Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-13
Thomas Home Runs
May Make Pirates
Fans Forget Kiner
BY the Associated Press

Frank Thomas, a 200-pound.
6-foot 3-inch outfielder with
power in his bat. apparently is
aiming to make Pittsburgh fans
forget a pretty fair hitter by the
name of Ralph Kiner who once
wore a Pirate uniform.
When Kiner was traded to the
Chicago Cubs last year. the "a
year-old native Of Pittsburgh
took over the smuggling chores.
When the season was over the
records showed he had hit 80
home runs, driven in 102 and
batted .255.
And now the solidly built
Thomas is at 1t again. He clouted
two home runs yesterday as the
Pirates routed the Milwaukee
Braves, 25-11. in an exhibition
game at Bradenton, Fla. The
two circuit blows ran his total
for the last three games to four.
Six Braves Homers.
Thomas clouting seems to
have been contagious for the
Pirates. generally picked to fln-
ish in the National League cellar
for the third straight year. The
BUGS connected with six homers
against the Braves to run their
total to Is in their last three
games.
Sid Gordon. obtained from
the Braves during the winter, hit
one for his second of the week.
old exhibition season, and Jerry
Lynch. Jack Lohrke and Brandy
Davis added the others.
Eddie Mathews. Milwaukee's
home run king, slammed three
triples while Danny O'Connell,
acquired in the Gordon trade.
and Rookie Dick Sinovic hit
homers for the Braves.
Del Ennis two-run homer gave
the Phillies a 81 victory over
the New York Yankees and cir
cult drives played an important
role in the triumph Of the New
York Giants.
Willie Mays Gets Two.
The Giants snapped q four
game losing streak with a 1875
victory over the Cleveland In
dams as Willie Mays slammed
his third and fourth homers Of
the season and Ronnie Sanford,
rookie second baseman. and
Whitley Lockman contributed one
each.
Ennis homer came of Whitley
Ford, lefthander who figures to
be the ace Of the Yankee staff.
Ford gave up three hits in three
innings.
The Cincinnati Redlegs
punched their II hits effective
ly to down a makeshift collec-
ton of Chicago White Sox
rockies, lit. Rocky Bridges, a
.227 hitter for Cincinnati last
season, drove in four runs.
The Baltimore Orioles chalked
up their sixth victory in seven
games with a 1919 decision over
the Chicago Cubs. Homers in
the sixth inning by Bill Serena.
Ernie Banks and Hal Jeffcoat
sent the Cubs ahead, 9-6, but
the Orioles came back with seven
in the next two innings. The
lone Baltimore homer was by
Dick Kryhoski in the fifth with
the bases empty.
Red Sox Streak Broken.
Four runs on one. hit in the
eighth inning gave the Brooklyn
Dodgers a 4-3 night victory over
the Boston Red Sox and ended
the American Leaguers' five-
game winning streak. Willard
Nixon and Skinny Brown shut
out the National League cham
pions with two hits. both of
Nixon in the first, until the
eighth, when Jim Ehler took
over. The right-handed rookie
walked four straight batters be-
fore giving way to Truman
Clevenger. An infleld out and
error tied the score and Wayne
Belardi's single drove in what
proved to be the winning tally.
Russ Meyer pitched four in
nings as the Brooklyn starter
and allowed two runs on four
hiS