July 27, 1962 - Frank Howard (pictured) slammed a 3-run homer and Johnny Podres pitched a 5-hitter today as the league-leading Dodgers defeated the Giants in Los Angeles, 3-1, before 54,095. The victory put the Dodgers two games ahead of the second-place Giants, who have lost their last seven games in Los Angeles. Howard hit his homer in the second inning off Juan Marichal after Tommy Davis and Ron Fairly had singled. It was a 430-foot line drive into the pavilion in right center. Howard has hit 18 homers this season, 13 in his last 35 games. In that same span, he has driven in 43 runs. Podres, who has allowed only 10 earned runs in his last 7 starts, didn’t allow a Giant beyond second base until the seventh. The turnout was the largest in the brief history of Dodger Stadium. It was the second largest National League crowd this season, topped only by the 55,707 who watched a Dodger-Met doubleheader in New York May 30. Maury Wills of the Dodgers equaled a career high when he stole his 50th base of the season. He stole 50 in 1960 and 35 last year.
