The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-07-30
|HowLongCan
|Yanks, Tribe
Maintain Pace?
BY BEN PHLECAR
Associated Press Sportswriter

Today is Casey Stengel's 64th
birthday but he's going to have to
wait awhile longer for a present
from his athletes.
The New York Yankees didn't
quite make it to first place in time
for the celebration. In fact, they
haven't made it to first place any
time this season although they've
won more of their first 100 games
than any Yankee club Casey has
managed.
When they whipped Chicago 100
yesterday, they ran their record
for the year to 81 won and 80 lost.
None of the past five New York
pennant winners has done as well.
New York trails Cleveland by a
game and a half and the day-to-
day question is how long can the
two clubs keep up their sizzling
pace.
During the last seven weeks the
Yanks have won 81 out of 40, a
.755 clip. The Indians captured IS
of 20 over the same period for a
TIA mark, exactly equalling the
best winning percentage ever COM
piled by an American League
champion.
Who'll crack first? The man with
the answer wins the jackpot. In 10
consecutive games with Cleveland
and third place Chicago the Yam
KEGS won seven times. But two of
the losses were to the Indians.
Yesterday, however, it was no
contest. While the Yankees were
routing the wishful White Sox,
Cleveland collapsed before a Bos-
ton onslaught, bowling 1872. The
Red Sox had lost Is out of 16 to
Cleveland before turning on the
league leaders.
Of the nine games played yes
terday, four ended in shutouts.
Whitley Ford held the White Sox to
four hits in the Yankee victory.
Vic Raschi, the ex-Yankee star
now working for the st. Louis Car
dinalS, beat the New York Giants
so on three hits. Corky Valentine
of Cincinnati pitched a four-hitter
against Philadelphia, winning 80
and Chuck Stobbs Of Washington
checked Baltimore on five hits in
a 60 triumph.
In other action Chicago defeated
Brooklyn 6-5; Milwaukee won its
seventh straight, So over Pitts
burgh in 10 innings and Detroit
took a doubleheader from Philadel-
phia AZ and 7-3.
Raschi was in complete control
of the league-leading Giants. He
gave up two bases on balls and
struck out a pair. The only New
York hits were singles by Willie
Mays, Bobby Hoffman and Don
Mueller. Ray Jablonski's bases
loaded double in the fifth was the
big blow for st. Louis.
Pinch hitters Topped for Brook
Ign as the Dodgers lost chance to
shave their two-game deficit. Man
ager Walt Aston used five and not
one got the ball out of the infield.
The final failure was George Shuba
who grounded to first with the
bases loaded and two out in the
ninth. Hank Sauer and Ernie
Banks homered for the Cubs.
The Braves had a close call in
Pittsburgh. They tied the game in
the ninth on three straight singles
and added two more, including
Hank Aaron's 18th home run, in the
10th.
Valentine not only pitched a shut
out for the Redlegs, he was the bat
ting star as well. He doubled
twice, singled once and scored two
of the four runs against the Phil
lies. The loss dumped Philadelphia
into sixth place behind the Cardi-
nails and Reds who are tied for
fourth.
Boston wrapped it up early
against Cleveland, routing Bobby
Teller in the second inning after
piling up a so lead. It was Feller's
second loss and broke a seven
game winning streak for the vet
eran fireballer. Jackie Jensen
drove in six runs with two homers
and a single. Ted Williams also
hit q home run.
Detroit came from behind in both
victories over the faltering Ath-
letics. In the first game a two-run
triple by Frank Boiling followed
by a squeeze bunt by George
Zuverink put the Tigers in front in
the fifth inning. In the second game
the AS jumped ahead 80 but were
caught and passed in the third in
ming when Bob Nieman hit a grand
slam home run.
A pitching experiment failed for
the Baltimore Oriole IS. Bonus
rookie Bill O'Dell was given his
first starting assignment but
couldn't get past the first inning.
Two doubles, a single and a walk
brought Lou Kretlow to the rescue