OCR Text |
Show PENNANT RACE GETS TIGHTER Mound City Teams Giving New York Clubs Some Stiff Opposition NEW YnRK, July 4. Prospects of an all-Si. I. mils World's scries or ft repetition of the all-New York ol&Mlc of last year loomed prominently as I 'he neck-and-neck sItukkI" between the Mound City and Gotham teams In both major league continue. The fviants lost the load to the Cardinals Car-dinals Saturday for the first time since the early dnys of the season, but went tak into first place .iKain Sunday by defeating Cincinnati while St bouis lost Its first of five games to Boston. A margin of only 3 percentage points separates the rivals. The Browns lost ground Sunday by losing to Detroit, while New York defeated de-feated Boston and as a re.-ult hold an advantage of only a game and a half. In back of these clubs are Chicago. I 'etrolt and Cleveland, bunched within with-in two and s half games of each ni tier, ti-er, and within striking distance of the lop. All figure as contenders. NEVER WON PENNANT, Si Louis has never won a pennant In the history of either major league. )ut this year with the strongest contenders con-tenders It has ever had In either circuit cir-cuit the chance of breaking the, long spell of reverses appears unusually bright. The best that the American league team has ever finished was Second in 1902. while, the Nationals! have never landed better than third ploce, this being done in 1876. the first year of the. National li ague s existence, ex-istence, and again In 1914, 1917 and 1921. The Cardinals, drawing up to practically prac-tically even terms with the Qlants laei week, in what amounts to a two-club race, in the older circuit, owe their winning drive to tremendous hitting power. evident especially In the pinches Seven of the last eight games St. Louis has played were decided by u margin of one run The (.iionts. handicapped by the ah-sen ah-sen e of Heinle Groh due. to injuries, and erratic pitching, dropped two out nf t ii irarT.na In f'ln,lnnr.l nfti-i I their eet-back In St. Louis. Good pitching enabled Pittsburg to take four straight from Philadelphia and show its first Improvement In several sev-eral weeks, while Cincinnati md Chicago, Chi-cago, aided by consistent hieing and some steady twirling, won the D it v of their games against eastern their battlnp form In Philadelphia, the Prowr.s ! n i slightly their lead over the Yankees, who were able to obtain only an even break against Pfltrolt, after dropping three out of four to Chicago. Herman Pilletto, Cobb's young pitching act . got credit for both Tiirer victories. INDIANS IN RACE. Cleveland, after early season disappointments, disap-pointments, has made the race a flve-club flve-club affair vm a result of a winning -ireak which lasted for 18 games before be-fore being stopped lv Washington Saturday. Sat-urday. The Indians lost again Sunday Sun-day to Chicago, but apparently have hit their real stride and will bear watching. Speaker has three pitchers Coveleskle. Morton anj l 'hie performing per-forming brilliantly. Boston climbed from last, place by holding the White Sox to an . en break, while th Athletics lost three out of four to St. Louis and dropped to the cellar. |