Evening star., 1951-09-02
Leaders Margin Cut
To Six in EventfuI
81 Win by MagIie
By the Assoeiated Press

NEW YORK. Sept Those
surging New York Giants. refusing
to crack under the increasing
pressure, whipped the pace-setting
Brooklyn Dodgers today, 8 to /,
and climbed to within six games
of the National League lead.
The Giants gained their victory
in the opener of a two-game series
largely on Don Mueller's three
home runs and a triple-play that
snuffed rally in the fifth inning.
Rightflelder Mueller, never
known for his long-ball hitting,
knocked in five runs with his cir
cult cloutS. And to add to the wild
pleasure of the Giants fans among
the 40,794 cash customers Bob
Thomson hit another two-run
homer.
The Giants, whose late-season
surge has confounded the experts,
poured salt into Brooklyn's wounds
with their triple play. That, plus
Mueller'S surprising slugging,
made Sal Maglie'S 18th victory an
easy one.
Maglie Gives Seven Hits.
In winning his fourth game in
five starts against Brooklyn, the
big righthander scattered seven
hits. Ralph Branca started for the
Dodgers, but lasted only four in
nings as the aroused New Yorkers
overpowered him for 5-to-1 lead.
That was the score when the
Dodgers made a bid to rally in
the fifth inning. Cal Abrams
batted for Branca and reached
first on Bobby Thomson's error.
Carl Furillo beat out a slow roller
to Thomson and runners were at
first and second.
Peewee Reese, who had three
hits, lashed a line drive to Short
stop Alvin Dark, who tipped to
Second BaSeman Ed Stanky to
double Abrams off the middle base.
Stanky then tagged Furillo. who
was running to second with the
pitch. to complete the National
Leagues first triple killing of the
season.
Mueller's first home run came in
the first inning and gave the
Giants a quick 10 edge. Thomson
increased this margin to 80 in
the next inning by betting his oath
home run with Whitley Lockman
on first base.
UmpireS Warn Managers.
Singles by Branca. Furillo and
Reese filled the bases for Brooklyn
with one out in the third and it
looked as though the Dodgers
were about to put the crusher on
Maglie.
The Giants ace, however, in
duced the dangerous Duke Snider
to pop out. This brought up Jackie
Robinson and one of Maglie'S
pitches hit the Brooklyn second
baseman, forcing in the Dodger's s.
only run of the game.
After Robinson had been hit,
the umpires called out acting
manager Cookie Lavagetto who
ran the Dodgers in place of Man
ager Chuck Dresser, suffering
from an attack of virus, and Man
ager Leo Durocher of the Giants,
warning them not to let their
pitchers throw too close to thet
batters. The two teams had been
having feud over this an sea-
son.
With the bases still jammed,
Maglie bore down and struck out
home-run hitting Gil Hodges.
Aside from their brief furry I'M
the fifth inning, the Dodgers
didn't have serious threat after
that.
Giants Get Lead Early.
Mueller, who hitherto this sea-
son had hit only eight home runs,
clouted his second of the game in
the third inning with Stanky on
base. His third-and 11th of the
seaSon-came in the seventh in
ming and also drove Stanky across
ILS pIdGe.
The Giants picked up a run in
the sixth when they had the bases
filled as Monte Irwin scored when
Mays rolled into a force-out.
So the key number still is 90,
meaning that any combination of
Brooklyn victories and Giants de-
feats to that total will clinch the
pennant for the Dodgers.
The Giants will have another
crack at Brooklyn tomorrow, and
two more tries next week end in
Brooklyn. Don Newcombe Q7-D
will hurl for the Dodgers tomor-
row. while Jim. Hearn Q3-D will
work for the Giants.