indians went
on to take their next five games,
including the big one last night
when they whipped the Yankees,
a., before 1854 at Yankee Sta
dunn. That cut the Bronx Bomb
ers' lead to only three games. with
the two teams clashing again
Wednesday and Thursday.
The Indians delivered a one
two punch last night. Not only
did they defeat the Yankees, hut
they turned the tables on Vic
Raschi. who had whipped them
four straight times this year. The
Yankee ace went the route for
the 18th time, but was tagged for
II hits and went down to his
fourth defeat. He has won Is.
Right-hander Early Wynn reg
istered his eighth victory against
two setbacks, but needed help
from Satchel Paige in the eighth.
Dale Mitchell was instrumental
in Cleveland's first two runs,
driving in the first with a long fly
and scoring the second on a fly
by Mickey Vernon following his
triple.
A pair Of lapses by the Yankee
battery accounted for Cleveland
46oG WV O4los
Dodgers, Cards Tie.
I In the only National League
game the Dodgers. striving to save
something from their disastrous
series with the Redbirds, had to
settle for nine-inning "A tie
as the Cards overcame 81 deficit
in the sixth. The game was called
by agreement at the end Of the
ninth to permit both clubs to
make train connections to the
West.
Stan Musials triple, the first
of three hits against his Brooklyn
cousins" scored Lou Klein to
give the Cards a run in the first,
but the Dodgers came back with
two in the third and another in
the fourth for a 81 lead.
With two away in the sixth, Mu-
sial doubled, Enos Slaughter
walked, and Ron Nbrthey scored
them both with q two-base hit.
Rocky Nelson's two-bagger
brought in Northey to put the
Cards ahead, 4-3. The Dodgers
tied the score at A. in their half
of the sixth on Pinch Hitter Gene
Hermanski's home run.
No other games were scheduled
| in the majors.