Evening star., 1952-07-16
Griffs Roll Up 81 Runs
For Three Victories
BY Burton Hawkins

n
All of a sudden the Mats are
creating a commotion again. In
the general rush to get out of their
slumps they're even brushing aside
left-handed pitching that previ-
ously plagued them. In their quest
for a fourth straight victory to-
night they'll be confronted by an
other Southpaw in Bill Wight, but
the Mats no longer appear dis
turbed at the idea of battling left
handlers.
Don johnson, still searching for
his first win of, the year, is Bucky
Harris choice to face Detroit,
which received eight hits and six
runs batted in from towering Walt
Dropo last night, yet dropped 80
and 9-8 decisions to the Mats.
Dropo, swinging a lighter bat
and content to meet the ball rather
than try to blast it into the next
county, tied a major league record
|by hitting safely IL straight
times.
He had collected five hits Mon
day against the Yankees, added
four singles against Walter Mas
terson in the first game last night,
then mauled Bob Porterfleld for
two hits and Lou Sleater for an
Fotiler in the second game before
his streak ended.
Fouls Out in Seventh.
With the crowd Of 1882 pulling
for him to set a new mark after
a public address system an
nouncement had informed fans
Of his feat. Dropo fouled to
Catcher Mickey Grasso in the
seventh inning. He later singled
in the ninth inning to drive across
two runs.
Dropo's socking string tied the
mark set by Pinky Higgins of the
Red Sox in 1888, but despite his
heroics the Mats clipped a game
and half off the gap separating
them from the first-place Yankees
and now trail by 512 games.
The Mats have been doing some
hitting themselves. In their last
three games they've compiled 80
runs and So hits in an astonishing
about-face. Particularly pleasing
to Harris is the fact that the
Mats sent a pair of left-handed
starters to early showers last
night, although wildness and
shoddy fielding figured more than
the Mats hitting in the depar-
ture Of Ken johnson in the second
game.
Still. it was refreshing to Bucky
that they were chased under any
circumstances. The Mats have q
miserable 9-19 record against left
handlers but Harris has visions
of more success against them in
the future.
| Leu Oray blaSte0.
The Mats hammered one of the
better southpaws in the first game
when they rolled up IL hits
against Ted Gray and got rid of
him In Six-run fourth inning
Their 15-hit attack against Gray
and left-hander Dick Littlefield
permitted Masterson to coast to
triumph although he allowed 13
hits.
Every Nat hit safely in the first
game. seven scored runs and six
drove them across. They grabbed
a 20 lead in the second inning
on singles by Jerry Snyder and
Grasso. plus doubles by Masterson
and Eddie Yost.
Washington hit the jackpot in
the fourth after Snyder and Mas
terson singled. Yost doubled
again, Jim Busby singled, Ken
Wood tripled, Pete Runnels
singled and Mickey Vernon tripled
before Snyder. up for the second
time in the inning. lashed liner
to Fred Hatfield at third base.
The Tigers pounded Porterfield
for four runs in the first inning
of the second game, but the Mats
bounced back with three runs on
only one hit in the second inning
With one out johnson filled the
bases with walks to Runnels, Ver-
non and Snyder. Grasso's pop
fly single scored two runs. When
Centerfelder Johnny Groth fired
wild past the plate. Snyder went
to third and Grasso to second
Bob Swift retrieved the ball only
to throw into leftf1eld trying to
get Snyder at third, permitting
Jerry to score.
Porterfleld was smashed for two
(See MATS, Page C-2.)