The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-06-12
MAJOR LEAGUE RACES SCRAMBLED
AS FIRST THIRD OF SEASON ENDS
Cleveland Gains
On White Sos In
Z:
American Loop
BY BEN PHLEeAR

by BEN PHLEcAR
Associated Press Sports Writer
The major leagues moved into
the middle third of the campaign
today with the preseason expert,
still on shaky ground.
The experts, Of course, picked
Brooklyn and the New York yam
KEGS to repeat as champions with
Milwaukee and Cleveland runners.
up, just like last year.
Brooklyn has lodged in and Out
Of first place all spring, holding
the top rung at the moment by one
game over, the New York Giants,
But the Yankees haven't found the
consistency they need to take
charge.
They moved within three games
Of the top by shading the Chicago
White Sox 80 last night. The White
Sox lead Cleveland by half a game
with New York third. The Yanks
haven't been in first place, even
for a day, 50 far.
At the moment the experts are
right on the nose with 6 Of their
is preseason placings. In the
American League they look good
on Cleveland, picked for second,
and Washington, picked for fifth.
In the National Brooklyn, sixth
place Cincinnati, seventh place
Chicago and last place Pittsburgh
are behaving as predicted.
This is the way they picked
them, with the current standings
in brackets:
American League-New York
(3), Cleveland (2), Chicago ~,
Boston (6), Washington (5), De-
troit az, Philadelphia (S), Balti.
more e..
National League-Brooklyn ~,
Milwaukee ~, St.Louis (5), New
York ~, Philadelphia (3), Cincin.
matt iS). Chicago CD, Pittsburgh
f1E
Brooklyn regained sole posses.
sion Of first place last night by
humping Cincinnati 10-e after the
Giants had bowed to the Cubs s.
in a 10-inning day game decided
on Eddie Miksis' first homer Of
the season. Pittsburgh defeated
st. Louis IS. and Milwaukee edged
Philadelphia 10, breaking q five.
game losing streak.
Cleveland moved within half 4
game of the White Sox by beating
Boston e-2. Washington outlasted
Baltimore 90 and Detroit split q
pair with Philadelphia, winning
1875 and losing FL.
The White Sox ran into their
one-run jinx against the Yankees.
The teams have met five times
with every game decided by .
single run and with New York
winning four of them. Irv Noren
singled home Phil Rizzuto, break.
ing a,2-2 tie with two out in the
eighth.
Home runs were In vogue last
night. ~
Cleveland's Larry Dolby hit q
three-run home run before the first
out was made a Boston. George
Strickland and Wally Wesiake
gave Art Houtteman added insur.
ance with homers in the fourth
and eighth.
Ray Boone, who tied a major
league record with four grand
slam home runs last season, hit his
first of 1854 in the Detroit victory
at Philadelphia. Boone hit two
other homers in the twin bill. Al
Kaline also hit q grand slam in
the first game when the Tigers
totalled six home runs.
Washington jumped on Bob Cha.
kales for five runs in the. frs,
inning, then withstood q Is hi
Oriole assault that fell a run short
Eddie Yost homered inside the
park for the Senator's.
The Giants, who had won eight
out OF nine on the road, fell apar,
in Chicago. They committed 81,
errors and lost in the 10th a. Mix
sis drilled the first pitch into tn.
left field barrier.
The Pittsburgh Pirates battered
St.Louis pitching for 10 hits, theil
heaviest attack of the season. II.
barrage included the first major
league home runs for Gene Robert.
and pitcher Vernon Law.
Brooklyn gained the nod at Gin
cinnati despite a late home run
assault by the Redlegs. They hi
three In the seventh and a tota
of five.
Milwaukee, beaten twice in a row
on shutouts, scored a run in tn,
first inning off Curt Simmons an,
made it stand up as Lew Burdett,
scattered five PHILADELPHIA hits.