Evening star., 1953-04-15
Lemon Gives One Hit
While Ke||ner SpoiIs
Yanks' 17-Year Mark
Dy the Associoted Press

The major leagues script
writer's gave it the old college
try for opening day.
In seven games they came up
with an extra-inning thriller won
by Milwaukee rockies homer.
a one-hit sensation by Cleve-
lands Bob Lemon, come-from-
behind victories by Brooklyn and
the Chicago Cubs. the New York
Yankees first opening day shut
out loss in II years, a decisive
setback for Robin Roberts, last
years best pitcher. and an expert
whitewashing of his former De-
troit teammates by Virgil Trucks.
Even the one postponement
mad a special twist. The Boston
Red Sox were forced to cancel
both games of a two-day series
with Washington because of
snow-the first Snowed-out
games in Boston since 1888.
Crowds Held to 176,269.
Cold weather prevailed gener-
ally. holding the total crowds to
176,269, almost $4,000 below
expectations.
The hardy souls who ventured
out saw Milwaukee nip St. Louis,
80; Chicago edge Cincinnati,
3-2; Brooklyn whip Pittsburgh,
8-5. and New York defeat Phila-
delphia. Al. in National League
encounters, and three American
League snutoutS-Cleveland over
Chicago. 20; Philadelphia over
the Yankees, SO, and St. Louis
over Detroit, 100.
The days largest crowd,
53.698. watched Lemon give up a
clean single to Minnie MinoSo
in the first inning for the first
and last Chicago hit. Only three
other times did the White Sox
get the ball out of the infield,
although four walks and two
errors gave them six other base
runners. Last year in his first
start. Lemon, baseball's highest
paid pitcher. shut out the White
Sox on three hits.
Bobo's 1886 Feat Duplicated.
At Yankee Stadium. Casey
Stengel ran up his fourth
straight pennant. That was
about the last thing the crowd
of 1884 had to cheer about be-
cause Alex Kellner made the
world champions look like minor
leaguers the rest of the after
noon.
The Yanks managed only five
singles against the left-hander
whose shutout performance was
the first suffered by New York
on an opening day since Bobo
Newsom of Washington bested
Lefty Gomez. 10, in 1886. The
Yanks had won five straight
openers. The Athletics hadn't
started, on the plus side in five
years. Vic Raschi. pounded
early and often, was the loser
Milwaukee Success Story.
Bill Bruton, a grinning, hol-
low-cheeked Negro rookie who
probably is the fastest man in
the majors, continued to write
the Milwaukee success story
with a bold hand as he homered
in the 10th inning to give the
Braves a hometown triumph
over the Cardinals. Bruton's
350-foot blast of the out
stretched glove of Enos Slaugh-
ter sent the 34.357 paying Gus
toners home happy from Mil
waukee's first major league
game in So years. The hard
earned victory. in which Warren
SPAIN outpitched Gerry Staley,
kept the Braves half a game IN
front of the Giants. Dodgers and
Cubs. Milwaukee won the one
game opening program at Gin
cinnati Monday. 20.
Ken Raffensberger, who has
lost more games in the National
League than any other active
pitcher. dropped his 139th yes
terday when Chicago scored two
unearned runs in the eighth
inning to defeat Cincinnati, 80,
before 81, ,222 Chicago fans. Bob
Rush survived home runs by
Willard Marshall in the first
and Ted Kluszewski in the sixth
to register the victory.
Black Rescues Erskine.
The Dodgers Dragged all spring
about their pitchers but they
couldn't find one to 60 the route
on opening day. Carl Erskine
was the choice and the Pitts
burgh Pirates got rid Of him
with a four-run outburst in the
fourth inning. Joe Black saved
the day for the 12.433 Ebbets
Field faithful as the Dodgers
found the range for four runs
in the fourth and fifth against
Murry Dickson, the home-run-
ball specialist. Roy Campanella
homered in the fourth with two
on and Duke Snider followed
suit with one on base in the
fifth. Dickson dished up &c
home-run balls last season.
Bobby Thomson sent the
Giants away on top against
Roberts at Philadelphia as he
belted the Phils' ace for a home
run with Davey Williams on base
in the first inning. Roberts, who
! holds a lifetime edge over every