Chief interest centres in the National League, where the Chicago Cubs obtained a momentary breathing space yesterday by gaining one full game over the second-place New York Giants. Two games now separate the two teams, but the slim margin, and, the still-present threat of the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates afford ample evidence that the race is far from over.
The Cards are four games behind the Giants and the Pirates a half-game behing the Cardinals, The Cubs, after polishing off the St. Louis club five times in their last five meetings, have been established as the favourites at the moment, but tht fact that their victories have been achieved on Wrigley Field, and that they will soon have to take to the road again may change the odds in the next fortnight.
Meanwhile, the American League race saw the New York Yankees increase their lead to five and one-half games, as a result of holiday double-headers. The Detroit Tigers hold second place, but are only a scant two points in the van of the Chicago White Sox, who lost twice yesterday. The Boston Red Sox are Still in the running, only two games behind the White Sox, and the Cleveland Indians cannot be counted out of the race despite their fifth-place position. The Tribe, with the most versatile pitching staff in the junior loop and some outstanding individual hitters, is now three games in the rear of the Red Sox, but may stage a rally to confound the experts.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.