Evening star., 1953-05-19
Richards Rates Mats
As Threat in Race
Because Of Pitchinq
By Burton Hawkins

| do ally ObIl6T CluD III CIl6 AI06I"
ican League-has the Mats foes
, blinking today and realizing
they have a threat in their midst.
Paul Richards. White Sox
manager, was chatting about the
Mats last night before Chico
Marrero administered a f1ve-hit,
80 defeat to Chicago. Every
body wants to know what think
about the Yankees, the Indians
and my own club" Richards
said, but nobody has asked me
what I think about Washington.
Okay. I'll volunteer an opinion.
Given a few breaks here and
there. Washington can be as
tough as any other club.
washington has a doggoned
good pitching staff" Richards
continued. "It's a hard club to
beat because it gets good pitch
ing and it has a fine defense.
Sure, the Yankees are going to
be just as rugged as in the past
few seasons if they keep Allie
Reynolds, Ed Lopat and Vic
Raschi fit, but they're not going
to win if they have to rely on
such pitchers as Ray Scarbor-
ough, Ewell Blackwell, Bob Ku-
zava and their other second
stringers.
Mats Always Have Chance.
1--WE could use some more
pitching" Richards said. "The
point is that Washington has an
excellent staff. Not like Cleve-
lands, of course, with Lemon,
Wynn and Garcia, but on any
night Washington's starting g
pitcher is good enough to give
the team a chance. Washing
ton doesn't have the Indians
power, but by the same token,
Cleveland doesn't have Washing
tons defense. Washington can
make it interesting for every
body"
Marrero promptly vindicated
Richards appraisal by hurting
the Mats fourth shutout in their
last nine games. Over that span
the Mats pitchers have allowed
only IS runs and seven of those
came in one game.
The Mats have surged since
dropping eight of their first 10
games. They've bounced back
to win 13 of the next 20 and if
they aren't quite in the thick of
things they're within putting dis
tance of the front-runners.
Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago
and st. Louis each have won
three shutouts, with the more
esteemed New York and Cleve-
land owning two each.. Thus the
Mats have accounted for six of
the % shutouts in the league
thus far.
SHcd r. aces Feller.
Spec Shea will try to continue
the Mats sharp pitching tonight
when he stacks up against the
Indians Bob Feller in the
opener of two-game series.
Cleveland is the only club still
undefeated by the Mats as the
result of sweeping a double
header at Cleveland two weeks
ago. Shea will be seeking his
third straight triumph without
a defeat.
Vice President Nixon watched
Joe Dobson match Marrero's
scoreless pitching for five in
nings last night, but with one out
in the sixth Wayne Terwilliger
singled to touch off rally that
netted The Mats all their runs.
Mickey Vernon, who boosted
his batting average to .345, dou-
bled to left to end a streak of
18 singles. Clyde Vollmer sin
gled, scoring Terwilliger, and
Vernon scored when Third Base
man Freddie Marsh gummed up
Jackie Jensen's dribbler down
the line. Vollmer scored when
Dobson fielded Pete Runnels'
grounder and threw wild into
centerf1eld attempting to launch
a double-play at second base.
Strikeouts End Threats.
Marrero was in difficulty in the
first inning when Orestes Minoso
and Sam Mele singled with two
out. but the crafty Cuban famed
Jim Rivera. He whitfield Rivera
twice more en- route to nine
strikeouts.
Again in the eighth inning
Marrero was in trouble when he
filled the bases with two out on
walk to Ferris Fain, Minoso's
single and a walk to Rivera, but
he struck out Sherman Lollar to
the delight of 7,747 fans.
The Mats victory was costly,
for they lost the services of
Catcher Mickey Grasso for a
week or 10 days. Grasso's right
index finger was split by a Fain
foul in the first inning and re-
quired three stitches.
Ed FITZGERALD, recently ac-
quired from the Pirates, will take
over behind the plate. affording
Manager Bucky Harris a chance
to determine Eds ability.