The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-06-26
|BONURA IS NOW
 OF. N. Y. GIANT DRIVE.
Timely Hitting of Ex- White SOx Man Beats
 Cubs and Reds
BIZ GEORGE KIRKsEY

v
 United Press Staff Correspondent)
 New York, June 2v-(UP)-Big zeke Bonura, the butt of more jokes than any other player in the majors is far from 2 laughing matter to National League clubs these days.
 Bonura's terrific hitting in the west was one of the main factors in the Giants rise to 8 contending posi- ton in the National League race. Big Zeke batted .512 hitting safely in every game. In the opener of the western trip in Chicago he hit two homers to give the Giants a 2-l vic- tory, and yesterday in Cincinnati in the last game of the trip, he sin- gled to send over the winning tally as the Giants stopped the Reds for the third straight time, S-2.
 Long laughed at for his somewhat clownish fielding, Bonura has more than made up for any deficiencies in the field by his timely clouting. His batting average of .370 gives him second place to Morris Arnovich, the Phillies' leader. On the western trip he made 2l hits in fl times at bat, scored 12 runs and batted in IA.
 Going Strong
 The Giants won 8 out of 10 in the west, and were headed home today only { Ia games out of first place. Bill Lohrman's pitching was one of the big surprises of the trip, winning 8 six-hitter against the Cubs and a two-hitter against the Reds. Mel Ott, who, with Bonura, was sup plying most of the teams punch had his hitting streak stopped at B straight yesterday by Bucky Wal ters.
 Harry Gumbert outpitched Wal ters, allowing only eight hits, and won his fifth straight game. A triple by Bonura and doubles by Ripple and Gumbert gave the Giants their first two runs. Then Ott went to sec- ond in the next inning on Billy Myers error and wild throw. He scored on Bonura's single. Ernie I,ombardi drove in both of the Reds runs.
 The Bees smote the Cardinals twice, 8-5 and 20, leaving St. Louis only half game ahead of New York. Johnny Cooney and Eddie Miller made four hits each in the opener and Max West hit homer, double, and single. Bill Posedel blanked the Cards on eight hits in the nightcap.
 Claude Passeau pitched the Cubs to 8 4-S victory over the Phillies, besting Kirby Higbee, with whom he traded uniforms a month ago. Jimmy Gleeson's double with the bases loaded drove in the tying and winning runs.
 A three-run rally after two were out in the ninth enabled Brooklyn to nose out the Pirates, 6-5, Floyd Young's error on Almada'S roller started the trouble. Lavagetto's dou- ble drove in the two trying runs and Camilli's single sent in the winning tally. Camilh also hit Homer No. IA.
 Splits
 The Tanks divided a doublehead- CT with the Browns, losing the first game, 7-3, and taking the nightcap, 11-2. After blanking the Browns for seven frames Marius Russo "blew up" and the Browns scored two in the eighth and five in the ninth. Bill Dickey hit two homers in the open- CT. Oral Hildebrand gave up only five hits in the second game.
 The Athletics, playing before the largest home crowd of the year, 19,- 392 fans, broke even with the h. dians. Johnny Allen pitched Cleve- land to an 8-4 win in the opener. George Caster pitched a seven-hit- ter as the As won the nightcap. The Indians tied the consecutive home run record in the first game when Ben Chapman, Hal Trosky, and Jeff Heath all hit round -trippers in the seventh after two were out.
 Detroit nosed out Washington, 6-5 although making only seven hits to the Senator's 12. Red Kress' single drove in the winning run. .