Evening star., 1952-05-16
4 Of 5 Games
In Big Leagues
Are Shutouts
Scarborough, KeIIner
And Loes HurI Others,
Roberts Just Misses
By Jock Hand
As.oeioted Pres. Sports Writer

Virgil Trucks no-hitter and the
covey of major league shutout.
raise some old questions. Are the
pitchers that good or the hitter.
that weak?
The correct answer probably i.
somewhere between the two ex.
tremes. Certainly, there is M
doubt that Trucks brilliant no.
hit, no-run game for Detroir
against Washington yesterday wa.
"a superb effort. He walked only
one and struck out seven.
But the batters in four Other
major league games also did little
to earn their pay. The combined
batting average of both league.
for the day was a sick .167. But
for the Philadelphia Athletics 10.
hit burst against the st. Louis
Browns, it would have been much
worse.
4 of S Are ShutOuts.
1t was shutout day in the
majors. with four of the five games
in that category. The Phillies
Robin Roberts was the only win
ner allowing a run. And he gave
up only one while throwing q
five hitter.
Trucks, Ray Scarborough o1
the Boston Red Sox, Alex Kellnel
of the AS and Billy Loes, Brook
lyn's bonus baby, all blanked theil
opponents.
The no-hitter was especially
welcome to Trucks as it was his
first win of the season. The 49,
year-old righthander had a O-2
record and had been roughed fol
13 hits in 81s innings in his last
previous start against Chicago.
After a fine comeback last yeal
when he won his last six games
Trucks showed good form at train.
ing camp. But he Topped badly
when the season started. Yester.
day u, husky fellow who wa!
unable to pitch in 1850 due to arm
trouble depended on his contro
with an occasional fireball as al
ace in the hole.
Wore Houtteman's Shoes.
Coincidentally, Trucks wore tn
same shoes yesterday that Ar
Houtteman wore when he nearl!
pitched a no-hitter against Cleve
land several weeks ago. Harr,
Simpson spoiled it when he sin
gled with two out in the ninth.
Just before yesterdays game
Trucks complained of his tight.
fitting shoes. Houtteman Offered
his and Trucks slipped them on
Feel much BETTER" he said.
you've just lost good pair o1
baseball Shoes" Trucks shouted tt
Houtteman in the clubhouse after
the game.
Scarborough, a 32-year-old old
Ster, blanked the Chicago White
Sox, 10, as Ted Lepcio's pay
off single won for Boston in the
fourth. Faye Throneberry, an.
other survivor of Manager LOT
Boudreau's spring youth move.
ment, set up the run when hi
walked, stole second and went tt
third on Catcher Phil Masi'S WilC
peg. Lepcio drove him home with
one of the three Red Sox hits of
Ken Holcombe, still a non-winner
Kellner Also Hits.
Kellner shut out the Browns
for the second time in eight days
with four hits in Philadelphia
60 victory. Kellner had 3 of the
10 hits off Tommy Byrne, driving
in two runs and scoring a third
One of his hits was a double.
Kellner pitched perfect bal
until Bob Nieman opened the
fifth with single. Although Jim.
my Dyck followed with a double
Alex escaped his only serious
threat. Byrne reverted to ole
Yankee form by walking five men
The st. Louis and Chicago de-
feats enabled the idle Yankees tc
take over fourth place. The
champions final game at Cleve-
land was postponed because OF
cold weather.
Loes took full advantage of his
first starting chance for Brooklyn
to whip Pittsburgh's feeble Pirates
20. The 22-year-old right
handler, who got a $4,000 bonus
for signing in 1948 out of a high
(Coo cYYrrrr<%ryrucy 49, -