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» Yanks Convinced Of Hill Weakness New York Starters* Batted Out in 13 Straight Games; Dodger Pitching Steadiest By CARL LUND QUI ST United Press Sports Writer NEW YORK, N. Y., June 13.— The New York Yankees rode home wearily today from a 20-game tour to six American League cities, and they were more convinced than ever that they need another top-flight pitcher to stay in first place. They still were 2Y2 games in front of runner-up Chicago and 3% ahead of third place Cleveland, and they won 12 out of 20 games on the trip. All of which looks good — but looks are deceiving. Chief cause for alarm is the failure of Yankee starting pitchers. The starter has been batted out in 13 straight games and there were only four complete games on the entire trip. After a splendid start in which he built up an 8-1 mark, which was best in the league at the time, Bob Turley has been kayoed four straight times and is now 8-5. Bob Grim was sent to the showers three times on the trip, a far cry from his showing of 1954 when he was Rookie of the Year. Ed Lopat was relieved three times and failed to turn in a complete game. Tommy Byrne, Whitey Ford and Johnny Kucks had to be rescued twice each. Indians Rally From Slump The showing of their closest pursuers can be no source of solace to the Yankees, either. Cleveland, which had dropped six out of seven games for its worst slump in two seasons, rallied after losing the first game to the Yankees and took the next three. The White Sox, who still are convinced they will win the pennant have, by contrast, a run of six straight complete pitching jobs. They wound up their home stand with three straight victories over Washington that included shutout jobs for Virgil Trucks and Billy Pierce. Brooklyn, heading west after another fantastic home stand in which it won 13 and lost but three, rode out of town with a 10% game lead over the second place Cubs and a 14-game cushion over the third place Giants, who lost considerable ground in the Polo Grounds. Unless the Dodgers falter on their tour through the cowboy and Indian country they could have the National League race in a complete shambles by July 4. Brooklyns pitching, which was nothing to write home to mom and pop about even in its pennant-winning years, now has become the steadiest in the National League. Along with the teams unmatched home run power, pitching coach Joe Becker and manager Walt Alston have the hurlers working so smoothly that they have turned in 21 complete games, tops for the league. Big Don Newcombe, whose string of 10 wins in a row ended with his first defeat Sunday, has six complete games, while crafty Carl Erskine, who seems on the way to his best season with an 8-2 mark, has five route jobs. Billy Loes and Johnny Podres have four each and Russ Meyer went all the way in two. When they square off again Tuesday for a full slate of action, it will be New York at Chicago, Brooklyn at Cincinnati, Philadelphia at Milwaukee and Pittsburgh at St. Louis in the National. In the American, Cleveland will be at Washington fora night double-header, Detroit at New York, Chicago at Baltimore and Kansas City at Boston. All the action except at Chicago and Boston will be at night.
