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Burdette Twirls 3-Hitter as Braves Hammer Giants, 9-2

Apr. 26, 1963 - Lew Burdette allowed the San Francisco Giants only three hits today while the Milwaukee Braves hammered out a 9-2 victory over the defending National League champions with the aid of seven unearned runs in the second inning. The seasoned right-hander, now 3-1 for the season, also made it 30 lifetime victories over the Giants. They scored twice in the second inning when he gave up a home run to Ed Bailey after Orlando Cepeda singled. Then Burdette pitched hitless ball until the ninth when Ernie Bowman doubled. Hank Aaron (pictured) led the Milwaukee attack by driving in three runs, two of them with a homer in the sixth that raised his league-leading total to six. The roof collapsed on Giants starter Jack Fisher, now 0-2, in the second inning after a throwing error by Jim Davenport let Len Gabrielson reach first safely and loaded the bases with two out. After that miscue, Norm Larker, Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Joe Torre, Frank Bolling drove in a run apiece, sending Fisher to the showers. Giant reliever Jim Duffalo pitched two scoreless innings but was pulled from the game because he didn’t observe manager Alvin Dark’s code of a “tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye.” Burdette had knocked down Willie Mays in the fourth with a fastball head high. When Burdette came up in the fifth, it was his turn to eat dirt, but Duffalo let him off the hook. After the game, Dark declined to comment, but pitching coach Larry Jansen observed: “We were disappointed in Duffalo because he didn’t brush back Burdette. If they’re going to knock down Willie, we’re going to try to stay even with them.” Burdette, of course, was horrified at the suggestion he had used a beanball on Mays. “You know I wouldn’t do that,” he said. “With that lead? If I throw at someone, they know it because I usually hit him.”

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