Evening star., 1952-08-11
|Masferson, Gumpert
Face As in Twin Bill
Starring at 50'CIock
By Burton Howkins

The Mats, hanging close to the
leaders for weeks but unable to
supply a squirt which might pro-
mote pennant prospects, have
reached the point where they must
make their move or discard
notions of springing q king-sized
upset.
In an effort to get his club Oh
the treadmill in today's twi-night
double-header with the Athletics
at Griffith Stadium starting at
O'Clock, Manager Bucky Harris was
contemplating the steady employ
ment Of Earl Rapp in leftfield
against right-handed pitching.
Harris outfie1d is unsettled at
the moment due to stomach up
sets. Jackie Jensen failed to start
yesterdays second game with
Philadelphia because of illness and
Frank CampoS didn't report to the
park because of an upset stomach.
Both were expected to be avail
able today.
Coan Earns Place on Bench.
Bucky seemingly is convinced
the Mats aren't destined to rise
with Gil Coan in leftfield, and
regards Rapp as a more likely
spark to ignite the Mats. Coan
continues to nibble at pitches out
side the strike zone and probably
earned seat on the bench when
he misjudged a fly ball which
figured prominently in the AS AZ
Isecond-game conquest after the
Mats beat Bobby Shantz by the
same score in the opener.
Time is getting short for the
Mats. Six games back of the YAM
KEGS with only IS to play. the Mats
repeatedly have missed opportuni-
ties to close ground. After spilling
the accomplished Shantz, they
virtually were handed the second
game by the AS but refused to
take it.
Marrero Celebrates.
Connie Marrero produced five
hitter, batted across two runs and
elated crowd of 22,878 by edging
Shantz in the first game. The AS
injected four errors into the Sec
ond game, but the Mats f1ubbed
numerous chances to deliver vital
blows which could have handed
Spec Shea win.
Harris will send Walter Master
son and Randy Gumpert against
Philadelphia's Alex Kellner and
Dick Fowler today, with Bob Por-
terf1eld due to open a three-game
series with the league-leading
Yankees tomorrow night at New
York. .
The Mats battled back to tie
the AS at % in the second game,
but with two out in the eighth
inning Coan misjudged Cass
Michaels pop fly to leftf1eld.
Elmer Valo. who had stolen sec
ond base on a one-hop throw by
George Bradshaw, rookie catcher,
scored on the play. The AS added
another run with two out in the
ninth when Ferris Fain walked
and Dave Philley and Gus Zernial
singled.
Rapp Gets Three Hits.
Rapp supplied three of the Mats
10 hits in the second as a replace
ment for Jensen, while Zernial
got a double and two singles off
Shea.
The Mats clipped Shantz for
two runs in the second inning
when Pete Runnels, Ken Wood
and Mel Hoderlein singled and
Shortstop Eddie Joost Clipped in
with an error. but the AS locked
the score in the third on Fain,s
ltwo-run double.
Jim Busby's double. Jensen's
sacrifice and Runnels' fly to CEN
ter presented the Mats a 80 lead
in the sixth inning and boosted
the score to Az in the seventh
when Mickey Vernon singled,
Hoderlein sacrificed and Marrero
singled.
The victory was the Mats first
in four meetings with Shantz this
season. Bobby. a 20-game winner,
gave up 10 hits in losing his fourth
decision as Marrero notched his
ninth win.
NOTES: Jensen's pinch single
in the second game was the first
hit produced by a Washington
pinch-hitter in q attempts.
Bradshaw formerly manage
Statesville in the North Carolina
State League and Morganton,
N. c.. in the Western Carolina
League.
Busby contributed another of
his spectacular catches in the
sixth inning of the second game
when he banged into the center
field wall to haul in Ray Murray's
drive after a long run. Jensen
racked up Michaels at second base
while breaking up a double-play
attempt.