Indians Can Set New. Major League Mark by Winning Next Three fining S&pirfIs Five Complete Games Nats' Batting Attack Sputtering J&faf by Washington, D. C., Monday, April21,1952— A-15j * Turned In Hurlers Despite Some Inflated Averages By Burton Howkins Coan and Mele singled in the In 7 Straight Wins Star Staff Correspondent first inning, but the Nats got BOSTON, April 21. —There’s nothing. Singles by Vernon and By Joe Reichler nothing wrong Nats that Baker, coupled with Mickey with the grounder Win, Lose, or Draw Associated Press Sports Writer some timely hitting couldn’t cure. Grasso’s and Hudson's long fly. produced a in the Cleveland’s rampaging Indians, They’re hitting all right—at least run By FRANCIS STANN only there are some fancy averages second inning, but Boston took a baseball’s unbeaten team, are 2-1 lead in the fourth when Pier- * among ’em—but mo- WHAT IS HAPPENING to the Detroit Tigers shouldn’t closing in on the major league jb k . * their wasted record tion is getting on Manager Bucky sall walked, Stephens doubled and happen to a nice guy like Red Rolfe, the manager. But for consecutive victories at singled. their i Harris’ nerves. Dropo dismal start wasn’t entirely Down in the start of a season. d&Q &/itO&L iM unforeseen. Florida the In their last two games they’ve Coan had doubled to start the Tigers weren’t looking much like flag And Detroit’s Tigers are on contenders. their way to a record in reverse—- accumulated 24 hits, but 20 of Nats’ third and Noren followed Rolfe is fully aware that his chief assets that of losing the most games them have been singles. They with a short single on which Gil are his pitchers, headed by Art Houtteman and from opening day. needed shutout pitching from Bob had to stop at third. After Mele out, VirgilTrucks. The only .300 hitter is George ’ Combining brilliant pitching Porterfield Saturday to beat the’ popped Noren stole second, with Yankees, 2-0, and yesterday but Michaels struck out and Ver- Kell, and he is not a prolific runs-batted-in ' long-range hitting, A1 Lopez’ they; Hr blew a 6-3 decision to the Red Sox; filed to Dom DiMaggio in man. Detroit is notoriously weak at w . win-happy Tribe swept a double- jnon short- header yesterday Tigers, at a time when they were slam- center. stop and first base. from the H: 3-2 and 7-2, for their sixth and ming Mel Parnell for 13 hits Baker Out at Plate. The of in! vagaries baseball are pointed up seventh triumphs in succession. 7% innings. Baker singled to start the 'IhI The only i by the current plight of the Tigers. Here is ;iJ|« Cleveland needs only two more Nats had one run to fourth and with one out, Hudson show for an organization that is first class in every Jpi vins to equal the record of nine their first 11 hits, includ- doubled, but Baker tried to score ing three doubles. Seemingly they respect. It has plenty of money and spends J§F I eld jointly by the 1944 St. Louis and was an easy victim of Pier- Browns, 1918 New were inventing methods by which sail’s firifc relay. Yost stranded it freely. There are scouts galore and a good, York Giants to avoid scoring. J rnd 1940 Brooklyn Dodgers. So Parnell stuck Hudson with grounder to sound farm system. But withal the Tigers around long enough to a M Tigers pick up his Stephens. are woefully short of ball players. Set Mark in 1920. 16th successive victory against JH Detroit, without a victory in Its The Nats grabbed a 3-2 lead The Detroit club hasn’t come up with a Washington. in the sixth with successive singles *¦ e,, first seven games, is more than proper rr SUnn- Figures Are Deceptive. by Vernon, first baseman since Hank Greenberg half way to its own major league Baker and Grasso, There are some Inflated aver- plus grounder. and Rudy York. To plug second base the Tigers had to buy of 13 successive at Hudson’s Then record losses ages on the squad. Floyd Baker jammed Jerry Priddy from the Browns for SIOO,OOQ and a pitcher. Their the start of the 1920 campaign. the Red Sox four of is batting .474, Clyde Kluttz .400, eight off No. 1 catcher, Matt Batts, was acquired in The Tigers, only big league club Mickey their hits Hudson into trade. Sam Mele .357 and Vernon the seventh inning and walked never to finish In the cellar, are .348. Normally, such figures there now, seven full games be- off with the decision, to the glea NOT EVEN KELL, the good third baseman, was a product would indicate a spectacular start, of 21,208 fans. hind the Indians. but the Nats may consider them- of the Detroit organization. The Athletics brought up Julio Moreno, the pitcher Kell Bob Lemon and Steve Gromek selves fortunate to only might have a 3-3 rec- stop and still have him except for an argument between the each went the distance to make it HE BLANKED THE WHITE SOX—Ned ord. They to the Red Sox this season, Garver, the Browns’ ace pitcher (center), receives con- have scored only 14 was to get infielder and Connie Mack, then actively managing the club. five complete games for Cleve- gratulations from his runs In six games and another chance today. teammates after pitching his second straight shutout, a two-hitter against have won Jim Atkins, a righthander Mack wanted to cut Kell’s salary. The player land hurlers in seven starts. the Chicago in by 4-3, margins. big told off the White Sox yesterday St. Louis. The Browns won, 8-0, but dropped the second 3-1 and 2-0 who won 18 games venerable boss. A month after 1946 Lemon yielded seven hits in the game the But, while four gentlemen and lost 9 the opening of the season of double-header, 10-2. Players greeting Garver are (left to right), Marty Marion, the with opener for his second triumph. Clint are among Louisville last season, will Mack traded Kell to Detroit for Barney McCosky. Courtney and Gordon Goldsberry. mentioned the elite pitch for Gromek permitted five for his AP Wirephoto. of the league’s hitters, Eddie Yost the Red Sox, who are It was a tremendous deal for the Tigers. Although a fine seeking sixth first. is batting .136, Gil Coan .130, Irv their straight win. outfielder and hitter, McCosky’s value dropped sharply due to Luke Easter’s homer in the Noren .182 and Cass Michaels .200. Baiton. AB. H. O. A. W»»h. AB H. OA. illness. Kell, who couldn’t hit .300 for the A’s, never has fallen ninth, his third-, in three days, This leads to a marked inability DIM g.cf 4 14 1 Yost.3b 4 0 0 1 figure Piers'll,Sß 3 0 12 Coan.lt 4 2 2 0 below that in six seasons with Detroit. broke up a pitching duel between to keep an attack going, and it’s L'h'rdt.lf 4 0 10 Noren.ct 6 13 0 One contributing factor Lemon and Art Houtteman. The proving costly. V.Bt’pnab 4 2 14 Mele.rf 5 3 0 0 in the decline of the Tigers’ for- Dropo.lb 3 2 6 0 Mlch'li.2b 6 0 3 4 tunes Indians unloaded four round- Chief culprit in checking •G.St'p'n 0 0 0 0 Vern'n.lb 5 210 1 could have been the generosity of the front office, jrhe rallies 0 Baker,ss trippers in the nightcap. A1 Ro- has Michaels, fielding G’rn'rt.lb 1 0 2 4 3 2 3 late Walter O. Briggs believed in rewarding a young who been whose Th'n'ry.rt 2 0 10 Grasso.c 4 18 1 man sen hit two and Pete Reiser and saved the Nats a game in New Lepcio.2b 2 12 1 Huds'n.p 4 113 pleased him and some of the salaries he paid were out pro- Ray t Williams 110 0 of Boone one each. Reiser York. Cass has never had it so IMcDm't 0000 portion to the skill of the players. As Doby, white.c 0 0 3 0 a result, it was next to subbed for Larry who bad as recently, striking out eight Niarhos,e 10 5 0 Impossible for the general managers (Billy pulled a muscle in his right thigh of his last 11 at iG’d'n.2b 1111 Evans and now times bat and Parnell.p 3 0 0 0 Charley Gehringer) to swing any important deals. Other club in the opener. Doby may be out going hitless over that span. Wight.p 0 0 0 0 the Cass, who Delock.p 0 0 0 0 owners were too reluctant to assume the salaries of Briggs’ pets. of lineup for several days. struck out three times The Brooklyn Dodgers had Saturday, fanned four more times Totals 29 827 9 Totals 40 13 24 13 their unbeaten skein snapped six ¦Ran for Dropo in seventh. IFIT IS at yesterday, leaving runners tSingled tor Lepcio in seventh. NOT essential to the American League that Detroit stranded. IHan for Williams in seventh. be represented with a good club, it’s at least to«be preferred. Sid Hudson had a four-hitter IHomered tor Niarhos in seventh.