The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-09-07
REDS, PIRATES START CRUCIAL
 2 GAME SERIES
National League Winner May Be Certain By
 Tomorrow
BY GEORGE KIRKsEY

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 New York, Sept. 7,-UP)-Cin- cinnati's dream of becoming the first club in major league history to win the penant after finishing in the cellar the year before, will re- ceive the acid test in two-game series opening today against the league Pittsburgh Pirates.
 In games today and tomorrow at Cincinnati the Reds will have a chance to prove that they are not clutching at 8 phantom pennant. Only ih games off the pace, the Reds can slash the Pirates lead to 21s games by sweeping the series, And if that should happen most baseball soothsayers agree that the second-place Reds, and not the first place Pirates, will be the club to beat in the dizzy National league race.
 By the same token Pittsburgh can shout down its critics who say that the Pirates haven't the heart to stand off a real challenge in a hammer-and -tongs stretch battle. The Pirates have been floundering for weeks but the proof of the pud. ding is that they still hold the fort.
 The Reds drive to catch the Pirates received a jolt yesterday when the St. Louis Cardinals put the screws on the Rhinelanders, so. Curt Davis turned in a five-hit mas terpiece while his mates slugged out IT hits off the Red pitchers. Every card made hit, with Don Pedgett and Curt Davis getting three each.
 The Pirates were idle.
 Garrison Finish. o.s.
 With one of their finishes remin- iscent of happier days, the New York Giants prevented the Boston Bees from closing in on fourth place by scoring a 6-5 victory in 10 innings. Homers by Alex Kam- pouris and Jojo Moore tied the count and sent the game into extra innings. After the Bees had scored thrice In their half of the 10th the Giants won the game with 6 four run rally in the last half. A walk, Danning's single and Mel Ott's 33d homer tied the score. With the bases loaded Kampouris' single won the game.
 Vito Tamulis survived a four-run first inning to pitch Brooklyn to a 6-4 triumph over the Phillies. Tamulis allowed only three hits af- ter the first frame. Kiki Cuyler's single with the bases loaded fea- tured a four-run rally by the Dodg- CTS in the second.
 Cleveland moved into tie for second place in the American league with the Boston Red Sox by blank ing Detroit 60. Bob Teller allowed only four hits and pitched his first shutout since April 20 when he blanked the Browns in his first start of the season. Teller also made two of the Indians 10 hits and drove in two runs. It was No. IA for Fel- Ter.
 Cuban Rookie Wins
 Cecil Travis single with the bases loaded in the eighth drove in the two runs by which Washington de- feated the Boston Red Sox, 7-5. Rene Montegudo, Cuban rookie from the Senator's Trenton farm, won his first star, though rapped for IA hits. Jimmy Foxx hit homer No. 40 but famed in the eighth with the bases loaded.
 Monte Stratton scored his 14th victory by pitching the Chicago White Sox to @ 8-2 triumph over the Browns.
 By failing to get a homer since August 31, Hank Greenberg, Detroit slugger, is now behind Babe Ruth's record-breaking schedule. Ruth hit three homers on September 6 to make his total 47. Greenberg has 46, and needs i5 in % games to break Ruth's mark of SO.
 YESTERDAYS HERO - Alex Kampouris, Giants utility infielder who was showed back into the line- at NaAA A..