Show Red Sox Cant Can Even Win Wm o a at I Fenway Against the Athletics 1 By Ralph Roden Who Vho stole the Fenway park leftfield left leftfield leftfield field wall or what's the matter with the Boston Red Sox That's the thc puzzler for the good citizens of Boston The Sox perennial preseason favorites to waltz to the American league pennant are arc in a deep freeze Steve O'Neill's O'Neil's men entered the season with 11 straight exhibition exhibition exhibition tion victories and their long suffering suffering suffering suf suf- fering followers licked chops anticipating anticipating anticipating an an- a terrific start But alas the Sox still are wallowing in the dust looking for victory No 1 I They began by dropping two games to the world champion I Yankees in New York scoring only once in the process Seemed a Cinch Friday they opened their home season and it appeared that their spiked guns would smoke and belch as of old Victory seemed a lead pipe cinch The factors that pointed to a sure-fire sure Red Sox victory were 1 The Sox were back on their home lot with that chummy left leftfield leftfield leftfield field wall a haven for their awesome awesome awesome awe awe- some right-handed right hitters 2 They were to meet the Phila- Phila Athletics The he As dead last Cl a-Cl- m n 1950 iio 1950 h had ici hd d dlo lo lost t- t 22 22 st straight i games at Fenway park not winning winning winning win win- ning in Boston since Sept 2 1948 3 Alex Kellner a game 20 loser in 1950 and a left-hander left to boot was to pitch for the As A left left- hander goes the route and beats heats the Sox in Boston only once in ina a blue moon Hal of I Detroit and Gene Bearden of Washington were the only ones to perform that feat last year 4 Mel Parnell was to pitch for Boston Marvelous l Mel l had racked up the As A's 10 straight times Stuns Crowd But Kellner stunned a crowd of fans by turning back the studded star-studded Sox 6 3 permitting I only four hits along the way Kermit Wahl Vahl broke up the game in the eighth inning Wahl belted a two out two-run two double and scored the clincher when the I usually reliable Dom Dorn DiMaggio DIl dropped Joe Tipton's liner l The Yanks ran into a snag in Washington dropping a night day-night l header double-header to the Washington Senators 5 3 and 8 Sandalio Consuegra yielded four hits in the day game in n outI outlasting out out- I lasting five Yankee pitchers who ho I granted only two hits Thirteen I bases on balls ruined the Yanks I A crowd of fans including President Truman turned out as asI I Washington belatedly opened its season Lefty Al Sima Sinia scattered 10 hits in the night game which attracted t I i customers Mickey licke Vernon 1 batted in four runs on a triple double and two singles to spoil I. I I the debut of rookie Tom Morgan Mor Mor- tL gan the Yanks spring training 11 J l flash I I h t iI i. i In First Place 1 The double triumph put the I r. r l in ill first by a half game over I the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Chicago Chi Chi- J Ii cago eago White Sox who scored their i third straight triumphs in the I t afternoon I 1 Bob Feller came up with a neat hitter five-hitter as he pitched the Ind Indians Indians In In- d ans to a 4 1 victory over the P hapless St. St Louis Browns before h fans in Cleveland's home j opener 1 l' l Randy Gumpert pitched Chicago Chi Chi- j. j cago eago to a 50 5 three-hit three victory 11 over the Detroit Tigers before l' l at Chicago Gumpert helped t his cause by driving in two runs The Brooklyn Dodgers spoiled 1 the day for the Giants and fans by downing the New Yorkers YorkI York York- I ers 7 3 at the Polo Grounds The I Boston Braves nipped the Phils 2 1 before fans in Philadelphia Phila Phila- 1 delphia Don Newcombe tamed the Giants on five hits Max Sur- Sur I kont surrendered only two hits I I i and drove home the winning run II with a fly ball as the Braves I I shaded the Phils It |