Koufax, Dodgers Top Giants in L.A.

Apr. 30, 1965 - The Dodgers’ senior citizen, 35-year-old Wally Moon, also was their most prized citizen tonight when he lashed his third straight pinch hit, good for two runs, that broke a tie score and led to a 6-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

Baseball’s largest crowd of the young season, 48,586, stormed Dodger Stadium to see the league leaders make it two in a row over the fifth-place Giants.

It could’ve been a costly victory, though, as Sandy Koufax was forced to leave the game in the sixth inning with a pulled muscle in his left leg, a recurring injury.

Sandy first pulled it running out a nubber in the fourth and aggravated it in the next round while charging off the mound.

“I won’t miss my turn,” he promised as trainer Bill Buhler treated him in the clubhouse. “I’ll be ready for Cincinnati next Wednesday. After all, I’ve had this pull all spring and still did pretty good.”

The win went to Sandy’s reliever, Bob Miller, the rubber-armed fireman, who was making his sixth appearance. 

Bob held the Giants to two hits and fanned three. With Koufax’s seven strikeouts, 10 Giants were K victims.

Moon came into the fray in the seventh with the score tied and the bases loaded after the third of Tommy Davis’ hits, a walk to Jim Lefebvre, and an intentional pass to John Roseboro.

Wally sliced Frank Linzy’s serve over the shortstop, and two runners raced home. 

In five pinch-hit appearances, Moon has walked twice and singled thrice, driving in three runs. These heroics equaled his entire 1964 production in 48 stand-in appearances at the plate. 

San Francisco’s Ed Bailey thought his line drive in the ninth was going to hit Miller in the face.

“Fortunately, he got his glove up — but I don’t hit too many any harder than that,” Bailey remarked.

Miller still had the shakes after the game.

“It was coming right at my eye,” he said. “I just ducked and threw up my glove. It was bang-bang. The ball struck the fingertips of the glove and caromed over my head.”Did he faint?“No, I just collapsed because I felt safer on the ground,” he said.

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