Evening star., 1953-05-31
Dixon Turns In
Seven-Hit Job
In First ViCtorY
Morrero Loses, 4-3;
Opener Is Held Up
For NeorIy>2 Hours
By Burton Hawkins


Fancy-fielding Jim Piersall,
perhaps the best defensive out
fielder in the business, permitted
a meek pop fly to plop at his feet
and give the Mats a 81 victory
over the Red Sox yesterday at
Griffith Stadium in the second
game of a double-header after
Boston won the opener, 4-3.
PierSall'S muff came with the
bases loaded and one out in the
ninth inning of a nightcap which
was just that-finished under the
lights at 1922 pm. after a down.
pour delayed the first game an
hour and 48 minutes.
Wayne Terwilliger stroked the
bal! that finally enabled some
5000 hardy fans, remaining from
an original crowd of 1876, to 60
home The easy fly could have
been handled by either Left
fielder Hoot Evers or Piersall, but
thumped to the ground after
Piersall made a last-second des-
peration grab.
Piersall had shouted Evers off
the play and stood dumbfounded
for some time after Jim Busby
had crossed the plate with the
winning run.
Dixon Walks None.
Sonny Dixon, promoted from
bullpen duty, thus achieved his
first major league victory. The
sturdy right-hander held the Red
Sox to seven hits and walked
none.
Busby launched the winning
rally with single to left off Will
lard Nixon. Carmen Mauro. bat
ting for Catcher Bob Oldis.
walked but Dixon popped out
trying to sacrifice. Ed Yost
walked to fill the bases and when
Nixon pitched two wide ones to
Terwilliger, Hershel Freeman was
summoned from the bullpen. He
apparently had reprieved the Red
Sox, at least temporarily. when
PiersaIl made his shocking mis-
play.
The. gift run kept the Mats in
fifth place a half-game back of
Boston. The teams shift to Bos-
ton today for another double
header.
Four Hits For One Run.
Four of Boston's hits were
jammed into the second inning,
when the Red Sox produced
their lone run. Singles by Evers,
Nixon and Del WILDER netted a
run and with two out Piersall
singled to fill the bases, but Will
ber overran second base and was
caught when Mickey Vernon cut
off Jackie Jensen's throw to the
plate and fired to Pete Runnels.
The Mats who stirred up only
five hits off Nixon, got two of
them in the fourth inning to tie
the score. Jensen received one
of nine walks given up by Nixon
and Runnels singled, tut a mo-
ment later Jensen was picked of
second base and run down.
Busby doubled to left, Runnels
pulling up at third, but Oldis got
Runnels across with a grounder
to Floyd Baker at second base.
Bakers throw to the plate was
too late to nip Pete. The bases
were filled when Dixon walked,
but Yost famed and Terwilliger
forced Dixon.
McDermott Needs Help.
Chico Marrero, frustrated in a
bid for a fourth straight win, was
the Red Sox victim in the first
game as Mickey McDermott
hung around long enough to win
his fifth decision. The Boston
left-hander required aid from
Ellis Kinder, who set down an
uprising by the Mats in the sixth
inning and foiled them in later
sessions.
Yost shot the Mats into a quick
lead in the first inning of the
opener with a booming home
run. his first of the year, into the
leftf1eld bleachers. That lead
lasted until the third, when
Bakers triple scored Piersall.
The Red Sox moved into Al