Apr. 28, 1963 - The San Francisco Giants took a 5-0 lead into the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Braves yesterday at Candlestick Park and managed to blow the game, 6-5, in 12 frames. Claude Raymond, the fifth of six Milwaukee pitchers, beat Gaylord Perry with two out in the top of the 12th by slugging a double, the first hit of his 3 seasons in the National League. The blow scored Frank Bolling, who had opened the 12th with a single. Perhaps the key spot in the game was the eighth, when the Giants had a 5-3 lead and 2 runners on base with 2 out. Giant manager Alvin Dark had both Ed Bailey and Willie McCovey available to swing against righthander Ron Piche, but Dark allowed pitcher Bobby Bolin to swing for himself, and Bobby fanned. Then, in the ninth, Milwaukee’s Dennis Menke poked a homer over the right-field fence and Lee Maye singled. Billy Pierce came in to pitch to lefthanded Len Gabrielson and lasted one pitch. The rookie singled to right and Maye went to third. Don Larsen came in to pitch to Tommy Aaron and walked him on four pitches, loading the bases. Don got Hank Aaron to hit to Cepeda for a force at the plate, but then he went to a 3-0 count on Eddie Mathews. Dark went to the mound and called for righthander John Pregenzer. John marched in, head high, shoulders straight and threw ball four to Mathews, forcing Gabrielson home with the tying run. Then Pregenzer got Del Crandall on a grounder, forcing extra innings. “Beautiful, beautiful,” screamed Braves manager Bobby Bragan (pictured) in the clubhouse after the game. “Sweetest victory of the season.” If there was a hero for Milwaukee, it was Claude Raymond, the little pitcher who did such valiant relief work and then got the blast that scored the winning run. “He’s our man,” complimented Bragan. Gaylord Perry missed on his first two pitches to Raymond. “I thought sure I’d get the take sign,” Raymond said. “But I looked, and it wasn’t there, so I swung on the next pitch.” It was an inside fastball, belt high, and it sped over third base for the double that scored Bolling.
