The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-09-07
AUiIa Takes
OUer american
Batting Lead
BY BEN PHIL ECAR
AP Sports Writer

edged ahead of Brooklyn, yester-
day on the strength of nine-game
winning streak and Brooklyn's first
double-header loss to Pittsburgh in
3l2 seasons.
The New York Giants were six
games ahead of brooklyn and GA
in front of Milwaukee going into
Sundays action. But they now lead
Milwaukee by only four lengths
and Brooklyn by five. The Giants
and Brooklyn both lost two out of
three. Milwaukee won four.
Cleveland picked up a full game
on New York Sunday in the Amer
lean League, stayed even yester-
day and now leads the New York
Yankees by 41a games. The In
dams won two out of three, run
ming their seasons winning total
to SO games. No Cleveland team
ever has won more. The Yankees
AOoI NnO Out VI iii &c.
There's a new leader in the
American League batting race.
Bobby Avila, Cleveland's hustling
second baseman, caught Irv Noren
of the Yankees with four hits Sum-
day and passed him with four
more yesterday. He's hitting 1897
to Noren's 1888.
In yesterdays games Milwaukee
defeated Chicago 1872 and 6-1.
Pittsburgh beat Brooklyn SO in
IL innings and 81. The Giants
whipped Philadelphia ga but Rob-
in Roberts came back to win his
goth game in the nightcap 5-4 in
II innings. st. Louis bumped Gin
cinnati 81 in single game.
Bob Lemon of the Indians be-
came the first pitcher in either
league to win Fl games, beating
Baltimore 81 in the first game.
Then the Orioles came back to nip
the Indians 3-2 in 10 innings.
The Yankees came from behind
to edge Boston 6-5 in the first
game, but blew a TO lead and lost
the nighctap 81.
Detroit won two from Chicago
81 and 81, the second game going
10 innings.
Washington defeated Philadel-
phia 81 and the Athletics shaded
the Senators 3-2 for a split.
Eddie Mathews, now fully recov-
cred after being sidelined for al
most two weeks by injuries,
sparkled in the Milwaukee tri-
umphs. He hit his 35th home run,
a double and six singles and walk
ed once before finally being retired
in his last time at bat.
The onrushing Braves drew the
days largest crowd - POT - and
ran their seasons total attendance
to 2,001 ,091, tops in both leagues.
Only the Yankees and Indians ever
have drawn more than two million
fans in year.
Roberts, the Phillies' strong,
armed highlander, became the
first pitcher since Carl Hubbell to
reach the 20-game mark in five
consecutive seasons. He made it
when fleet-footed Richie Ashburn
scampered home from second base
on an infield single by Granny
Hammer.
Trailing by five runs early in
the game, the Pirates beat the
Dodgers in the first contest when
Billy Loes walked two men in the
18th with the bases loaded and
Curt Roberts laid down a squeeze
bunt which scored a third man.
Five runs in the first inning
against Don Newcombe put the
Pirates on the winning trail in the
second game and the Dodgers
couldn't catch up despite home
runs by Roy Campanella, Jackie
Robinson and Sandy Amoros.
At Baltimore, Lemons hitting
support in the first game came
mainly from AL Smith, who banged
two doubles and two singles. Dick
Kryhoski's bases-loaded single in
the 10th inning of the nightcap pre-
vented Cleveland sweep.
Andy Carey's bases-loaded sin
gle in the last of the ninth eli
NAKED the Yankees uphill climb
against Boston in the opener at
Yankee Stadium. Jimmy Piersalls
two-run homer in the eighth gave
the Red Sox the runs they needed
to capture the second game. Ted
Williams collected four straight
hits in the nightcap and six during
the afternoon.
Ned Carver held the White Sox
to four hits in Detroit's first vic
tory. Harvey Kuenn singled home
the winning run in the 10th inning
of the second game after Minnie
Minoso mad tied the score in the
ninth with homer.
Harvey Haddix of the Cardinals
won his first game since July 80
and his 18th of the season in beat
ing Cincinnati on eight hits. Ted
Kuszewski, the majors leading
home run hitter, was sidelined with
a swollen ankle.
Minckey Vernon drove in 5 runs
with home run, . triple and a
single In Washington's victory. FL.