Evening star., 1954-06-08
CoIIapses by Braves
And Cards Ease Job
For Suroinq Dodgers
BY the Asseeioied Press

winning streak, but the Dodgers
rise to first place in the National
League also may be partially at
tributed to the collapse of the
opposition. notably the Braves
and Cardinals.
The last couple of weeks have
seen a complete about-face by
these three clubs. The Giants
revival. after last seasons blow
up that dumped them into
fifth place. and the Phillies'
showing have helped make the
race close, but the Dodgers task
Of regaining the lead was light
ened by the decline of the two
clubs expected to give them the
most trouble.
Milwaukee grabbed the lead
on May "a with a 20-14 record.
Understanding Charlie Grimm
brought his men home four days
later with a 1914 record and
watched them go into a tailspin.
Since then the slumping Braves
have won only two of nine
games. a 80 decision over the
Cards in IL innings, and a win
over the last-place Pirates.
Cards Pitching Fails.
Unlike the Braves, the Cards
have been hitting, whacking the
opposition for a fat .288 club
average to lead both leagues. But
the pitching Manager Eddie
Stanky counted on, and which
was expected to be one of the
teams big assets-especially with
the addition Of Vic Raschi from
the Yankees-hasn't held up.
Raschi's 5-1 record is mislead-
ing. for the big right-hander has
needed relief frequently. Only
Harvey Haddix, who leads the
league in StrikeoutS and has an
8-3 record. has come up to ex-
pectationS. Stanky, too, has come
in for a measure of criticism for
some of his managerial tactics.
The Cardinals got to the top
May % with a 2O-15 record.
Hardly anybody expected the
skid that followed. Since that
date Stanky's stalwarts have won
four and lost 10-hardly a title
winning pace.
Campanella Revives Team.
Brooklyn's resurgence can be
traced to the return of Catcher
Roy Campanella, who fretted
through 20 days of inactivity
following an operation on his
broken left wrist. While Campy
was out, the Dodgers played
ragged ball, slumping at the
plate. miscuing in the field and
blowing games they should have
won.
In the last week in May the
Dodgers lost four in a row, in
Guiding a 1877 slaughter to their
bitter rivals. the Giants. The day
after this disaster. they re-
grouped their forces enough to
squeeze out a AZ decision over
the Giants on a two-out, ninth
inning homer by Peewee Reese.
Campanella went behind the
plate the next day, a week ago
Sunday. and since then it's been
Just one victory after another.
Almost without exception the de-
cisions have been close-8 of the
10 were decided by two runs or
less. But it has been the Dodgers
on the long end as they moved
from fourth place to a firm hold
on the league lead.
They had to battle IL innings
last night before subduing the
Cardinals. Us. After Carl
Furillo singled in the tie-breaking
run, Campanella stole home for
the extra tally.
Rice Severely Hurt.
Campanella slammed into
Catcher Del Rice so hard on the
play Rice had to be carried from
the field on a stretcher. He SUI
fered a spike wound and severe
bruise on the right leg just
above the ankle.
The Giants beat Milwaukee.
AZ, and the Red Sox won a pair
from Detroit, 80 and 5-4, the
second game in IL innings. The
rest of the teams in both leagues
were idle.
The Brooklyn victory came
after the Cards had put the
winning run on third base with
nobody out during a three-run
uprising in the ninth. Preacher
Roe went into the last of ;ne
ninth with a So lead. A sing.e
by Red Schoendienst, walk to
Stan Musial and Ray Jablonski's
double drove Roe out, one rIn
in and brought on Jim Hughes.
Bill Sarni blasted Hughes
first nitch for a trir,la Then