New Britain herald., 1929-07-12
PIRATES INCREASE LEAD
 IN NATIONAL LOOP RACE
Pittsburgh Team Defeats Phillies to Giants and Chicago Cubs Split Double Header - Cincinnati Blanks Boston Braves-Cardnals Take Win From Robins - Red Sox Tame the Tigers in American Circuit-Senators Down Indians 9 to3
By the ssociated Press.

By the Associated Press.
 The crucial battle of the Polo Grounds is being conducted 10 the complete satisfaction of the Pirates. who have yielded not one inch of grounds since they overhauled the Cubs on Independence Day. The Bruins and the Giants split a tedi- ous double header beneath Coogans Bluff yesterday as the Pittsburgh rough riders stampeded the Phillics once more at Baker Bowl.
 The Pirates added half game to their lead by tossing the Phillies $ 1o ?. while the Cubs were winning and losing. The half game gain was registered in the all-important games lost column where until yesterday the Buccaneers were on even terms with Chicago. The Pirates now lead the Cubs by two games and the Giants by five and one half. The situation of the New Workers is even worse than the figures indicate, as they have lost eight games more than Pittsburgh and seven more than Chicago.
 Fred Fitzsimmons was rapped for II hits and was poorly supported aield in the opener yesterday, and the Cubs had little difficulty in win hing by to 5. McMillan and Fullis hit homers. Perce Malone was steady in all but two innings.
 Defeated in the opener, John Nc Graw still had the courage to toss Bill Walker. the southpaw, against a team which had not bowed to a left handler since venerable Clarence Mitchell had a good afternoon eight weeks ago. The Giants finally won by Is to 12 through little fault of Walkers, but official credit for the victory remained with him on the general assumption that none of the four Giant boXmen deserved to win, and that he had prior claim.
 Melvin Ott enlivened the two hour and 30 minute performance with his 25th home run, increasing the margin by which he leads both leagues. Hack Wilson obliged with his Fist and 22nd. Lesser home run hitters were Lindstrom of the Giants and English of the Cubs
 Erwin Brame turned in five hit game against the Phillies in a park where some pitchers count them- selves fortunate not to have that many smashed out of the lot. One of the five drives was a homer by Hurst, but this was more than counter balanced by circuit blows from the bats of Traynor and Paul Waner.
 Red Lucas shut out the Braves by 6 to 0, giving further proof of the seriousness of Jack Hendricks in- tention to quit the cellar. The Braves now are only one game away, but a gain of one game will not turn the trick for the Reds as they have play ed fewer games than the Bostonese. Below .o00, the club with fewer games played takes the worst of the percentage in case of a virtual tie.
 The Robins bowed to the Cardi- nals by 6 to 3 at Ebbets field, re- NeifiiiS o AIIelh III JlltiI dlltHlp pL to crash the first division. The fourth rung now is four games away.
 Rain halted all important activity along the western front in the Amer ican league yesterday. As a result the Mackmen vii. meet the Browns Tn double headers today and tomor- row while the Tanks will play two against the White tomorrow.
 The games that were played in Ernest Barnard's league saw the Red Sox tame the Tigers by IS tc as the Senators downed the h. dians, to 8. The Red Sox victory was notable for ten run inning by the light tapping Carrigans. Ths pitching of Russell and Bayne was hardly up to the batting. Marty Me Manus helped the Tigers save their faces with two more home runs Dale Alexander hit one.
 Billings, the Detroit pitcher, Alex ander and McManus executed a triple killing of Red Sox in the seventh, while Alexander cut in with an unassisted double play in the ninth.