Evening star., 1952-08-23
Lopez Says Big One
Gets Rid Of Charges
That Club Chokes Up
BY the Associated Press

The Cleveland Indians, in first
place by one percentage point
after yesterdays GA victory over
the Yankees, today faced the task
of increasing their lead and up
their claim that they can
win the big ones"
With a chance to 60 full game
ahead of New York, Manager AL
Lopez elected to start Early Wynn
against Vic Raschi t14-3
at Yankee Stadium.
A Yankee victory could tumble
the Indians back into second
place, but Lopez and his players
were confident after yesterdays
victory, which put Cleveland on
top for the first time since June
z and knocked the Yankees out
of the lead for the first time
since JIme IA.
Exactly a month ago today the
Indians were seven and a half
games behind.
Refuse to Choke Up.
"Well. we proved we can win
the big one" said Lopez, who has
made no secret of the fact he
resents deeply the charge made in
some quarters that the Indians
tighten up in the clutch.
The Indians refused to choke
up yesterday when the Yankees all
but erased an early SO Cleveland
lead.
Luke Easter, whose hitting the
past few weeks has been instru-
mental in Cleveland's rise to the
top, predicted before the game
that the Indians would end New
York's three year reign as cham
pion.
Were going to win this PEN
nant." the big first baseman said.
Furthermore, we're going TO win
it right here - in Yankee
Stadium"
Lopez was equally optimistic.
There isn't man on our club
who doesn't believe that we're the
best club in the league" he said.
"And why not? We ere the best.
And I'm more sure of it now than
at any other time this season that
we will win the pennant. Just
wait and See."
Easter Drives in Four.
Easter, Dale Mitchell and Bobby
Avila were the leading lights in
the triumph.
Big Luke drove in four runs
on his Goth homer and a single.
Mitchell cracked out five straight
singles and Avila started the first
triple play of the American
League season.
The lone fly in the ointment
came in the third inning. Mike
Garcia twisted his right ankle
while pitching to Hank Bauer.
Garcia limped noticeably there
after and finally was lifted in the
sixth when the first three YankS
up reached base.
Bob Lemon, who pitched a COM
plete game in Boston two days
relieved Garcia. Lemon
famed Mickey Mantle but Joe
Collins followed with three-run
homer. If the Indians were to
fold this was the spot but Lemon
settled down and blanked the
Yanks the rest of the way to pre-
serve Garcia's 10th victory and
his fourth without o defeat over
the New Workers.
The Indians bumped Allie Rey-
noldS for two runs in the first
inning on Mitchell's single, a
triple by Avila and an error by
Collins. Easter put the game on
ice with three-run homer in
the fifth and singled home an
insurance run in the seventh.
Avila pulled his fielding gem in
the fifth. He Speared Bauer's low
liner, stepped on second to double
up Billy Martin and fired to first
to nail Reynolds.
White SOx and AS Climb.
Meanwhile, the White Sox, fresh
from three straight triumphs over
the Yanks, extended their vim
ming streak to four games by beat
ing third-place Boston. Al. In
other American League games, the
Athletics captured a double
header from the Browns, So and
80. and Detroit defeated WASH
ington, 20, dropping the Mats to
sixth place.
Veteran Joe Dobson tanned the