Evening star., 1951-07-31
George KeII Scores
From Second on FIy
Due 10 Mental Lapse
By Joe Reichler
Associated Press Sports Writer


labelled "the perfect player" feel
after pulling his first rock" in a
long and brilliant baseball career?
Foolish" admitted Joe Di-
Maggie, great outf1eld star of the
New York Yankees.
For the first time since he came
up to New York in 1886, DiMaggio
felt like digging a huge hole in
Yankee Stadium and diving into
lit. The f1awless flychaser, recog-
nized for his ability to do the
right thing at the right time,
really pulled a dilly last night be-
fore 1854 unbelieving spectators.
Joe Gets a Break.
Fortunately for him, the Yam
KEGS came on to win-beating the
Detroit Tigers. 5-4-to minimize
IDiNTaggio's mental lapse. And Joe
drove in the winning run. The
victory increased the Yanks' first
place margin to 212 games over
the idle Cleveland Indians and
Boston Red Sox. It was New
York's 33d victory in 43 home
games.
This is the sequence of events
that led to DiMaggio'S rock. "
The score was tied % when the
Tigers came to bat in the eighth.
Doubles by Jerry Priddy and
George Kell with one out put the
Tigers in front, 30. Steve Sou
chock, an ex-Yankee, flied deep
to DiMaggio. Kell tagged up and
headed for third.
DiMaggio made no attempt to
head him off. Instead. he calmly
began to jog toward the dugout
with the ball in his right hand.
Dick Bartell, alert Tiger third
base coach, took in the situation
at a glance and waved Kell plate
ward. Joe finally understood why
his mates were yelling at and
waving to him. But by then 1t
was too late. Kell had scored the
second run of the inning.
| II thought it was the third out, "
explained the embarrassed Yam
kee Clipper later.
BIOOpers Save the Day.
| Luck was prime factor in Di-
Maggio's ninth-inning hit that
drove in the winning run for the
Yankees. With runners on first
and second and two out, Joe start
ed to swing at a pitch by Virgil
Trucks, then tried to check it,
and accidentally blooped single
to right. That brought in Joe
Collins with the winning run.
Collins also had gotten on via
a blooper. With two away he
Iplopped a short fly behind third
for a double. Bobby Brown walked
to bring up DiMaggio.
Ed Lopat-although raked for
10 hits, including three doubles, a
triple and homer-went the dis
Itance to register his 18th triumph.
He has lost six. Trucks was the
loser. He had replaced Fred
Hutchinson in the eighth. The
Yankees had retrieved one of the
two runs scored by Detroit in the
top of the eighth and had runners
on second and third with two out.
Neil Berry fumbled Pinch-hitter
Johnny Hopp's grounder allowing
the tying run to score.
Idle Dodgers Gain.
While the American Leagues
activity was limited to one game,
every team but Brooklyn and
Pittsburgh was active in the Ma
tional. Even without playing, the
pace-setting Dodgers saw their
lead increased.
An eighth-inning double by Roy
Smalley drove in the tying and
winning runs as the Chicago Cubs
nipped the New York Giants, 7-6,
in the only game played in day.
light. 1t left the second-place
Giants 9l2 games behind Brooklyn.
Smalley batted in five runs alto
Igether. His homer in the second
game came with two on. The
Giants had fought back to go
ahead, 6-5 in the top of the eighth
on Bobby ThomSon's three-run
homer.
| Dutch Leonard, 41-year-old
righthander, was credited with
his 10th victory in relief. Young
George Spencer was the loser.
/ A two-run, eighth inning rally
climaxed by Del Rice's double
gave st. Louis a 5-4 victory over
the Boston Braves and boosted
the Cardinals into a third-place
tie with the Phillies. Stan MuSial
hit his 23d home run.
), Blackwell Gets Bumps.
The Cincinnati Reds spotted
the Phillies a SO lead and roareo
, back to win 6-5 on a ninth.
r inning single by Bobby Adams anc
; a triple by Connie Ryan. jim
Konstanty was the victim. Tht
leagues most valuable player o.
1850 took over IN the ninth anc
retired only one batter to bt
charged with his 10th loss. He
has won only four.
The Phillies jumped on Ewel
Blackwell for five runs to finish
off the sidearmer in the second
It marked the sixth time in his
last seven starts that Blackwell
.ihad failed to finish.