The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-08-22
PIRATES SEEM
 BEST OF A BAD LOT IN LEAGUE
Lost 2 Games Sunday But So Did Reds-Cavaret.
 ia Stars
By GEORGE KIRKsEY

Chicago, Aug. p -UP)- The crazy-quilt National league pennant race found the Pittsburgh Pirates still in command of the situation today despite their biggest one-day nosedive of the season.
 The Pirates, looking not at all like a championship outfit, blew double header to the Chicago Cubs yesterday but still are not in vital danger of losing their lead. As an American league observer pointed out the Pirates seem to be the best of a bad lot and can stagger in if necessary.
 Cincinnati, which seemed on the verge of moving up to challenge the Pirates for the lead, received staggering double defeat from the St. Louis Cardinals which just about ruined the Reds pennant hopes. AL though the New York Giants are in second place five games behind the Pirates, there doesn't seem to be even a spark of the championship spirit of the past two years left in the Terrymen. The loss of Carl Hubbell, who will undergo an arm operation in Memphis today, was just about the last straw for the Giants. As for the Cubs, their twin triumph over Pittsburgh yesterday, was one more victory than they had scored in the previous weeks play.
 So Pittsburgh, staggering and stumbling, careens on toward the National league pennant and World series with the New York Yankees, who yesterday increased their American league lead to II games. The Tanks double victory over the Athletics, 8-4 and 8-1, fur ther emphasized the utter hope of even a close finish in the American league.
 The Cubs double victory over the Pirates, GA and 6-1, enabled Chicago to move into third-place tie with Cincinnati, each seven games be- hind the leader. Bill Lee, although he had to have relief in the ninth inning, scored his 18th victory in the opener and Tex Carleton pitched & seven-hit game to win the night cap. Phil Cavaretta, replacing Frank Demaree in the Cubs outf1eld, star red in both games.
 The Cardinals trimmed the Reds, 7-6, in the Thinning first game and repeated with 80 victory in the nightcap. Relief Pitcher Joe Cas- carella, threw one ball to Enos Slaughter with the bases loaded to force in the winning run in the opener. Bill McGee let the Reds down with three hits in the after piece.
 Brooklyn divided with Boston, the Dodgers winning the opener 60, as Fred Fitzsimmons outpitched Jim Turner, and the Bees taking the sec- ond game, 9-4, with a 15-hit attack on Posedel and Pressnell.
 Giants Drubbed
 The Phillies slugged out their sec- ond straight win over the Giants, 8-3, pounding Melton, Wittig and Coffman for 13 hits. Shortstop Dick Bartell and Catcher Bill Atwood en- gagged in fist fight.
 Although rapped for 10 hits Lefty Gomez scored his 18th victory as the Tanks won the opener from the As. Red Ruffing let the As down with five hits and contributed a homer in the nightcap.
 Four runs in the eighth enabled the Chicago White Sox to defeat Cleveland, 4-3, in the opener but the Indians staged 8 two-run rally in the ninth to take the second game, 3-2. The White Sox drove Johnny Allen to cover in the first game. Hal Trosky's single drove in the winning tally in the nightcap.
 Washington defeated Boston, 5-4, by scoring three runs in the ninth but the Red Sox took the second game, 7-2, despite Zeke Bonura's homer, double and two singles.
 Buck Newsom scored his 18th vic- tory as the St. Louis Browns snap ped Detroit's six-game winning streak, 9-4. Hank Greenberg hit homer No. AZ and Harland Gift of the Browns hit two.
 YESTERDAYS HERO-Phil Cav aretta, Cubs utility infielder who re- placed Frank Demaree, and made four hits, scored four runs, stole a base and executed a diving catch. Notice of Location of