End of Series 2

The standings

                          W      L    Pct.     GB
Rams                  5       2     .714    --
Flashes               4       2     .667    .5
Black Caps         3       2     .600    1
Quakers              2       3     .400    2
Orators               2       4     .333    2.5
Orioles                2       5     .286    3


Series Three

Orators at Quakers (4)
Flashes at Rams (3)
Orioles at Black Caps (3)

Series Two: Rams take two of three from Black Caps

Raymond 5-2, Lincoln Park 3-2

Game One: Black Caps 5, Rams 1
WP: Drake (1-0)
LP: Perry (1-1)
Save: Smith (1)
HR: Blackwell (1), Pennington (1)

Game Two: Rams 2, Black Caps 1
WP: Ruffing (1-1)
LP: Williams (0-1)

Game Three; Rams 14, Black Caps 10
WP: Holloway (1-0)
LP: Cockrell (0-1)
HR: Chance (1)

Charles Blackwell's three-run homer off Gaylord Perry in the third inning propelled Lincoln Park to the win in its home debut. Bill Drake allowed one run on six hits in seven innings of work. Art Pennington homered in the eighth for the Black Caps. Hilton Smith worked the final two innings for the save.

Red Ruffing outdueled Tom Williams in the second game, allowing seven hits in the complete game win. Williams allowed two runs on seven hits in seven innings. The Rams scored their runs in the sixth on a one-out double by Joe Sewell. Hack Wilson singled and Frank Chance walked to load the bases. The Black Caps failed to turn the double play on Elmer Flick's fielder's choice grounder, with Sewell scoring on the force play, and Phil Rizutto followed with a base hit to plate Wilson.

Game Three was a slugfest. The Black Caps batted around twice and still lost. Lincoln Park scored four runs in the bottom of the first; Raymond scored four in the top of the second. Starters Phil Cockrell and Ken Holloway stabilized through the fifth inning, but the Rams scored five more in the sixth, highlighted by a two-run home by Chance. The Rams added three more in the seventh and two in the eighth to build a 14-4 lead. The Black Caps scored six in the bottom of the ninth before Dutch Leonard finally got the 27th out. Chance had four RBIs and Sewell three for the winners, and Nellie Fox and Ray Schalk each scored three times. The only starter for either team without a run or RBi was Flick.

Pitcher availability: For the Rams, Leonard should not pitch in the first game of the next series, and Holloway is out for the series. For the Black Caps, Rube Currie worked the final two innings and for each inning he pitches in the next game, he should sit one game. Bill Holland pitched an inning and needs at least one day before starting again. The last three starters for LP were Drake, Williams and Cockrell

Projected rotations; For the Rams, Whitehill-Perry-Ruffing-Collins-Holloway. For the Black Caps, Mathis-Holland-Drake, with Streeter available.

Series 2: Quakers take two of three from Flashes

Quakers 2-3, Flashes 4-2

Game One: Flashes 7, Quakers 6 (10 innings)
WP: Dean (1-0)
LP: Wheeler (0-1)
HR: Doby (2), Gowdy (1), Greenberg (1)

Game Two: Quakers 7, Flashes 4
WP: Kaufmann (1-0)
LP: Grimes (1-1)
Save: Keen (1)

Game Three: Quakers 7, Flashes 4
WP: Lyons (1-1)
LP: Haines (1-1)
HR: Doby (3)

There were fireworks aplenty in the closing innings of the opener at the Polo Grounds. Fordham held a 4-0 lead after five innings, knocking Vic Aldridge out of the box, while Art Nehf allowed just one run on four hits in eight innings. The Flashes added a run by pinch-hitting for Nehf in the eighth and turned a 5-1 lead over to Jack Bentley in the ninth. But Bentley walked Larry Doby and Tony Perez to open the frame. One out later, Rick Ferrell loaded the bases with an infield single, and then Rabbit Maranville tripled home three runs. Pinch-hitter Sparky Adams brought home Maranville with a fly ball, and the game was tied at five.

Reliever Rip Wheeler spun a one-two-three bottom of the ninth for Guilford, and Wayland Dean entered for Fordham. Doby promptly homered to put the Quakers up 5-4. Wheeler couldn't hold the lead, however; Hank Gowdy homered in the bottom of the 10th to retie the score, and Dave Bancroft later scored on Fred Lindstrom's singled for the walk-off win.

The following games were less dramatic. Guilford scored six runs off Burleigh Grimes in the fourth inning of the second game, the biggest blow being a two-run single by Johnny Evers. Tony Kaufmann scattered 11 hits in eight innings for the win and drove in a pair of runs himself,

Fordham scored three runs in the first two innings of the finale off Ted Lyons, then got nothing off Sunday Ted in the next five innings, Meanwhile the Quakers scored five runs off Jesse Haines. Max Carey went 3-for-4 with a run, two RBIs and a stolen base, while Joe Tinker stole two bases,

Pitcher availability: Claude Jonnard worked two innings of relief for the Flashes in the finale and should be limited to one inning in their next game. Sheriff Blake pitched one inning, no restrictions on him for the next game, but there will be following that if he pitches.

Projected rotations: Flashes will go McQuillan-Barnes-Grimes-Haines-Nehf in their next five games. Quakers will go Faber-Aldridge (short rest)-Keen (if he doesn't relieve in the first two)-Lyons-Faber. If Keen relieves in the first game, push Aldridge back a game and use Elmer Jacobs first.

Series 2: Orators take two of three from Orioles

Orators 2-4; Orioles 2-5

Game One: Orators 13, Orioles 1
WP: Shocker (1-0)
LP: Hardin (0-1)
HR; Cuyler 2 (2); F Robinson (3)

Game Two: Orioles 3, Orators 2
WP: Richert (1-0)
LP: Sutton (0-2)
HR: F Robinson 2 (5)

Game Three: Orators 6, Orioles 4
WP: Jenkins (1-1)
LP: McNally (0-1)
Save: Danforth (1)

Kiki Cuyler hit two homers and drove in seven runs in the fifth inning of the series opener for Ortonville. The Orators scored 12 runs in the inning; of the nine men in the lineup, only Jim O'Roarke didn't score in the inning. Urban Shocker allowed seven hits in the complete game.

The Orators took a 2-0 lead in the third inning of the second game on consecutive singles by Richie Ashburn, Billy Herman and Dan Brouthers followed by a Cuyler sac fly, but Frank Robinson tied it with a two-run homer in the sixth. Robby led off the bottom of the ninth with another homer off Don Sutton for the walk off.

The rubber match went to Ortonville, which peppered Dave McNally for six runs in the first four innings. Cuyler and O'Roarke each had two RBIs for the Orators. Baltimore pulled to within 6-4 in the seventh and had two on with one out, but Ferguson Jenkins struck out pinch-hitter Dave May and Don Buford to protect his lead.

End of Series 2

The standings

Division A
Obamas 3 1 .750 ---
Ikes 3 2 .600 .5
Teddys 3 2 .600 .5
Kennedys 2 3 .400 1.5
Franklins 1 4 .200 2.5

Division B
Crawfords 3 1 .750 ---
Garfields 3 2 .600 .5
Homestead 3 2 .600 .5
Hilldale 2 3 .400 1.5
X-Giants 1 4 .200 2.5

Schedule for Series 3
Ikes @ Hilldale (2)
Garfields @ Homestead (3)
Crawfords @ X-Giants (3)
Obamas @ Franklins (3)
Teddys @ Kennedys (3)

Pitcher of the Series: Whitey Ford, Ikes
Player of the Series: John Beckwith, Crawfords

Series 2: Crawfords sweep Kennedys

Crawfords 3-1, Kennedys 2-3

Pitcher status: Seaver and Brewer need three games off, Rogan and Marichal two, Niekro, Drysdale, Davis one each. Streeter pitched 1-plus inning in finale.

Game 1: Crawfords 9, Kennedys 3

WP: Rogan (1-0)

LP: Marichal (0-1)

HR: Wright(1), Aaron (1)

Game 2: Crawfords 6, Kennedys 5 (12 innings)

WP: Davis (1-0)

LP: Drysdale (1-1)

HR: Beckwith (2), Wright (2), Aaron (2)

---

The Crawfords may be in first place in Division B now, but a potentially serious weakness — the lack of a reliable closer — may have been exposed.

Sam Streeter, Ted Trent and Verdell Mathis combined to allow five straight Kennedys to reach with two outs in the ninth of the second game, blowing a 5-2 lead.

Roosevelt Davis wound up with the win with three innings of shutout relief — and with nobody left in the Crawfords bullpen, even drove in the winning run with a single off Don Drysdale.

In the first game, the Crawfords pounded Juan Marichal for eight runs in five innings. Wild Bill Wright had five RBIs in that game.

John Beckwith had six hits in the two games for the Crawfords, scoring four times and driving in three. Alejandro Oms had five hits, including two doubles, three runs and two RBI.

Series 2: Ikes sweep Homestead

Homestead 3-2; Ikes 3-2

Pitcher status: Paige, Spahn need three games; Manning, Ford need two. Wilhelm pitched one inning in finale.

Game 1: Ikes 1, Homestead 0

WP: Ford (1-0)

LP: Manning (0-1)

HR: Snider (3)

Game 2: Ikes 3, Homestead 2

WP: Spahn (1-0)

LP: Paige (0-1)

Save: Wilhelm (1)

HR: Suttles (1), Banks (3)

---

Homestead's lineup appeared unstoppable against Hillsdale in its opening series, but Whitey Ford and Warren Spahn of the Ikes proved otherwise.

Ford tossed a seven-hit shutout in the first game. Duke Snider's first-inning homer off Max Manning was all Ford needed, and all he got, as Manning and reliever Leroy Matlock allowed just two other hits.

Ford escaped a seventh-inning jam — men on third and second with no outs. But Heavy Johnson and Dobie Moore couldn't get the ball out of the infield, and after pinch-hitter Hurley McNair walked, Tubby Scales fanned.

Spahn and Satchel Paige likewise dueled in the second game, with Spahn stranding four runners on third in his eight innings of work. Hoyt Wilhelm worked a perfect ninth for the save.

The suspect Homestead defense cost Paige, as the third and final run was set up by a Mule Suttles error.

For the series, Josh Gibson was four for seven with a walk, a triple and two doubles. He was also robbed of a three run homer by Ted Williams. Stan Musial of the Ikes tripled in each game.

Series 2: Hilldale sweeps Franklins

Hilldale 2-3; Franklins 1-4

Pitcher status: Grove, Redding need three games, Vance and Byrd two games, A. Cooper one game. Dismukes and Hoyt each worked an inning in the last game.

Game 1: Hilldale 7, Franklins 6

WP: Byrd (1-0)

LP: Vance (0-1)

Save: A Cooper (1)

HR: Ruth (1)

Game 2: Hilldale 6, Franklins 4

WP: Dismukes (1-0)

LP: Grove (0-2)

Save: A. Cooper (2)

HR: Waner (1), DiMaggio (1)

---

With two outs in the ninth inning of the second game, Hilldale put together a four-run inning with four singles, a double and a walk against Lefty Grove and Waite Hoyt to complete a two-game sweep of the Franklins.

Tank Carr — getting his first start of the season — Spots Poles and Quincy Trouppe had the RBI singles, all off Hoyt.

Grove, who was driven from the mound in the first inning of the season opener, was much sharper this time around, and entered the ninth having allowed just six hits and two runs. But after retiring the first two men, he allowed hits to Turkey Stearnes and Willie Wells, then walked Buck Leonard. With closer Dizzy Dean unavailable after working in three consecutive games, Hoyt got the call — and was not effective.

For his part, Cannonball Redding was effective also, with two earned runs (and an unearned on) allowed in seven innings.

In the first game, Hilldale put together 13 hits off Dazzy Vance, Stan Covaleski and Dean.

Series 2: Obamas sweep Garfields

Obamas 3-1, Garfields 3-2

Pitcher status: Young, Plank need three games; Keefe, Nichols need two. Radbourne pitched two innings in last game.

Game 1: Obamas 4, Garfields 0
WP: Nichols (1-0)
LP: Keefe (0-1)
Save: Willis (1)
HR: Mantle 2 (2)

Game 2: Obamas 5, Garfields 2
WP: Plank (1-0)
LP: Young (1-1)
HR: Schmidt (2), F. Robinson (2)

---

Kid Nichols dominated the Garfields in the opener, allowing just two singles in seven innings. He came out for a pinch-hitter in the seventh, a move that helped the Obamas pick up their third run, and Vic Willis finished the shutout with two innings of one-hit ball. Tim Keefe went the distance for the Garfields, albeit only eight innings; he allowed just six hits, but five were for extra bases.

In the finale, Eddie Plank scattered nine hits for the Obamas while striking out six and walking one. Cy Young became the first Garfields hurler to require relief. He was pulled after allowing five runs in six innings.

Series 2: Teddys, X-Giants split

Teddys 3-2; X-Giants 1-4

Pitcher status: Mendez off four games, one game as position player; Jones, Alexander off three games; Brown off two games. Smith can work two innings in next game.

Game 1: Teddys 4, X-Giants 2
WP: Brown (1-0)
LP: Jones (0-1)
Save: Bender (1)

Game 2: X-Giants 3, Teddys 2
WP: Mendez (1-0)
LP: Alexander (1-1)
Save: Smith (1)
HR: Monroe (1)

---

Jose Mendez and Hilton Smith combined to limit the Teddys to six hits in the finale as the X-Giants got their first victory of the season. Bill Monroe hit a two-run homer off Pete Alexander in the fifth inning.

In the first game, the Teddys used a pair of perfectly executed hit-and-runs to set up their scores — one by Eddie Collins in a three-run first, the other by Honus Wagner in the third. Three-Finger Brown allowed just four hits in eight innings, and Chief Bender debuted with a hitless ninth.