May 2, 1964 - As the Dodger staff so forcefully demonstrated in smothering the Yankees last October, strong pitching will stop the best boppers in the business.
And the San Francisco Giants, who certainly rate that reputation, were roped and tied yesterday at Dodger Stadium by their longtime nemesis, Don Drysdale, as the Los Angeles captured a wild 7-1 fracas for its fifth win in six starts.
The largest crowd to see a ballgame this season, 52,773 fans, watched Drysdale stifle the Giants on five hits. Jack Sanford was the loser.
But for Willie Mays’ eighth home run, in the fourth inning, Drysdale would have chalked up his second straight shutout. He walked only two and fanned nine to become the first L.A. pitcher to win two games this season.
The triumph over the second-place Giants was produced in typical Dodger fashion.
Only one of their dozen hits went for extra bases, yet they took advantage of three Giant errors, bloops, a balk, and their own sizzling speed to score an easy victory.
Maury Wills and Willie Davis each stole two bases, once teaming up for a double steal. On the front end of that caper, Maury stole third base for the 33rd consecutive time since 1962.
After missing five games with a jammed shoulder, Tommy Davis made a rip-roaring return by driving in four runs.
Giant manager Alvin Dark pulled an unprecedented lineup switch in the second inning when he brought Mays in from center field and stationed him at first base — for the first time in Willie’s illustrious career. He did play one inning at shortstop last year.
Mays was operating with a sore leg, so to complete the switch, Duke Snider, Willie McCovey, and Jesus Alou also got into the game of musical chairs. Dark moved McCovey to left, switched Snider from left to right, and Alou from right to center.
“Willie pulled the hamstring muscle in his left leg falling over a base in Chicago Wednesday,” Dark explained. “The doctor worked on it Thursday, and it seemed to be OK. But when he singled his first time up, I noticed he didn’t run good. I wanted to keep him in the lineup, so I moved him to first. I figured he might pull it real bad playing any more outfield. I knew he’d be all right at first because he always takes infield practice there.”
Asked how he enjoyed the experience, Willie grinned and shook his head. “It’s too close, man!”
Dark, decidedly unhappy about the Giants’ batting, ordered a drill for 11 o’clock this morning. He also said he might play Gil Garrido at short in place of José Pagan. “Pagan’s been terrible,” he remarked.
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