Evening star., 1950-08-02
Mats Get Pitcher Gene Beaden From Indians Combs Coast
Weriz's Great Hiftinq
Keeps Tigers on Top;
|Houffeman Hurt
By Joe ReichIer

L ne SenSaClOndl SClCkWOrK OF
Vic WertZ is keeping the Tigers
on top in the pulse-pounding
american League pennant race.
If Wertz hadn't picked this
week to go on a one-man batting
spree the Tigers might be deep
in third place today instead of
leading the field by one full game.
Allie Reynolds and Ted Gray are
scheduled to pitch today.
Wertz. the big gun last night,
has personally accounted for four
Detroit triumphs in the Tigers
current home stand.
Tommy Byrne, an old Tiger
tanner. couldn't tame the Tigers
again last night. AS result the
southpaw lost his first game of the
season to the Tigers, who went
on to whip the Yankees. 7-3, in
the first of an all-important
t1ilee-Sa1ne series.
Wertz Clouts Two Homers.
Wertz hammered two home
runs and a single and drew a
walk in four times at bat, to drive
in three runs. The pair of four
oaggers gave the massive 200
pound outfielder from York, Pa,
seven homers in five consecutive
games. That tied a record set
by Babe Ruth in 1921 and equaled
by Jim Bottomley of the Cardi-
nails in 1929.
Wertz has been retired only four
times in his last "a times at bat.
During that torrid hitting streak
he's walloped four doubles and
two singles besides his homers.
He's also walked seven times.
That's-a phenomenal .764 batting
average.
In his last five games following
his return from a layoff due to a
bruised instep. the Tigers strong
boy has made at least two hits,
scored at least twice, driven in
at least two runs and hit at least
two extra bases per game. No
wonder he's way up there now.
with % homers. 81 runs batted in
and highly respectable .319 bat
ting mark.
HOutteman Injured.
The Tigers triumph was tenn
pered by an injury to Art Houtte-
man, Detroit's ace right t-hander.
The youngster came up with a
sore side muscle an hour before
he was due to pitch. The pain
was SO great he was unable to
start. Nobody knows whether he'll
be in shape to face the Yankees
IN the current series. Houtteman
has been the Tigers most con-
Slstent winner. Three of his II
trlurnphs have been registered
against the Yankees.
Dizzy Trout, last-minute
pitching replacement, turned in a
mastertul job in turning back the
Yankees with six hits. He was
nehlnd only once when he served
two-run homer to Johnny Mize
IN the sixth. That gave the Yam
KEGS a short-lived 80 advantage
The Tigers roared back with five
runs IN their half of the sixth
After Wertz' second homer had
Knotted the score at 3-3. the
Tigers loaded the bases twice
Two-run singles by Johnny Lipon
and George Kell unloaded them
both times.
Cleveland's third place Indians
shot to within a game of second
when they defeated Washington.
80.
Parnell Goes Route.
The fourth-place Red Sox con-
tlnued' their domination over the
Browns with a 7-3 victory. Mel
Parnell went the route for his
eighth triumph. Walt Dropo
raped three hits for the victors,
drove in two runs and took over
the leagues RBI lead with lO1.
The Red Sox still trail by seven
games.
Billy Pierce pitched the White
Sox to an easy 81 triumph over
Philadelphia. Chico Carrasquel.
rookie White Sox shortstop, ex-
tended his consecutive hitting
streak through 20 straight with
a single and triple.
The National League race
frightened a little when Brooklyn
swept two games from Pittsburgh, |
Pip and 81 to close within
three and a half games of the
pace-setting Philadelphia Phils.
The Phillies split pair with Gin
winning the opener. Ga
and losing the second, Al.
The Cardinals regained second
place, three games off the pace,
thrashing the Braves, 6-1. The
defeat dropped the Braves into
fourth place. one percentage point
behind the Dodgers.
Boyer WINS NO. 4.
Rookie Righthander Cloyd
Boyer spaced six hits for his
fourth Cardinal triumph. Third
Baseman Tommy GlavianoI
smacked three hits and drove in
a pair of runs for the victors.
Boston's Earl Torgeson's consecu-
tive hitting streak was snapped at
% games.
Del Ennis smashed his fifth
homer in six games and drove in
two more tallies with a single
to pace the Phils to their first
game triumph as Rookie Bob
Miller notched his 10th win.
Ewell Blackwell gave the Reds an
even break with four hitter in
the nightcap.
Army bound Curt Simmons,
who flew in to pitch for Philadel-
phia after getting a special pass