Cards sweep Jints to clinch 1st place in NL

Polo Grounds

GAME 1

Lanier vs Maglie

Cardinals 8, Giants 2

St. Louis padded their 2-0 lead with 4 huge runs in the 8th and 2 in the 9th to fire off the opening salvo in this big series between 1st and 2nd place teams.  Max Lanier (4-0, 2.16) went 7 and gave up 2.  Jurisich finished out the game with 2 scoreless innings.  Everyone but the pitchers got a hit for the Redbirds.  Catcher Walker Cooper (3-5, 2 RBI) paced the offense.  Mr. Musial was 2 for 5 to boost his average to .387.

GAME 2

Brecheen vs Voiselle

Cardinals 10, Giants 6

Once again New York's bullpen let them down in a big way.  Heading into the 8th the Jints had a 6-4 lead.  The Cards victimized both D.Fisher and Zabala (eventual loser) for 6 runs over the final 2 frames.  Centerfield Johnny Hopp knocked in 4 runs from the leadoff slot going 2 for 4.  Emil Verban was 3 for 4 with 3 runs scored.

GAME 3

Munger vs Feldman

Cardinals 4, Giants 1

A 1-1 tie after 6 innings turned into a 4-1 Cardinal victory thanks to the porous Giant pen once again.  Both Musial and Marty Marion had themselves fine 2 hit days.  The former saw his average rise to .392 with the illusive .400 mark ever so close.

GAME 4

M.Cooper vs Mungo

Cardinals 5, Giants 1

St. Louis finished off the Jints with a road sweep and in the process clinched 1st place in the National League.  The Cardinals are a juggernaut plain and simple.  To beat them, and their fine manager Erik Nelson, one needs to have all the stars in alignment plus a lot of luck.  St. Louis is just that good.  The Giants hung around in this one, down 2-0 after 7, but the Cardinals once again scored often late in this game to put it away.  Marion and Stan Musial both had 3 hit days to dominate the Giants with their lumber.  Both were 3 for 4.  Musial's average now sits at .403.  With first place all sewn up the only interest in St. Louis will be if "the Man" can become the first .400 hitter since Ted Williams, who is now in service with the Marine Corps.