Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-24
Victory in Opener
Assures Indians Grip
On First in Series
sy The A.sosla,sd Press

waiting patiently, but confident
". for the Indians to fold look
as II they are In for q long wait.
Cleveland has two games left
today and tomorrow in its cur
rent invasion Of Yankee Stadium
but the Indians could lose both
Of them by 20 runs and still
leave town Sunday night with.
first place In their possession by
the slim margin Of DOL.
The Indians beat the New
Workers.. 81. last night and they
did 1t the hard way. coming from
two runs behind while allowing
the Yankees IA hits. It was q
victory that left no doubt the
Tribe Is dead serious about this
pennant business.
The idea that all they have
10 do is walt and the Indian
menace eventually win disappear
has become firmly implanted in
the minds of Yankee followers
although the records don't lend
much support to the theory,
Different Pattern This Year.
IT'S true the Indians have set
tied for second best the past
three seasons and that during
that spell they found no sure
way to halt the Yankees.
But only in 1851 were the In
dams in first place this late in
the race. That season Cleveland
climaxed q drive from sixth by
leading for three weeks late in
August. But the climb wore
out the Indians and they faded
five games on the pace in Sep
TENDER.
This time it's the Yankees who
are trying to reach the top and
last nights game was q sample
Of the troubles they've been hav-
ing. They left IL men stranded
and Eddie Lopat failed to last
for the eighth straight game.
AL Smith was the hitting star
for the Indians. breaking up a
tie game with q three-run
homer in the seventh and then
driving In two more with a
bases loaded single In the ninth.
Larry Dolby also helped to rout
the Yankees with q pair Of
homerS.
Wynn Weathers Squalls.
Early Wynn, in scoring his
18th victory, was In deep trouble
only in the Yanks' two-run
fourth inning despite the IA hits
he yielded. Wynn survived
every other crisis, resorting To
his fast ball to weather the
other brief squalls.
In other American League &C
ton the White Sox defeated
Boston, Tel: Baltimore pushed
Philadelphia into last place
with a rs victory and WASH
ington beat Detroit, 8-3, leaving
the Senators only two percent
age points out Of the first d.
vision.
In the National League, the
Giants lost their second straight
game-the first time since May
1880 they've been beaten twice
running-and the Dodgers also
lost. M
Milwaukee edged the Giants,
80. st. Louis defeated Brooklyn,
GA. Pittsburgh beat Cincinnati,
IA. and the Cubs and Phila-
delphia split q doubleheader.
Chicago won the first game, So.
The Phils took the second, So,
in IS innings.
Two New Crowd Records.
Two crowd records were set.
The seasons largest gathering,
81, 446, watched the Indians win.
The 45,056, who sat in on the
Braves victory. established an
all-time Milwaukee Stadium rec
ord.
The Braves fans saw their
favorites win on a pinch single
with two out in the ninth by
Bobby Thomson, who was MAX
ing his first appearance against
his former New York teammates.
Thomson's hit was his third in
four official times at bat since
he broke his ankle In spring
training. Bob Buhl flashed his
form of last season in going the
distance for his second success.
Joe Cunningham, Cardinal
rookie, helped Vic Raschi win
his first game since June Is as
he drove in three runs with a
homer and a double. Gil Hodges
and Sandy Amoros homered for
Brooklyn.
Danny Schell Of the Phils hit
q home run IN the first game and
broke UP the second in Chicago
with a bases-loaded single in the
18th inning. HOWE Pollet, MAX
ing his first appearance since
July IL, was the first game win
ner.. Robin Roberts picked UP
the second game decision in re-
lief.
The Pirates victory was their.
first this season in Cincinnati's
Crosley Field. Sid Gordon broke
up q A tie with a pinch homer
in the seventh inning.
Chico Carrasquel collected
three hits as the White Sox began
picking up the pieces after losing
three of four to the Yankees.
Harry Dorish, making only his
second start. picked up the de-
cision with flawless relief support
from Virgil Trucks after seven
innings.
Rnr0s Rranke lar