GIANTS STAY HOT, BEAT BRAVES FOR 12TH STRAIGHT WIN
Maglie, Mueller Star; Club Moves Within 3 Of 1st
Place
NEW YORK, Sept. 23 (AP) - Don Mueller belted a three-run home run, Whitey
Lockman doubled three times and Sal Maglie fired a complete game five-hitter as
the New York Giants won their 12th straight game, a 5-1 decision over the Boston
Braves at the Polo Grounds. The victory, coupled with Brooklyn's 3-2 loss
to Philadelphia across the East River, pulls the Giants to within three games of
the National League leading Dodgers with one week remaining in the season.
The 12-game winning streak is the longest in the NL this year and is within one
of the major league best 13-game streak set earlier this month by the Cleveland
Indians.
New York never trailed in the contest, and jumped out in front in the second
inning when, with one out, Lockman hit the first of his doubles and scored two
batters later on Wes Westrum's single.
The Braves tied it in the fourth on Sid Gordon's 35th home run of the season, a
solo shot with two outs in the inning.
The Giants regained the lead in the fifth on an unearned run. Alvin Dark
singled to left with one out. He moved to second on Mueller's grounder and
the inning appeared to end when Monte Irvin bounced to Bob Elliot. But the
third sacker kicked the grounder, leaving runners at first and third.
Lockman then made Boston pay by roping a double--his second of the game--off the
right field wall, scoring Dark to make it 2-1. Irvin was held at third and
the Giants left two runners on base when Braves starter Max Surkont induced
Bobby Thomson to roll one back to the mound for the final out.
It was still 2-1 in the seventh when New York seized firm control of the
game. Eddie Stanky led off the inning with a walk and Surkont then plunked
Dark with a 1-2 pitch to put runners at first and second. Mueller followed
by lining a ball several rows into the right field upper deck for his 19th home
run of the season. The three-run shot made it 5-1 and all but secured the
game for the Giants.
Maglie, meanwhile was stifling the Braves, scattering five hits and walking just
two--one intentionally--en route to earning his 19th win of the season.
The Giants wrap up their home season tomorrow against the Braves, then travel
for two games at Philadelphia on September 25 and 26 before concluding the
season with a pair of games at Boston on September 29 and 30.
9/23/1951, BoN51-NYN51, Polo Grounds 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP 1951 Braves 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 2 6 0 1951 Giants 0 1 0 0 1 0 3 0 x 5 8 0 9 0 Braves AB R H BI AVG Giants AB R H BI AVG Sisti 2b 4 0 0 0 .268 Stanky 2b 3 1 0 0 .262 Jethroe cf 4 0 1 0 .301 Williams,Da ph 1 0 0 0 .194 Torgeson 1b 4 0 1 0 .287 Dark ss 4 2 1 0 .278 Elliott 3b 2 0 0 0 .301 Mueller,D rf 4 1 1 3 .269 Gordon lf 3 1 2 1 .336 Irvin lf 4 0 1 0 .330 Cooper c 4 0 1 0 .291 Lockman 1b 4 1 3 1 .261 Marshall rf 3 0 0 0 .241 Thomson 3b 4 0 1 0 .261 Kerr ss 3 0 0 0 .236 Mays cf 3 0 0 0 .282 Surkont p 3 0 0 0 .138 Westrum c 2 0 1 1 .199 30 1 5 1 Noble c 1 0 0 0 .244 Maglie p 3 0 0 0 .176 33 5 8 5 Braves INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Surkont L 13-14 8.0 8 5 4 3 5 119 80 3.98 8.0 8 5 4 3 5 119 80 Giants INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA Maglie W 19-11 9.0 5 1 1 2 3 110 67 2.59 9.0 5 1 1 2 3 110 67 NYN: Noble inserted at c in the 8th Williams,Da batted for Stanky in the 8th Williams,Da moved to 2b in the 9th E-Elliott, Kerr. 2B-Gordon(38), Cooper(13), Lockman 3(26). HR-Gordon(35), Mueller,D(19). RBI-Gordon(121), Mueller,D 3(76), Lockman(58), Westrum(68). K-Sisti, Cooper, Surkont, Mays 3, Maglie 2. BB-Elliott, Marshall, Stanky, Mays, Westrum. SH-Elliott, Gordon, Maglie. HBP-Dark. HB-Surkont. GWRBI: Lockman Temperature: 73, Sky: clear, Wind: in from center at 8 MPH. Attendance: 19,364 Game Time: 1:40