KOD25 asks, Where Were You In '62??

Giants Squeak Past Rival Dodgers In Three 1-Run Games

In a re-match of the 1962 National League pennant playoff series, the San Francisco Giants took three straight from their rivals to the south, the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning all three by the narrowest of margins. The series was held in the Giants much maligned home, Candlestick Park.

Game 1: San Francisco 8, Los Angeles 7 (10)

Game one featured hard-throwing and tough hurler Stan Williams for LA, while former American League standout lefty Billy Pierce took the mound for the home club. Both pitchers fared well, with Williams giving up 2 runs in seven innings, despite four walks and six hits allowed, while Pierce went 9, giving up only 5 hits, striking out 4 and not walking anyone. The game was tied at 2 heading into the ninth, and after two ground outs in the top half huge Frank Howard stunned the crowd with a home run to left center that just got out beyond Willie Mays' valiant attempt to snag it.

Ron Perranoski came on for Los Angeles, and was immediately greeted by Felipe Alou's double. Jose Pagan bunted Alou to third, and he then scored the tying run on Jimmy Davenport's single up the middle. No further damage was done, as the teams went to extra frames.

Bobby Bolin came on to pitch for the Giants, and the Dodgers iced this one in the win column for all practical purposes,  plating four runs. It was so bad for Bolin that Perranoski was allowed to hit with two on and one out, and Bolin walked him to load the bases. Maury Wills then singled in two runs, and then a walk to Jim Gilliam was all manager Bike Mike could take from Bolin, summoning Stu Miller in from the bullpen. Tommy Davis welcomed Miller to the game by singling in two more before Miller got Howard and Ron Fairly to stop the bleeding.

The Giants did not go away easy though, and as it turned out they did not go away at all. Orlando ^th with a single, and got to second when T Davis fumbled the ball. Tom Haller drew a walk, and then Alou singled to load the bases.  Jose Pagan grounded to short, but beat the relay to first to avoid the double play as Cepeda scored.  Davenport again singled, driving home Haller and sending Pagan to third. Larry Sherry came on to relieve Perranoski. Harvey Kuenn then singled, driving in Pagan and cutting the lead to one, Davenport scooting to third.  Sherry intentionally walked the Great Willie Mays to load the bases. Matty Alou came on to hit for Miller, and dropped a single in to right center that drove in Davenport and Kuenn and give the Giants an incredible 8-7 victory.

Cepeda lead off the bottom of the 10

Game 2: San Francisco 4, Los Angeles 3

With the stunning win in game one, the Giants were much more methodical in this one, plating single runs in the first three innings off Dodger ace Don Drysdale. Another one in the eighth provide the margin of victory as the Dodgers also scored single runs in three separate frames. Billy O'Dell went 8 innings to earn his second win of the season, while Drysdale went the distance for LA but dropped to 0-2, while the tough luck Dodgers fell to 0 and 5.

Game 3: San Francisco 4, Los Angeles 3

Another 4-3 game, and a similar one to game two in that the Giants scored single runs in four separate frames, innings 2,3,4, and 6, while the Dodgers had a single tally in the third and then broke the spell, scoring 2 in the 4^th. Sandy Koufax, starting to show the form that made him the best pitcher of his time, went six innings for the Dodgers, striking out six and walking two while giving up 7 hits. Jack Sanford went 8 1/3 innings for the Giants and got the win, with Don Larsen getting the final two outs for the save. Orlando Cepeda homered twice off of Koufax, and also doubled to drive the Giants offense while John Roseboro and Wally Moon combined for four of the Dodgers six hits in the game.

submitted by Bike Mike (62-SFG)---