Evening star., 1950-08-04
ow Rate Indians Club TO Beat as Yankees Drop to Third
Detroit 0utcIasses
New York in Takinq
Battle for First Place
BY the Assoeicted Press

The Yankees today had slipped
to third place in the torrid Amer
lean League race and the Tigers,
safe in front for the moment with
a 22-game lead, now must con-
tend with the onrushing Indians.
The Yankees. confident of TAX
ing over first place during their
three-game series with the Tigers
that ended yesterday. were de-
cisively beaten in all three games.
Young Art Houtteman, ace of
the Tiger staff, did the trick yes
terday. to 2. Dizzy Trout and
Hal White turned back the Yanks
in the other two games.
AS result the Tigers, who were
in first place by half a game when
the series opened Tuesday. dumped
the Yanks to third, 31a games off
the pace. The Indians, tied with
the Yanks for second place yes
terday but who did not play, thus
moved past New York into second
place, az games behind Detroit.
The Tigers. like a good many
other baseball authorities, now
look upon Cleveland as the team
to beat in the league race.
Yanks Are Stopped.
The Tigers entered the New
York series with a crippled pitch
ing staff. but swept the series
convincingly. In the 27 innings of
the three games, the Tigers made
16 runs on 27 hits while holding
the Yanks to 5 runs on IA hits.
In addition, the Tiger pitchers
stopped the Yankee big guns cold.
Joe Di Maggie got only two
singles in II times at bat and
failed to score or bat in run.
Yogi Berra got four hits in 10, but
scored only one run and failed to
bat any across.
Johnny Mize, who hit two hon.
ers, got three hits in IL tries. He
scored one other run in addition
to his homers and batted in two
more in addition to those pro-
duced by his round trippers. In
all, he either scored or batted in
four of the five runs the Yanks
scored in the series.
Wertz Has Big Series.
On the other hand, Vic Wertz.
Tiger outfield star who is in the
midst of a batting spree, had four
hits in six times at bat. scored
three runs, had two homers and
batted in three other runs.
Four runs in the first inning
tucked yesterdays game away for
Detroit. Ed Lopat. shooting for
his 14th win, got only one man out.
The 31,713 spectators hardly
had settled in their seats before
the Tigers had the game on ice.
The Yanks failed to score in
the top of the first and when
Detroit came to bat, the lead-off
man, Johnny Lipon, singled.
Jerry Priddy walked. Lopat
gummed up George Kell's bunt to
fill the bases and Wertz crashed
a double to right center, scoring |
two runs. Hoot Evers fouled out,
but Kell tailed from third after |
the catch when Second Baseman |
Jerry Coleman caught the ball
over his shoulder down the right
field line. Don Kolloway's single |
scored Wertz.
Fred Sanford and Joe Page held
the Tigers hitless until the eighth
and Mize narrowed New York's
deficit to AZ with a home run in
the fourth after Hank Bauer had
walked.
Houtteman scattered three sin
giles after that blow. though, and
the Tigers gave him added insur-
ance in the eighth when Kell
doubled, Wertz sacrificed and
Evers flied deep to left, scoring
Kell.
1t was the 18th victory for Hout-
teman.
Carrasquel Hits Again.
The only other action in the
American League had nothing to
do with the pennant race as sixth
place Chicago shut out seventh
place Philadelphia, 10.
Chico Carrasquel, the White
Sox' fine young shortstop,
stretched his consecutive game
hitting streak to % with a sixth
inning single.
The four other clubs in the
American were not scheduled.
Rain slaslfed the National
League schedule, washing out a
Observation-Disclosures day game
and a Cincinnati-at-P Philadelphia
night game. Chicago and New
York were not scheduled.
Vern Bickford, the Braves bril-
liant highlander. came up with
his second straight four-hitter
for 81 victory over the Cardi-
mails. The triumph boosted the
Braves into second place in front
of the idle Dodgers. The Braves
now are three games back of the
leading Phillies.
One of the most important
series in the National League race
opens tonight at Philadelphia,
with the Phils against the Cardi-
mails.