W E S T   D I V I S I O N

E A S T   D I V I S I O N

Closer Tom Acker has pitched 12 games since June 13 without allowing an earned run, earning 10 saves and slicing his ERA to 0.98, the lowest of any pitcher in the league, except teammate Bob Buhl (0.71 in 12.2 innings). 
 

Gene Conley (16-2, 2.93) surpassed Louisville's Johnny Antonelli with three straight wins in July -- and six overall -- to run his season tally to 16.  Conley pitched two scoreless outings in July: a bona fide shutout of Boston July 6 and 7.2 shutout innings on July 15 in which his shutout bid was hampered by a 27-minute rain delay.  
    

Washington Monuments
Steven Giovanelli

Dale Long had his third four-hit game in less than a month, collecting two singles and two doubles on May 15 in a 5-2 win over Chicago.  Long had four hits in back-to-back games June 19-20.  Long is hitting .341 (14-41) with 7 RBI in 10 games in July.
 

Washington is 4-0 against the West so far in July, but lost series at Boston and Brooklyn, missing an opportunity to close the gap with the first place Superbas.  The Mons lost the rubber game of the three-game Brooklyn set 2-1 after Stu Miller coughed up two runs in the bottom of the eighth after 7.2 shutout innings . . .  Whitey Herzog drove in 5 runs against Louisville on July 6.
    

Boston Beacons
Charlie Qualls

The Spiders stumbled into the second half, winning just one of their first 10 games, and requiring 12 innings to win that one game.  On July 9 against Brooklyn, the Spiders blew 7-4 and 13-10 leads, finally prevailing 14-13 on pinch hitter Red Schoendienst's pinch hit RBI in the 12th.  Chico Carrasquel drove in five runs in the game.  Whence the slump?  Look no further than Herb Score, who was 0-3, 9.00 in 3 starts.  The other three starters are 6.10 (Blackwell), 7.63 (Lary), and 7.82 (S. Jones) so far in July.
 

Amidst all the critiques of Boston's trades, the Beacons boast the third best record in baseball, albeit also the third best in East Division.  But despite their phalanx of relief help, they've done it not with pitching, but with offense.  The league's 2nd worst offense last year is now its third best, despite no players in the top 20 in OPS.  With such a balanced offense, it is hard to pick individual stars, but sixth-round Reentry pick Solly Hemus is surely near the top of the list.  Hemus is hitting .376, with a .439 OBP and co-leads the team with 47 runs.
   

Billy Pierce and Jack Sanford won back-to-back Players of the Week 7/7 and 7/14 -- a first for pitching teammates in league history.  Pierce's award was perhaps the least merited ever.  In the 3-game week straddling the Midsummer Break, Piercey was 1-1 with a 4.11 ERA in two starts.  He did win the first game of the second half (maybe he got bonus points for that).  Sanford's award was more justified.  The sophomore right-hander was 2-0 with a shutout, posting a 2.55 ERA.  He blanked Louisville on seven hit July 12.  Steve Bilko hit a three-run homer and four Maroons doubled in the 6-0 win.
 

When the Griffins get Sandy Koufax this week, it will be not a moment too soon.  His stand-in in the closer role, Gordon Jones, has lost his knack.  After five straight saves, GoJo lost two games to Boston in three days, including a five-run implosion that blew a 4-2 lead in the ninth on July 14.  Dusty Rhodes hit .343 in early July, maintaining a 14-point lead over Frank Robinson in the batting race.  Bobby Richardson is second to Rhodes in batting, with a .311 average.  The 22-year-old second baseman hit .467 (7-15) in his last five games.
  

New York Gothams
Shawn Martin

What's behind the Colts' extended slump?  It starts with the league's worst batting average and ERA, the worst opponents average, and the most home runs allowed.  The Colts were 5th and 7th in runs and runs allowed last year, and have dropped to 9th (tied) and 8th.  Gus Zernial's slugging has tailed off by 100+ points, to .480, the lowest of his career.  'Ozark Ike' has finished in the top five in home runs in six of the UL's seven seasons, but currently finds himself below to the eight.  Harvey Haddix is 0-4, 7.99 since joining the Colts a month ago.
 

Martin's Gothams were 4-5 in early June.  Hector Lopez hit .342 (13-38) in 9 games and Orlando Cepeda hit .323 (10-31).  Bob Hooper's save on July 11 was his 20th of the year, giving him six straight 20-save seasons, equaling Hoyt Wilhelm's record (1952-57).  However, Wilhelm is three shy of 20 saves this year, which would extend his streak to seven years.  Bench players Roman Mejias and Red Wilson are slumping hard.  Mejias is 2-for-15 (.133) in his last 7 games, and Wilson is 2-for-25 (.080) since June 28.