Evening star., 1953-04-04
Eddie, Batting 1851
Is Poison 10 Reds
As Mats Win Again
By Burton Howkins
Sfor Sfoff Correspondent

Eddie Yost. who parlayed his
defensive genius and ability to
obtain bases on balls into the
Mats highest salary. this season
may rearrange that successful
strategy. Eddie is hitting now.
better than at any time in his
career, and threatening to be-
come an instrument Of destruc-
ton. AS the Mats prepared to
battle the Cincinnati Reds here
today Yost had accumulated
nine hits in his last IA attempts
and boaSted a 1851 batting aver
age. He will carry a string of
five hits into today's game, when
Chico Marrero will take the
mound for the Mats against
Barney Martin, right handler
who won % games for Columbia
last year.
(Today's game, starting q 2
o'clock. and tomorrow's with
the Reds at Charlotte, N. c.,
starting at 2:30. will be broad
cast by WWDC.)
The Mats will be seeking q
third successive win At the ex-
pense of the Reds and the big
figure in that modest winning
streak has been Yost. He wal
loped a 3-run nth-inning
homer to beat Cincinnati Thurs
day and yesterday he contributed
four of the Mats 10 hits enroute
to a 9-8 triumph at Greenwood,
S. G..
Makes Harris Happy.
Manager Bucky Harris. fire.
quently disturbed in the past
because Yost took many good
pitches while wrangling walks,
is beaming at Eddie's new be-
havior.
It was a rare occasion in the
past when Yost would swing at
a first pitch. He'd give it a look.
The word gets around in base
ball and pitchers may have be-
come lulled into false sense of
security, easing up a bit on the
first throw to Eddie. Anyway.
YoSt is whacking away at some
of those fat first pitches these
days and his average is evidence
that his new system is effective.
Eddie has been tabled strictly
a pull hitter, with virtually all
of his blows heading to left field.
but now he's spraying hits into
right field and crossing up the
opposition.
Yesterday Yost beat out a
bunt in the first inning, singled
to right twice and doubled to
center. He scored three runs
and Floyd Baker, who ran for
him, scored another. Thus the
Mats improved their exhibition
record to 1879 and are hoping
to extend their streak today with
the crafty Marrero on the
mound. Chico has pitched eight
innings in exhibitions and hasn't
permitted a run.
Mats Get Two Gift Runs.
The Mats picked up a pair Of
gift runs in the first inning
against Ed Erautt after Yost
bunted safely and Jim Busby
walked. They advanced when
Mickey Vernon grounded out
and scored when Pete Runnels'
grounder scooted past Shortstop
Roy Mcmillan for an error.
AL Sima had a rough time Of
it. The Reds clipped him for
two runs in the second inning
when Gus Bell and Mcmillan
singled, Hank Foiles' scoring
both with a double. A walk to
Willard Marshall, Ted Kluszew-
skis grounder and Jim Green
grass single produced a 80 lead
for the Reds in the third.
Vernon doubled across two
runs for the Mats in the same
frame. but Johnny Temple
blasted Sima for q 2-run homer
in the fourth to stake the Reds
to a 5-4 lead. Again the Mats
bounced back, moving ahead at
6-5 with two runs in the fourth.
Sima Is Erased.
Sima was belted out in the
fifth, when the Reds scored twice
to grab a 7-6 margin, but the
Mats rallied once more IN the
sixth when Yost doubled. Jackie
Jensen singled and Runnels
doubled.
washington made it 81 in the
seventh after Les Peden singled.
Les took second when Catcher
Ed Bailey threw wild into cen
terfield while in the process OF
returning the ball to Pitcher Joe
Nuxhall. Sonny Dixon brought
him around with a single TO
center.
The only run off Dixon was
unearned and materialized in
the eighth inning when Temple
singled, went to second on Ken
woods tumble and scored on