Evening star., 1952-03-19
Only Irv Noren
And kic1aeIs
|Hit Over 300
RunneIs FoIIs to .067;
Rookie Lone Turns In
Fine Jobs on Mound
By Burton Howkins !
Stur Stuff Cerrespcndeni

IRunnels. who is Bucky Harris
choice to lead the Mats In hitting
this season, hasn't begun to justify
the selection. The wiry shortstop
currently is hitting .067 and in
lis times at bat hasn't lifted the
lball out of the infield.
| Pete'S lone hit in exhibition
lgames was an infield single and a
continuation Of his performance
would be q blow to the Mats. who
have only Tommy Upton-a 1893
hitter with the Browns last sea-
ISon-as q replacement.
/ It's too early for Harris to de-
vote much time to fretting about
Runnels' slump. He's confident
the sharp-faced Texan with a
smooth batting stroke soon will
start spraying hits. Bucky right
now is confining his worrying to
1.-THE Mats hitting generally. It's
been poor.
Only Noren, Michaels Hitting.
In eight games the Mats have
averaged only seven hits. They
still haven't had a home run.
Irv Noren Is hitting 1863 and Cass
Michaels 1888, but they're the only
Regulars over 800.
The Mats have been held to
six hits once and five hits three
times. Jack Brittin, Howie Fox
and Jim Konstanty restricted
Washington to six hits yesterday
as the Phillies edged the Mats,
2-1. at Clearwater.
But while the Mats haven't
been hitting. they can get some
satisfaction from their pitching
particularly the, surprising show
ling of Gerry Lane, rookie right
Ihander who won II of his last
III games with Charlotte last sea-
son after being whipped in his
first two outings and being forced
to plead with the manager to
avoid being shipped to Erie.
Lane Yields Only 2 Hits.
Lane has pitched five innings in
1.-TWO starts and hasn't allowed a
run. He has given up only two
hits. one of them a bad hop single,
and yesterday he retired in order
the only six Phillies he faced.
| Julio Moreno, the Cuban right
lhander who had an undistin-
Iguished 5-l1 record with Wash
lington last season. also has been
defective. He's worked six innings
Iagainst the Athletics and Phillies
land has yielded four hits while
holding those clubs scoreless.
Dick Starr was the victim of
both Philadelphia runs In the
third inning. Del WILDER smashed
Ia home run over the left-field
fence to start the Phils' uprising
Richie Ashburn's single and Nippy
Jones double in the same inning
fetched the Phils what developed
Ito be the winning run.
The Mats fashioned their only
Irun in the second against Fox
when Frank Campos doubled
took third on a wild pitch and
scored when Michaels hit into q
double-play after Runnels hao
walked.
Fail to Profit ON Chances.
Washington had numerous op.
lportunities in the late innings
but failed to capitalize on them
With one out in the sixth Gi
Coan and Noren walked, buI
mickey Vernon hit into a douhl
play. With two out in the seventh
lMichaels singled and advanced OF
a balk, but Mickey Grasso foulet
. lout
Lane opened the eighth with
q single and Eddie YoSt walked, bu
g Del Ennis made an amazing shoe
) string catch of Coanis, looper an,
: fired to Granny Hammer to catcl
Lane OF second for a double play
d Noren then grounded out.
s The Mats had another chance 4
g the ninth when Campos single
:. with one out, but Runnels ende
!, the game with a double pla
9 grounder to Jones at first.
. Idle today, the Mats will battl
n lthe Red SOX here tonorr0w Eron
now until opening day it'll be
8 rugged schedule with the Nat
!. HAVING oylv fo,,E dave off