Evening star., 1953-06-13
Mats Must Win Today
Or Trail in Games
With TaiI-End Tigers
By Burton Howkins
Sfur Stcff Correspondent

AAVAV4AS p1OOPCCb u UC1klS G1Ik
only team in the American
League to have q deficit against
the Tigers was in prospect today
for the Mats unless they emerge
from q protracted batting slump
which has produced only six
runs in five games.
Entering today's contest the
Mats had the undesirable dis
tinction Of being the only club
the Tigers have fought to q
draw, splitting four games. Bob
Porterfield, battered for 16 hits
but a 14-4 winner over the Tigers
in his only appearance against
them this year, will take the
mound against Detroit's Ned
Carver.
(Today's game will be tele-
vised to the Washington area
by Station WTTG (Channel 81
at 2:45 p.m.)
The Mats last four games have
been 81 affairs and they have
lost three of them. They pre-
viously dropped a 5-1 decision
to the White Sox in the second
game of a double header Sunday
after pounding Chicago pitching
for Is runs in the first game.
OelSinK H0merS.
Jim Delsing belted Sonny Dix
on's first pitch of the ninth in
ming into the upper deck of the
right-f1eld stands last night to
give Detroit a 81 decision after
the Mats had locked the score
with two out in the ninth.
Thus Dick Marlowe achieved
his first major league victory
with a neat five-hitter and De-
troit won its second decision in
20 games. Included were 16 de-
featS and two ties.
Chico Marrero gave the Mats
another well-pitched game. but
they couldn't produce a run fol-
him. The lone run off Marrero
came in the seventh inning when
Delsing tripled to center and
scored on Matt Bats single.
Vollmer Scores Tying Run.
Clyde Vollmer doubled with
one out in the ninth. After
Jackie Jensen tapped out, Pete
Runnels singled sharply to cen
ter, scoring Vollmer with the
tying run. Delsing hardly gave
the Mats time to take a breath
before breaking up the game.
Adding to the Mats troubles
is an ankle injury which may
keep Center fielder Jim Busby
idle for several days. He aggra-
waited an injury pursuing Johnny
Pesky's double in the fourth in
ming and Carmen Mauro replaced
him. Busby has been in a batting
slump recently, beating out q
bunt for his only hit in 18 ap-
pearances. but the Mats need him
defensively.
Eddie Fitz Gerald opened the
eighth inning with a double but
didn't advance. Tommy Byrne,
pinch-batting pitcher obtained
from the White Sox, made his
debut for the Mats batting for
Marrero and lined to Don Lund
in left. Ed Yost grounded out
and Wayne Terwilliger flied to
Delsing in center.
Mats Stir Up Threat.
The Mats stirred up a threat in
the second when Jensen walked
with one out and Runnels dou-
bled to right, but Busby was pur-
posely passed to fill the bases.
Fitz Gerald fouled to First Base
man Walt Dropo and Marrero
famed.
Otherwise, Marlowe, a perfect
game plCcner Tor Buffalo last
year against Baltimore, held the
Mats in check.
The Tigers smashed successive
doubles in the first inning but
didn't score. Harvey Kuenn dou-
bled to left and Pesky followed
with a double to right, but
Kuenn fell down between third
base and the plate and was run
down.
So the Mats skidded IL games
back of the pace-setting Yankees
and barring a near-miracle their
interest in the remainder of the
race will be restricted to an at
tempt to whip the also-rans.