Dodgers Punish Phils at Connie Mack Stadium

June 7, 1965 - The Dodgers, the team that is supposed to score runs on the installment plan, punished the Phillies tonight, 14-3, at Connie Mack Stadium. Guys in the “Who’s he?” category hit home runs, and guys in the “Remember him?” category assaulted the scoreboard. It was gruesome.

While the 1965 Dodgers were impersonating the 1955 Dodgers (98-55), Sandy Koufax was making the 1965 Phillies look like the 1935 Phillies (64-89).

The world’s greatest arthritic pitcher struck out 13 with a fastball that had batters swinging a la Little League and a curve that danced a la Shindig.

The first-place Dodgers nailed starter Lew Burdette for eight early runs and savaged Ed Roebuck for three more. It was 11-2 after four innings, and all Koufax wanted to do was enjoy his prosperity — the Dodgers have scored 25 runs in his last two starts.

“I wouldn’t exactly say I was coasting,” Koufax said. “It’s been taking me three or four innings to get my control down every time out this year. I wanted to take advantage of the big lead to work on my rhythm and timing. I guess I was taking something off the ball subconsciously.”

So, Rich Allen opened the sixth with a triple to left center.

That ended the experiment. Koufax struck out Dick Stuart, Alex Johnson, and Tony Taylor with fire and brimstone.

In the ninth, Ruben Amaro, Clay Dalrymple, and Frank Thomas ripped one-out singles, loading the bases.

End experiment. Koufax fanned Gus Triandos with a fastball and John Herrnstein with a curve. What was left of the 23,345 faithful gave the great pitcher a treasonous ovation.

Despite the 13 strikeouts, Koufax could have been had, according to Philadelphia manager Gene Mauch. “You get three runs off him, you better win,” Mauch said. “It’s a different game if they don’t score all those runs.”

The Dodgers are leading the league by 3½ games. Koufax has won eight and Drysdale has won 10. But it is the hitting that is amazing baseball people.

The Dodgers’ left fielder is Lou Johnson, a journeyman’s journeyman with 19 baseball stops behind him. He is playing full time for Tommy Davis, out for the season with a broken leg. Tonight, Lou was 3-for-5 with a homer, a double, and three RBI’s.

Jim Gilliam is back on third, and elderly Wally Moon is in right field because Walt Alston had to move Ron Fairly to first when Wes Parker was racked up in a collision with John Kennedy.

The lineup has more patches than an old quilt, but there may be enough hot bats and live arms to hoist a patchwork pennant over Dodger Stadium.

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