Oct. 1, 1962 - The San Francisco Giants, who only 24 hours earlier had come whirling out of nowhere to toss the National League pennant race into a deadlock, were still rolling today. Gaining momentum with each passing moment, the suddenly inspired San Franciscans unloaded four home runs, two by the amazing Willie Mays. With these lethal blows, they crushed the Los Angeles Dodgers at Candlestick Park, 8-0, in the opener of their two-of-three-game playoff series. Thus the Giants, who only eight days ago were four games off the pace and practically given up for dead, are now riding high as the National League favorite to oppose the New York Yankees in the World Series starting Thursday. With the once-strong Dodger pitching staff suddenly in bad shape, Walter Alston, in a desperation move, called on Sandy Koufax to start tonight’s encounter. It did not go well. The left-hander, still suffering from the circulatory ailment in his left index finger that had crippled him in midseason, failed to survive two innings. In addition to Mays’ two homers, which lifted Willie’s season total to 49, Jim Davenport and Orlando Cepeda also connected. Tomorrow, the second game of the playoff will take place in Los Angeles.
