HATTON’S 3 HRS LEAD REDS PAST CUBS

Chicago Drops 3^rd Straight

CINCINNATI, Aug. 8 (AP) – Grady Hatton became the fourth major leaguer—and third National League player—to hit three home runs in a single game this season, leading the Cincinnati Reds past the Chicago Cubs 6-3 at Crosley Field.  Entering the context, no Reds player had hit even two homers in the same game.  Hatton, who leads Cincinnati with 12 long balls on the season, is now tied for second in the NL with Ralph Kiner of Pittsburgh, and Stan Musial and Enos Slaughter, both of St. Louis.  Johnny Mize of New York, who was recently lost for the season due to a broken toe, leads the Senior Circuit with 22 home runs.

After Marv Rickert’s RBI ground out in the top of the first gave the Cubs a 1-0 lead, Cincinnati countered with Hatton’s first home run, a solo shot deep into the right field bleachers, in the bottom of the opening frame, tying the game.

The Reds touched Chicago starter Hank Borowy for three runs in the bottom of the second.  Bert Haas led off with a double and Ray Mueller drew a walk.  Al Libke’s sacrifice attempt resulted in a force at third, and Benny Zientara flied to right, but pitcher Harry Gumbert aided his own cause with a base hit to center, loading the bases.  Borowy issued his second free pass of the inning, this one to Lonnie Frey, forcing home Mueller and Bobby Adams followed by lashing a base hit to right, scoring two more runs to give the Reds a 4-3 lead.

Cincinnati nearly lost that advantage in the top of the third, due to some shoddy defense on the part of shortstop Zientara.  Lennie Merullo drew a leadoff walk, and then Zientara booted Borowy’s sure double play grounder, leaving runners on first and second with no outs.  Peanuts Lowrey flied to right, with Merullo advancing to third, and then Don Johnson reached on an infield single, scoring Merullo.  Rickert then produced another potential double play ball, but Zientara kicked this one as well.  Borowy scored and Johnson advanced to second.  Phil Cavarretta’s infield single filled the sacks again and it appeared that the Cubs would at least tie the game, but Andy Pafko produced the inning’s third potential double play grounder to Zientara.  This one was handled cleanly and the Reds escaped the frame clinging to a 4-3 lead.

Hatton’s second home run of the contest, a solo blast to right in the bottom of the fifth increased Cincinnati’s lead to 5-3, and the final clout, also with the bases empty, came off Cubs reliever Hi Bithorn in the bottom of the seventh and capped the scoring.

8/8/1946, ChN46-Cin46, Crosley Field

                       1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9     R  H  E   LOB DP

1946 Cubs              1  0  2  0  0  0  0  0  0     3  5  1     3  1

1946 Reds              1  3  0  0  1  0  1  0  x     6 11  2     7  1

Cubs                 AB  R  H BI   AVG    Reds                 AB  R  H BI   AVG

Lowrey            3b  4  1  1  0  .290    Frey              cf  4  0  0  1  .227

Johnson,D         2b  2  0  1  1  .235    Adams,Bo          2b  4  0  2  2  .242

Rickert           lf  4  0  1  1  .254    Hatton            3b  4  3  3  3  .290

Cavarretta        1b  4  0  1  1  .322    West,M            lf  4  0  0  0  .174

Pafko             cf  4  0  0  0  .242     Usher            lf  0  0  0  0  .102

Nicholson         rf  4  0  0  0  .238    Haas              1b  4  0  2  0  .288

Livingston        c   3  0  1  0  .313    Mueller           c   1  1  1  0  .263

 McCullough       c   0  0  0  0  .297     Lamanno          ph  1  0  0  0  .240

Merullo           ss  2  1  0  0  .141    Libke             rf  3  1  0  0  .196

Borowy            p   2  1  0  0  .255     Lukon            ph  1  0  0  0  .205

 Dallessandro     ph  1  0  0  0  .236    Zientara          ss  4  0  1  0  .273

 Bithorn          p   0  0  0  0  .125    Gumbert           p   3  1  1  0  .263

                     30  3  5  3           Goldstein        ph  1  0  1  0 1.000

                                           Malloy           p   0  0  0  0  .000

                                                               34  6 11  6

Cubs                             INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Borowy           L 8-8           6.0  7  5  5  2  3  91  60  4.20

Bithorn                          2.0  4  1  1  0  0  33  20  3.56

                                 8.0 11  6  6  2  3 124  80

Reds                             INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Gumbert          W 2-3           8.0  5  3  1  2  4 112  65  3.80

Malloy           S 2             1.0  0  0  0  0  1   6   5  0.36

                                 9.0  5  3  1  2  5 118  70

ChN: Dallessandro batted for Borowy in the 7th

     McCullough inserted at c in the 8th

Cin: Lamanno batted for Mueller in the 8th

     Lukon batted for Libke in the 8th

     Goldstein batted for Gumbert in the 8th

     Usher inserted at lf in the 9th

     Lamanno moved to c in the 9th

     Lukon moved to rf in the 9th

E-Merullo, Zientara 2. 2B-Lowrey(19), Livingston(8), Haas 2(22).

HR-Hatton 3(12). RBI-Johnson,D(17), Rickert(44), Cavarretta(64), Frey(22),

Adams,Bo 2(29), Hatton 3(51). CS-Rickert, Adams,Bo. K-Cavarretta 2,

Nicholson 2, Livingston, West,M 2, Libke. BB-Johnson,D, Merullo, Frey,

Mueller. SH-Johnson,D. HBP-Mueller. HB-Borowy.

GWRBI: Frey

Temperature: 75, Field: wet, Sky: threatening, Wind: left to right at 8 MPH,

Rain Delays: 14 minutes.

Attendance: 4,770

Game Time: 2:00