Evening star., 1951-04-21
Fans Hunt for Cause
OF Slump by Red Sox,
Losers TO olowIyA's
BY RoIph Roden
Associated Press Sports Writer


The good citizens Of Boston are
burning the midnight oil trying
to discover who stole the Fenway
Park left-field wall or what's the
matter with the Red Sox. .-
The Sox, perennial preseason
favorites for the American League
pennant. are in a deep freeze.
Steve O'Neill's men entered the
season with II straight exhibition
victories. But, alas, the Sox still
are looking for victory No. /.
They began by dropping two
games to the Yankees in New
York. scoring only once in the
process.
Victory Seemed Certain.
Yesterday they opened their
home season and victory seemed
% cinch.
The factors that pointed to q
victory were:
/. The Sox were back on their
home lot with that ctummy left.
field wall, a haven for their right
handed hitters.
2. They were to meet the Phila-
delphia Athletics. The AS, dead
last in 1850, had lost % straight
games at Fenway Park.
8. Alex Kellner, q 20-game loser
In 1850 and q left handler to boot,
was to pitch for the AS. A left
handler goes the route and beats
the Sox in Boston only once in
a blue moon. Hal Newhouser Of
Detroit and Gene Bearden Of
Washington were the only ones
to perform that feat last year.
4. Mel Parnell was to pitch for
Boston. Mel had racked up the
AS 10 straight times.
Kellner Hurls Four Hitter.
But Kellner Stunned 1l,461
fans by turning back the Sox.
6-3, permitting only four hits
along the way.
Only Lou Boudreau, who oper-
ated in a Cleveland uniform last
year, kissed that friendly barrier
in left. Boudreau lined q homer
in the fifth to tie the score at 3-3.
Kermit Wahl broke up the
game in the eighth inning. Wahl
belted q two-out, two-run double
and scored the clincher when the
usually reliable Dom DiMaggio
dropped Joe Tipton's liner.
The Yanks' day-night defeat by
the Mats recalled that last year
the Bombers were the only team
in the majors who didn't lose Q
double header.
The double triumph put the
Mats in first by q half game over
the Indians and White Sox who
scored their third straight tri-
umphs in the afternoon.
1uu1duS OCAtS OIUWuSp
Bob Feller came up with neat
five-hitter as he pitched the In
dianS to a Al victory over the
hapless Browns before 48.3l6 fans
in Cleyeland's home opener.
The Indians clinched the deci-
sion with four runs in the second
inning on five walks. a single.
double and error. Hank Arft
ruined Feller'S shutout bid with
a pinch-hit homer in the ninth.
Randy Gumpert pitched Chi
cago to q SO three-fit victory
over the Tigers before 8,731 at
Chicago. Gumpert helped his
cause by driving in two runs.
Dodgers Down Giants.
Opening day ended on a sour
note for the Giants and the
Phillies. The Dodgers spoiled the
day for the Giants and 30,870
fans by downing the New Workers.
7-3, at the Polo Grounds. The
Braves nipped the Phillies, 2-1,
before 17,423 fans in Philadelphia.
Don Newcombe tanned the
Giants on five hits and coaSted
after the Dodgers scored four
runs In the fifth. .-
Max Surkont surrendered only
two hits and drove home the win
ming run with a fly ball as the
Braves shaded the Phillies.
Gerry Staley scattered nine hits
as the Cards opened their home
season with a 5-1 victory over the
Cubs in st. Louis under the lights.
Frank Frisch. Cub manager, was
tossed out Of the game in the
fifth for arguing over a walk to
Stan Musial.