May 5, 1963 - Lee Walls smashed a three-run pinch homer in the ninth inning today to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-3 victory over the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Walls hit the first pitch off Harvey Haddix, a left-hander, just after Vernon Law, the starter, had been lifted. The home run, which cleared the scoreboard in left field, followed singles by John Roseboro and Bill Skowron. Haddix was so shaken by Walls’ blast that he gave up another run on Maury Wills’ single and Jim Gilliams’ double before retiring the side. Law, recalled by the Pirates from their Class A Carolina League farm club, where he had been working his arm into shape, was making his first start since last September. He was charged with five runs and allowed eight hits. Pittsburgh trailed 2-0 in the sixth when Bill Mazeroski hit a triple that eluded Frank Howard in right field. The hit scored Donn Clendenon, who had walked, and Roberto Clemente, who had singled. Mazeroski scored on starter Pete Richert’s wild pitch for a 3-2 Pirate lead, a lead that did not hold. The victory went to Ron Perranoski (pictured #16), who worked the last two innings in relief and blanked the Pirates with some fine defensive assistance from Wills at shortstop. And it was Maury’s double in the eighth, followed by sacrifices by Gilliam and Ron Fairly, that enabled L.A. to tie the score at 3-3.
