Vic Aldridge turned in a complete game and had a big day at the plate as the Pirates won in Philadelphia, 10-3. The Bucs also got four hits from Pie Traynor and four RBIs from Earl Smith. The win gave them a five-game sweep of the Phillies; they scored at least ten runs in every game. Their win streak now stands at seven, tying their season high.
Aldridge didn’t have an easy time of it, as the Phillies picked up 11 hits, four walks and two hit batsmen. He kept out of serious trouble, though, and stranded a dozen runners.
Philadelphia got the early lead when Russ Wrightstone connected for a solo home run in the bottom of the first. Aldridge kept the home team off the board for the next five innings, though, stranding runners in every one but the fifth.
The Pirates meanwhile took control of the game, starting in the top of the second. Their first four hitters singled. The third one, by George Grantham, drove in a run and left runners at second and third after they advanced on the throw home. Smith followed with a two-run hit to put the Bucs up, 3-1. Aldridge gave himself a 4-1 lead in the fourth with his first career home run.
Starting in the sixth, Pittsburgh picked up single runs in three straight innings. Smith drove in the first one with a single after Glenn Wright reached on an error and moved up on a long fly ball. Traynor singled in a run in the seventh, knocking out Phillies’ starter Hal Carlson. In the eighth, Eddie Moore belted his sixth home run of the year. That put the Pirates up, 7-2, as the Phillies had scored a single run in the bottom of the seventh. It came on a Freddy Leach single that left two on base. Aldridge got a break when Wrightstone followed by lining into a double play.
The Pirates added on three more in the top of the ninth. After two singles, a run scored when Grantham reached on an error. Smith and Aldridge then each singled in another run. The Phillies added the game’s final run in the bottom of the ninth, again on a single by Leach. Aldridge may have run out of gas a bit, as Philadelphia loaded the bases with two out, but he ended the game by fanning pinch hitter Jack Knight for his ninth strikeout of the game.
Aldridge is now 11-6. Traynor finished 4-for-5, while Smith and Aldridge each went 3-for-5.
The Pirates are now 32 games over .500. With the Giants off, they Pirates lead the NL by eight games. Tomorrow they face Cincinnati at Forbes Field in a makeup of an April rainout. The next day, St. Louis comes to town for three games.
