MIZE’S EPIC GAME LEADS GIANTS PAST REDS

1B is 1^st MLBer with 3 HRs, 8 RBIs, 5 Hits

CINCINNATI, July 21 (AP) – Johnny Mize had arguably the most productive offensive game by a single player this year—three home runs, including a grand slam, eight runs driven in, five hits in as many plate appearances—leading the New York Giants past the Cincinnati Reds 12-2 in the first game of a doubleheader at Crosley Field.  Mize became the third big leaguer to hit three home runs in a game this season—teammate Bennie Warren and Hank Greenberg of the Detroit Tigers are the others; the second player to drive in eight runs in a game—Greenberg, in his three-homer game is the other; and the fifth player to go 5-for-5.  But only Mize has accomplished all three of those things in the same game.

The Giants seized control of what had been a scoreless contest in the top of the third inning.  Mize had singled in the first inning, and came to bat in the top of the third with one out and Buddy Kerr, who had singled, on first base.  The Giants first sacker drilled a 2-1 offering from Reds starter Ewell Blackwell into the right field bleachers for his National League leading 20^th home run of the season and a 2-0 New York lead.  Mize was only getting started.

After Eddie Lukon’s solo home run in the bottom of the fourth had cut the lead to 2-1, the Giants blew the game open in the top of the fifth, and Mize was right in the middle of it.  With Willard Marshall on second and one out, Mize belted his second two-run homer of the game, extending the lead to 4-1.  Two batters later, Sid Gordon singled with two outs and Goody Rosen followed with another two-run homer, the third of the game for the Giants, increasing the lead to 6-1 and ending the day for Blackwell.

In the seventh, New York added another run.  Kerr singled leading off against reliever Harry Gumpert, and Mize followed with a base hit of his own, his fourth safety of the game.  Ernie Lombardi sacrificed the runners to second and third and Gordon’s fly to left plated Kerr, giving the Giants a 7-1 lead.

In the eighth, Mize added the coup de grace.  Bill Rigney led off with a single and, one out later, Buddy Blattner and Marshall drew consecutive walks from Gumpert, filling the bases.  That brought Mize to the plate and he ripped a 1-1 pitch into the right field seats, just inside the foul pole, for a grand slam, capping off his mammoth day and upping the lead to 12-1.

The Reds pushed a meaningless run across in the ninth to account for the final score.

The Giants, as a team, hit five home runs, a new club high for the year.  The 12 runs scored also represents a new team-high for the season.

Mize’s grand slam was the fourth of the year for a Giants player, tying the team with the Philadelphia Phillies for most slams by a single club thus far this season.

7/21/1946, NYN46-Cin46, game 1, Crosley Field

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

1946 Giants            0  0  2  0  4  0  1  5  0    12 14  0     6  0

1946 Reds              0  0  0  1  0  0  0  0  1     2 11  1    10  2

Giants               AB  R  H BI   AVG    Reds                 AB  R  H BI   AVG

Blattner          2b  4  1  0  0  .236    Clay              cf  5  0  1  1  .237

Marshall,W        cf  4  2  2  0  .285    Frey              rf  4  0  1  0  .205

Kerr              ss  4  3  2  0  .268    Adams,Bo          2b  5  0  2  0  .244

Mize              1b  5  3  5  8  .337    Hatton            3b  4  0  0  0  .287

Lombardi,E        c   3  1  1  1  .310     Zientara         3b  0  0  0  0  .289

Gordon,S          lf  5  1  1  1  .315    Haas              1b  4  0  1  0  .292

Rosen,G           rf  3  1  2  2  .251    Mueller           c   4  0  1  0  .236

Rigney,B          3b  5  0  1  0  .208    Lukon             lf  4  1  1  1  .230

Trinkle           p   5  0  0  0  .091    Corbitt           ss  4  1  2  0  .333

                     38 12 14 12          Blackwell         p   2  0  0  0  .114

                                           Gumbert          p   1  0  1  0  .308

                                           Lamanno          ph  1  0  1  0  .238

                                                               38  2 11  2

Giants                           INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Trinkle          W 3-2           9.0 11  2  2  1  2 112  72  1.84

                                 9.0 11  2  2  1  2 112  72

Reds                             INN  H  R ER BB  K PCH STR   ERA

Blackwell        L 8-5           4.2  9  6  6  2  3  89  51  2.61

Gumbert                          4.1  5  6  6  3  1  62  37  3.80

                                 9.0 14 12 12  5  4 151  88

Cin: Zientara inserted at 3b in the 9th

     Lamanno batted for Gumbert in the 9th

E-Hatton. HR-Mize 3(21), Lombardi,E(12), Rosen,G(2), Lukon(5).

RBI-Mize 8(65), Lombardi,E(28), Gordon,S(26), Rosen,G 2(12), Clay(22),

Lukon(13). K-Lombardi,E, Gordon,S, Trinkle 2, Frey, Blackwell. BB-Blattner,

Marshall,W, Lombardi,E, Rosen,G 2, Frey. SH-Kerr, Lombardi,E.

GWRBI: Mize

Temperature: 89, Sky: clear, Wind: out to right at 12 MPH.

Attendance: N/A

Game Time: 2:18