WARREN’S 3 HRS LEAD GIANTS TO DH SPLIT

Backup C Stars in 3^rd Start of Season

NEW YORK, May 19 (AP) – Reserve catcher Bennie Warren became the first player to homer three times in a major league game this season, leading the New York Giants to a 6-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the second game of a doubleheader at the Polo Grounds. Pittsburgh won the opener, 6-2. Warren entered the game with only 13 at bats over his team’s first 27 games but made up for lost time, driving in five runs, tying Johnny Mize for his club’s single-game high in RBIs this year to date.

Despite posting a National League worst mark of 9-19, the Giants (32) have more than twice as many home runs as the next most prolific NL team (the Phillies, with 15).

Warren’s leadoff home run in the second gave New York a 1-0 lead that stood up until the top of the sixth when the Pirates briefly took the lead. Bob Elliott drew a one-out walk from Giants starter Dave Koslo and, after Ralph Kiner fanned, trotted home on Albie Fletcher’s two out blast, putting Pittsburgh on top 2-1.

But the Giants roared back in the bottom of the frame to take the lead for good. Johnny Rucker drew a leadoff free pass from Bucs starter Ken Heintzelman and promptly stole second. Jack Graham and Mize both fanned, but Warren came through with this second home run of the game, this one landing in the upper deck down the left field line, to put New York back on top 3-2. The Giants didn’t stop there. Sid Gordon and Buddy Blattner both walked and Buddy Kerr singled, loading the bases. Koslo then drew Heintzelman’s fourth walk of the inning, forcing in the third tally of the frame. Bill Rigney grounded out to end the inning, but New York had scored three times to take a 4-2 advantage.

The Giants added some insurance in the seventh, again courtesy of Warren. Mise drew a two-out free pass and Warren belted his third home run, again down the left field line, to put New York ahead 6-2.

Pittsburgh trimmed the Giants’ advantage by a run in the eighth when Frankie Gustine led off with a triple against Koslo and scored on Elliott’s ground out, but that ended the scoring.

5/19/1946, Pit46-NYN46, game 2, Polo Grounds

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

1946 Pirates 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 3 6 1 8 1

1946 Giants 0 1 0 0 0 3 2 0 x 6 7 0 8 0

Pirates AB R H BI AVG Giants AB R H BI AVG

Handley,L 3b 4 0 1 0 .244 Rigney,B 3b 4 0 0 0 .161

Colman,F lf 4 0 0 0 .136 Rucker cf 4 1 0 0 .316

Gerheauser p 0 0 0 0 .000 Graham,J rf 4 0 1 0 .231

Brown,J ph 1 0 0 0 .300 Mize 1b 4 1 1 0 .369

Gustine 2b 4 1 1 0 .176 Warren c 3 3 3 5 .385

Elliott rf 3 1 1 1 .309 Gordon,S lf 3 1 0 0 .368

Kiner cf 3 0 0 0 .160 Blattner 2b 3 0 0 0 .258

Fletcher 1b 3 1 1 2 .299 Kerr ss 4 0 1 0 .240

Cox ss 2 0 1 0 .287 Koslo p 2 0 1 1 .188

Camelli c 4 0 0 0 .139 31 6 7 6

Heintzelman p 2 0 0 0 .167

Russell,J ph 1 0 1 0 .246

Gionfriddo lf 1 0 0 0 .182

32 3 6 3

Pirates INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA

Heintzelman L 1-3 6.0 5 4 4 5 6 105 59 5.54

Gerheauser 2.0 2 2 2 2 2 43 25 2.25

8.0 7 6 6 7 8 148 84

Giants INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA

Koslo W 3-4 9.0 6 3 3 6 6 127 72 4.65

9.0 6 3 3 6 6 127 72

Pit: Russell,J batted for Heintzelman in the 7th

Gionfriddo inserted at lf in the 7th

Brown,J batted for Gerheauser in the 9th

E-Cox. 2B-Elliott(6), Cox(2). 3B-Gustine(2). HR-Fletcher(3), Warren 3(3).

RBI-Elliott(14), Fletcher 2(11), Warren 5(6), Koslo(2). SB-Rucker(2).

K-Colman,F 3, Fletcher, Heintzelman 2, Rigney,B, Rucker 2, Graham,J 2,

Mize 2, Koslo. BB-Handley,L, Elliott, Kiner, Fletcher, Cox 2, Rigney,B,

Rucker, Warren, Gordon,S, Blattner, Koslo 2. WP-Gerheauser, Koslo.

GWRBI: Warren

Temperature: 68, Sky: clear, Wind: left to right at 12 MPH.

Attendance: 18,012

Game Time: 2:02