1962 National League tie-breaker series
Encyclopedia
The 1962 National League tie-breaker series was a three-game playoff series to determine the winner of Major League Baseball
's (MLB) National League (NL) pennant. The games took place from October 1 to 3, 1962, between the Los Angeles Dodgers
and the San Francisco Giants
. The Giants won the series two games to one. The first game took place at Candlestick Park and the second and third were played at Dodger Stadium
. The playoff series was necessary after both teams finished the season with tied records of 101–61. The Dodgers won a coin flip late in the season, which gave them home field advantage for the series.
The Giants won the first game in an 8–0 shutout
by starting pitcher
Billy Pierce
over Sandy Koufax
. The Dodgers leveled the series with an 8–7 victory in Game 2, breaking their 35-inning scoreless streak in what was then the longest nine-inning game in MLB history. However, the Giants closed out the series in Game 3 with a 6–4 victory to clinch the NL pennant. This victory advanced the Giants to the 1962 World Series
in which the defending champion New York Yankees
defeated them in seven games. In baseball statistics
the tie-breaker counted as the 163rd, 164th, and 165th regular-season games for both teams, with all events in the series added to regular-season statistics. The 1962 series was the last MLB tie-breaker to use a three-game format, as the NL subsequently adopted the single-game style used in the American League
(AL).
the Giants acquired Billy Pierce
and Don Larsen
for Bob Farley
, Eddie Fisher
, Dom Zanni
, and Verle Tiefenthaler
. The Dodgers moved to a new home field, Dodger Stadium
, for the 1962 season.
The Giants opened the 1962 season by establishing an early lead and, though they fell back by mid-April, held at least a share of that lead continuously from April 28 to June 7. At that point the Dodgers overtook the Giants, and for the next month the lead was traded between the two sides five times. The Giants held the lead for the last time on July 7. The Dodgers went 20–6 in July while the Giants went 16–11, allowing the Dodgers to take the league lead on July 8 and hold it until season's last regular game. The Los Angeles Times
described the Dodgers' season as a "gamut of sublime" and "ridiculous", noting their successes—such as Maury Wills
' 100 stolen bases breaking Ty Cobb
's single-season record, Don Drysdale
's 25 wins
, and Sandy Koufax
's no-hitter
on June 30—together with problems such as the 18 unearned runs
the defense had allowed for the season behind Drysdale, and other fielding issues.
The Dodgers lost 10 of their final 13 games from September 16 to 30, while the Giants lost just 6 over the same span. However, with seven games remaining the Dodgers were still ahead in the league by four games, and held a two-game lead with three left to play. They entered their final game with a one game lead over the Giants, but fell 1–0 to the St. Louis Cardinals
. Meanwhile the Giants won 3–2 over the Houston Colt .45's
, after an eighth-inning home run
by Willie Mays
. These results left the Dodgers and Giants tied in the league at 101–61, necessitating a tie-breaker to decide the NL pennant. The two teams had also played closely against one another during the regular season to this point, with each winning 9 of their 18 match-ups prior to the tie-breaker. Dodgers' manager
Walt Alston and Giants' manager Alvin Dark
could not agree on dates and sites for the tie-breaker, so they flipped a coin to decide home field advantage
. Alston won the flip, opting to play the first game in San Francisco and the remaining two games in Los Angeles. The Dodgers had been more successful at home in the season, holding a 53–28 (.654 winning percentage
) record there while going 47–34 (.580) on the road. Alston had also won the flip for the 1959 tie-breaker
, which the Dodgers had gone on to win, and had chosen the same format.
for Monday October 1, 1962 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California
Sandy Koufax
had missed two months of the season, not starting from July 17 until September 21. He started three games in his return prior to the tie-breaker, losing all three and pitching just seven-and-two-thirds innings across the three starts. The night before the first game of the tiebreaker, Walt Alston asked Koufax to start the game, as Don Drysdale
and Johnny Podres
, the Dodgers' two front line starting pitchers, had pitched the prior two days; Koufax agreed. In the game the Giants were the first to score, on a double
by Felipe Alou in the bottom of the first inning, followed by a home run
by Willie Mays
to make the score 2–0. Billy Pierce
quickly retired three Dodgers in order for the second consecutive inning and the Giants continued to hit in the bottom of the second inning. Jim Davenport
led off the inning with a home run to make the score 3–0 and Ed Bailey
followed with a single
. Koufax was then relieved
by Ed Roebuck
because Koufax allowed three runs without recording an out in the second inning.
Roebuck recorded three straight outs to end the inning without further scoring. The Dodgers and the Giants each managed a single in their halves of the third inning. Neither Pierce nor Roebuck allowed a baserunner
in the fourth or fifth innings, though the Giants further added to their lead in the sixth. The Dodgers pinch hit for Roebuck to lead off the top of the inning with Ken McMullen and although he singled he did not score. Larry Sherry
entered to pitch for the Dodgers in the bottom of the inning and after recording the first out he allowed back-to-back home runs to Mays and Orlando Cepeda
to give the Giants a 5–0 lead. Davenport then singled and Sherry was relieved by Jack Smith
who finished the inning without further damage.
The game continued without scoring until the eighth inning. The Dodgers managed to get their second runner in scoring position
as Doug Camilli
pinch hit for Smith, but they did not score. Phil Ortega
entered to pitch for the Dodgers in the bottom of the eighth and the Giants continued their offensive performance. Willie Mays walked to open the inning and then stole second base
with one out. Davenport and Bailey both walked
to load the bases
and José Pagán
doubled to empty the bases and make the game 8–0. Pierce remained in the game to pitch the ninth, finishing his complete game
shutout
. Koufax later said of his Game 1 performance, "I had nothing at all."
Box score
for Tuesday October 2, 1962 – 1:06 PM (PST) at Dodger Stadium
in Los Angeles
, California
The Giants scored first for the second consecutive game, as Orlando Cepeda
singled with one out in the second inning and scored on a double by Felipe Alou against Dodgers' starter Don Drysdale
. The Giants then extended their lead in the top of the sixth inning. Alou struck out
to open the inning but Tom Haller
then walked and advanced to third base on a double by José Pagán
. Giants' starter Jack Sanford
then reached based on a throwing error
by Drysdale, which also allowed Haller to score and advanced Pagán to third base. Chuck Hiller
and Jim Davenport
followed this with successive singles which scored Pagán and Sanford respectively. This made the score 4–0 in favor of the Giants with Hiller on second and Sanford on first, still with only one out in the inning. Ed Roebuck
entered in relief of Drysdale, inducing an out at second base on a groundball by Willie Mays
, to leave runners at the corners with two outs. Willie McCovey
singled, allowing Hiller to score and make the game 5–0; Cepeda was then retired to end the inning.
Jack Sanford had allowed just four baserunners through his first five innings, only one of whom reached scoring position
. However, after he walked Jim Gilliam
to open the bottom of the sixth inning, Giants' manager Alvin Dark
double switched to bring Stu Miller
in to relieve Sanford, and replaced McCovey in left field with Matty Alou
. After the game Dark explained his decision to remove his thus far successful pitcher: "Sanford was suffering from a cold and he was pooped." Duke Snider
doubled, advancing Gilliam to third. Tommy Davis
then hit a sacrifice fly
, scoring Gilliam and advancing Snider. This run made the game 5–1 and ended what had been a 35 consecutive scoreless inning stretch by the Dodgers. The Dodgers increased their score as Wally Moon
walked and Frank Howard singled, to bring Snider home and make the game 5–2. Billy O'Dell
relieved Miller and Doug Camilli
, who was pinch hitting for John Roseboro, singled to load the bases. Andy Carey
then pinch hit for Willie Davis
and was hit by a pitch to score Moon. The Dodgers continued substituting players, pinch hitting Lee Walls
for Roebuck and bringing in Larry Burright
to pinch run
for Carey. Walls then hit a double which emptied the bases, giving the Dodgers a 6–5 lead in the game, and advanced to third base on the throw.
Walls' double continued his success as a pinch hitter, making him 13-for-26 with 12 runs batted in
in such situations for the season. Don Larsen
entered to relieve O'Dell, who had not recorded an out but had earned a blown save for his performance. Maury Wills
hit a ground ball to the first baseman, who threw home
in an attempt to put out Walls who slid hard into the Giants' catcher Haller. The slide, which cut Haller's arm deep enough to later require six stitches, caused him to drop the ball, leaving Walls safe on Haller's error and extending the Dodgers' lead to 7–5. John Orsino
entered as the new catcher to replace the injured Haller. Wills then stole second
, his 101st stolen base of the season, before the batter Gilliam saw a single pitch. Orsino's throw to try to catch Wills went past second base and into center field. Wills attempted to advance to third, but was thrown out by Willie Mays. Larsen then induced a flyball out by Gilliam and the inning was over. Between the two halves of the sixth the two teams had scored a combined 11 runs and used six pitchers, three pinch hitters, two defensive replacements, and a pinch runner.
Ron Perranoski
entered as the new pitcher for the seventh, Camilli took his place as the new catcher, and Ron Fairly
replaced Wally Moon at first base. Burright became the new second baseman, replacing Gilliam who moved to third base while the previous third baseman, Tommy Davis, moved to center field. Perranoski allowed singles to Orsino and Pagán after a ground out by Felipe Alou. The Giants pinch hit Harvey Kuenn
for Matty Alou and Bob Nieman
for Hiller, but both recorded outs to end the top of the seventh. Ernie Bowman
replaced Nieman at second base for the Giants in the bottom of the inning and no runs scored in the frame. The Giants continued to hit Perranoski in the top of the eighth, with singles by Davenport and Mays to open the inning. Jack Smith
entered in relief but allowed a single to Ed Bailey
pinch hitting for Larsen which scored Davenport to cut the Dodgers' lead to 7–6. Mays attempted to advance to third on the play but was called out. The play drew arguments from Mays, Alvin Dark, and third base coach Whitey Lockman
as third base umpire Jocko Conlan
appeared to call Mays safe before changing it to out. Carl Boles
pinch ran for Bailey, and Cepeda reached on an error on his fly ball which allowed Boles to move to third. Stan Williams
relieved Smith and walked Felipe Alou to load the bases. Orsino hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at seven runs apiece and Pagán grounded out to end the inning.
Bobby Bolin
entered as the new pitcher for the Giants in the bottom of the eighth. Bolin kept the game tied, as did Williams who pitched a perfect top of the ninth inning. Wills walked to leadoff the bottom of the ninth, however, and Dick LeMay
relieved Bolin. Gilliam then also walked, advancing Wills to second. The Dodgers announced Daryl Spencer
as a pinch hitter for Snider and the Giants countered by bringing Gaylord Perry
in relief of LeMay. Spencer laid down a successful sacrifice bunt, advancing the two runners to second and third base. The play drew comment after the game, as some writers believed Perry had a chance to throw to third base to put out the lead runner Wills. He threw to first instead, allowing the sacrifice. Mike McCormick
relieved Perry, intentionally walked
Tommy Davis, and then allowed a game-winning walk-off sacrifice fly to Fairly driving in Wills. Game 2 lasted 4 hours and 18 minutes, breaking the previous record of 4 hours and 2 minutes for the longest 9-inning game in major league history. Coincidentally Wills, who scored the winning run, celebrated his 30th birthday on the same day as Game 2.
Box score
for Wednesday October 3, 1962 at Dodger Stadium
in Los Angeles
, California
Game 3 matched the Giants' Juan Marichal
against Johnny Podres
, though Dodgers' manager Walt Alston had considered starting reliever Larry Sherry
. The pair kept the game scoreless through two innings before the Giants opened the scoring in the top of the third. José Pagán
singled to lead off the inning, Marichal reached on a throwing error by the pitcher on a throw to second base which allowed Pagán to move to third, and Pagán scored on a Harvey Kuenn
single. Then, while Chuck Hiller
was batting, John Roseboro made an error in attempting to pickoff
Marichal on second base, allowing him to advance to third. Hiller hit a fly ball to shallow left field and Marichal held at third base. Left fielder Duke Snider
threw home but the ball was cut-off by the third baseman who threw to second to try to catch Kuenn in a rundown
between first and second. However, the second baseman's throw to first hit Kuenn in the back, leaving him safe at first and allowing Marichal to score, to make the game 2–0. Felipe Alou then singled, Kuenn went to third, and Alou advanced to second on the throw. Podres intentionally walked Willie Mays
to load the bases with one out, and induced a double play
from Orlando Cepeda
to end the inning.
The Dodgers cut into the lead in the fourth,as Snider doubled to leadoff, advanced to third on a Tommy Davis
single, and scored on a groundout by Frank Howard. The Giants threatened against Podres in the top of the sixth with singles by Cepeda, Ed Bailey
, and Jim Davenport
on a bunt to load the bases. However, Ed Roebuck
relieved Podres and escaped the inning without allowing a run. The Dodgers took a 3–2 lead in the bottom of the inning as Snider singled and scored on a home run by Tommy Davis. They extended this lead in the bottom of the seventh as Wills singled and then stole second as Jim Gilliam
batted. Manager Alvin Dark
had chosen not to try to hold Wills to the first base bag as Dark did not believe his Giants' defense could stop Wills from stealing regardless of their positioning. Gilliam was put out for the second out of the inning, but Wills stole third base and then scored on a throwing error by the catcher trying to catch him. This extended the Dodgers' lead to 4–2. The Dodgers further threatened in the bottom of the eighth. Don Larsen
entered in relief of Marichal midway through Davis' at bat but Davis walked to lead off the inning regardless. Ron Fairly
sacrificed
him to second base and Davis then stole third as Howard struck out. However, Larsen intentionally walked both Roseboro and Willie Davis
to load the bases and induced a ground out by Roebuck to end the inning.
The Giants took the decisive lead in the top of the ninth inning. Matty Alou
pinch hit for Larsen and singled to lead off the inning and Kuenn grounded into a force out at second base. Willie McCovey
pinch hit for Hiller and walked to advance Kuenn. Ernie Bowman
pinch ran for McCovey and Felipe Alou walked to load the bases. Mays hit a line drive single scoring Kuenn. Roebuck barely managed to knock the ball down to hold Mays to a single and Mays said he was "still mad" after the game because he had expected more off of the hit. Stan Williams
relieved Roebuck and Cepeda hit a sacrifice fly
to tie the game at 4–4 and advance Alou to third. Mays moved to second on a wild pitch to Bailey and Williams intentionally walked him to reload the bases. Williams walked Davenport to give the Giants a 5–4 lead, and they added to it as Pagán reached on an error allowing Mays to score and extend the lead to 6–4. Billy Pierce
pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth to end the game, earning his only save of the season. Had the Dodgers not yielded the lead in the final inning they instead would have earned a postseason berth, their first since winning the pennant via a tie-breaker
in 1959.
The Giants' win earned the franchise its 17th playoff berth, the first since moving to San Francisco from New York in 1958. In the playoffs they faced the New York Yankees
in the 1962 World Series
which they lost in seven games, ending the Giants' season. They returned to the playoffs in 1971
and the World Series in 1989
and 2002
. In 2010
, the Giants won their first World Series since moving to San Francisco. The Dodgers returned to the World Series in 1963
and swept the Yankees. The Dodgers set a new attendance record in 1962, topping the previous mark of 2,641,845 set by the Cleveland Indians in 1948
with a total of 2,755,184 fans. Game 2 was the longest nine-inning game in MLB history with a time of 4 hours and 18 minutes, a record which stood until April 30, 1996 when a game between the Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles
lasted 4 hours and 21 minutes. The record was again broken on August 18, 2006 during a game in which the Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox
14–11 in 4 hours and 45 minutes.
In baseball statistics
tie-breakers count as regular season games, with all events in them added to regular season statistics. For example, Willie Mays
extended his league-leading home run total to 49 and Maury Wills
raised his record-breaking stolen base total from 100 to 104, the most since 1900. Additionally Wills, José Pagán
, and Tommy Davis
played in 165, 164, and 163 games respectively, totals which could not have been matched by players not on the Dodgers or Giants. Wills also won the NL Most Valuable Player Award narrowly over Mays, with Davis placing third in the voting. Don Drysdale
won both the Cy Young
and Sporting News Pitcher of the Year awards and Jim Davenport
, Wills, and Mays each won Rawlings Gold Glove Award
s. MLB played two All-Star Games
in 1962. Four Dodgers and five Giants were named to the first while four Dodgers and four Giants played in the second. Five future Hall of Famers
were on the Giants roster in 1962 (Cepeda, Marichal, Mays, McCovey, and Perry) while the Dodgers had three (Drysdale, Koufax, and Snider). Dodgers' manager
Walt Alston was also inducted to the Hall as a manager in 1983. Additionally, this 1962 series was the last MLB tie-breaker to use the three-game series format. The AL had always used a one-game format and all future NL tie-breakers were played in that format as well.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
's (MLB) National League (NL) pennant. The games took place from October 1 to 3, 1962, between the Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. The Giants won the series two games to one. The first game took place at Candlestick Park and the second and third were played at Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
. The playoff series was necessary after both teams finished the season with tied records of 101–61. The Dodgers won a coin flip late in the season, which gave them home field advantage for the series.
The Giants won the first game in an 8–0 shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
by starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
Billy Pierce
Billy Pierce
Walter William Pierce is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago White Sox. He was the team's star pitcher between 1952 and 1961, and was named the American League's top pitcher in 1956 and 1957 after being runner-up in both 1953...
over Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
. The Dodgers leveled the series with an 8–7 victory in Game 2, breaking their 35-inning scoreless streak in what was then the longest nine-inning game in MLB history. However, the Giants closed out the series in Game 3 with a 6–4 victory to clinch the NL pennant. This victory advanced the Giants to the 1962 World Series
1962 World Series
The 1962 World Series matched the defending American League and World Series champions New York Yankees against the National League champion San Francisco Giants, who had won their first NL pennant since 1954 and first since moving from New York in 1958, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in a...
in which the defending champion New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
defeated them in seven games. In baseball statistics
Baseball statistics
Statistics play an important role in summarizing baseball performance and evaluating players in the sport.Since the flow of a baseball game has natural breaks to it, and normally players act individually rather than performing in clusters, the sport lends itself to easy record-keeping and statistics...
the tie-breaker counted as the 163rd, 164th, and 165th regular-season games for both teams, with all events in the series added to regular-season statistics. The 1962 series was the last MLB tie-breaker to use a three-game format, as the NL subsequently adopted the single-game style used in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
(AL).
Background
The Dodgers and the Giants finished the 1961 season second and third respectively in the NL, with records of 89–65 and 85–69. In an offseason trade with the Chicago White SoxChicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
the Giants acquired Billy Pierce
Billy Pierce
Walter William Pierce is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago White Sox. He was the team's star pitcher between 1952 and 1961, and was named the American League's top pitcher in 1956 and 1957 after being runner-up in both 1953...
and Don Larsen
Don Larsen
Donald James Larsen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953-67 for seven different teams. Larsen is best known for pitching the sixth perfect game in baseball history, doing so in game 5 of the 1956 World Series...
for Bob Farley
Bob Farley
Robert Jacob Farley is a retired American professional baseball player. He was a first baseman and outfielder who played part of and all of in Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers...
, Eddie Fisher
Eddie Fisher (baseball)
Eddie Gene Fisher was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a relief pitcher for the San Francisco Giants , Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles , Cleveland Indians , California Angels and St...
, Dom Zanni
Dom Zanni
Dominick Thomas Zanni is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds from 1958 to 1966....
, and Verle Tiefenthaler
Verle Tiefenthaler
Verle Matthew Tiefenthaler , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Chicago White Sox in 1962. He batted left and threw right-handed. Tiefenthaler had a 0-0 record, with a 9.82 ERA, in three games, in his one year career.He was signed by the New York Giants in 1955 as an...
. The Dodgers moved to a new home field, Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
, for the 1962 season.
The Giants opened the 1962 season by establishing an early lead and, though they fell back by mid-April, held at least a share of that lead continuously from April 28 to June 7. At that point the Dodgers overtook the Giants, and for the next month the lead was traded between the two sides five times. The Giants held the lead for the last time on July 7. The Dodgers went 20–6 in July while the Giants went 16–11, allowing the Dodgers to take the league lead on July 8 and hold it until season's last regular game. The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
described the Dodgers' season as a "gamut of sublime" and "ridiculous", noting their successes—such as Maury Wills
Maury Wills
Maurice Morning "Maury" Wills is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and switch-hitting batter who played most prominently with the Los Angeles Dodgers , and also with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal Expos...
' 100 stolen bases breaking Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
's single-season record, Don Drysdale
Don Drysdale
Donald Scott "Don" Drysdale was a Major League Baseball player and Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was one of the dominant starting pitchers of the 1960s, and became a radio and television broadcaster following his playing career...
's 25 wins
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
, and Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
's no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
on June 30—together with problems such as the 18 unearned runs
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
the defense had allowed for the season behind Drysdale, and other fielding issues.
The Dodgers lost 10 of their final 13 games from September 16 to 30, while the Giants lost just 6 over the same span. However, with seven games remaining the Dodgers were still ahead in the league by four games, and held a two-game lead with three left to play. They entered their final game with a one game lead over the Giants, but fell 1–0 to the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. Meanwhile the Giants won 3–2 over the Houston Colt .45's
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, after an eighth-inning home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
by Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
. These results left the Dodgers and Giants tied in the league at 101–61, necessitating a tie-breaker to decide the NL pennant. The two teams had also played closely against one another during the regular season to this point, with each winning 9 of their 18 match-ups prior to the tie-breaker. Dodgers' manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
Walt Alston and Giants' manager Alvin Dark
Alvin Dark
Alvin Ralph Dark , nicknamed "Blackie" and "The Swamp Fox", is a former shortstop and manager in Major League Baseball who played for five National League teams from 1946 to 1960. Named the major leagues' Rookie of the Year with the Boston Braves when he batted .322...
could not agree on dates and sites for the tie-breaker, so they flipped a coin to decide home field advantage
Home Field Advantage
Home Field Advantage is a 2000 independent film starring Tony Award-winning actor Dan Fogler in the role of Charlie....
. Alston won the flip, opting to play the first game in San Francisco and the remaining two games in Los Angeles. The Dodgers had been more successful at home in the season, holding a 53–28 (.654 winning percentage
Winning percentage
In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. It is defined as wins divided by wins plus losses . Ties count as a ½ loss and a ½ win...
) record there while going 47–34 (.580) on the road. Alston had also won the flip for the 1959 tie-breaker
1959 National League tie-breaker series
The 1959 National League tie-breaker series was a best-of-three playoff series to decide the winner of Major League Baseball's National League pennant. The games took place on September 28 and 29, 1959 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Braves. The first game was played in...
, which the Dodgers had gone on to win, and had chosen the same format.
Game 1 summary
Box scoreBox score (baseball)
In baseball, the statistical summary of a game is reported in a box score. An abbreviated version of the box score, duplicated from the field scoreboard, is the line score...
for Monday October 1, 1962 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California
Sandy Koufax
Sandy Koufax
Sanford "Sandy" Koufax is a former left-handed baseball pitcher who played his entire 12-year Major League Baseball career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers...
had missed two months of the season, not starting from July 17 until September 21. He started three games in his return prior to the tie-breaker, losing all three and pitching just seven-and-two-thirds innings across the three starts. The night before the first game of the tiebreaker, Walt Alston asked Koufax to start the game, as Don Drysdale
Don Drysdale
Donald Scott "Don" Drysdale was a Major League Baseball player and Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was one of the dominant starting pitchers of the 1960s, and became a radio and television broadcaster following his playing career...
and Johnny Podres
Johnny Podres
John Joseph Podres was an American left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent most of his career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
, the Dodgers' two front line starting pitchers, had pitched the prior two days; Koufax agreed. In the game the Giants were the first to score, on a double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
by Felipe Alou in the bottom of the first inning, followed by a home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
by Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
to make the score 2–0. Billy Pierce
Billy Pierce
Walter William Pierce is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago White Sox. He was the team's star pitcher between 1952 and 1961, and was named the American League's top pitcher in 1956 and 1957 after being runner-up in both 1953...
quickly retired three Dodgers in order for the second consecutive inning and the Giants continued to hit in the bottom of the second inning. Jim Davenport
Jim Davenport
James Houston Davenport is a former Major League Baseball infielder who played his entire career with the San Francisco Giants . The right-handed batter and thrower attended The University of Southern Mississippi.He played in one World Series in 1962, as the Giants lost to the New York Yankees...
led off the inning with a home run to make the score 3–0 and Ed Bailey
Ed Bailey
Lonas Edgar Bailey, Jr. was an American professional baseball player who played catcher in the Major Leagues from through . Bailey batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee...
followed with a single
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
. Koufax was then relieved
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
by Ed Roebuck
Ed Roebuck
Edward Jack Roebuck was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched in 11 seasons with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Senators and Philadelphia Phillies...
because Koufax allowed three runs without recording an out in the second inning.
Roebuck recorded three straight outs to end the inning without further scoring. The Dodgers and the Giants each managed a single in their halves of the third inning. Neither Pierce nor Roebuck allowed a baserunner
Baserunning
In baseball, baserunning is the act of running around the bases performed by members of the team at bat.In general, baserunning is a tactical part of the game with the goal of eventually reaching home to score a run. In fact, the goal of batting is generally to produce baserunners, or help move...
in the fourth or fifth innings, though the Giants further added to their lead in the sixth. The Dodgers pinch hit for Roebuck to lead off the top of the inning with Ken McMullen and although he singled he did not score. Larry Sherry
Larry Sherry
Lawrence Sherry was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent most of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers...
entered to pitch for the Dodgers in the bottom of the inning and after recording the first out he allowed back-to-back home runs to Mays and Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes is a former Puerto Rican Major League Baseball first baseman.Cepeda was born to a poor family. His father, Pedro Cepeda, was a baseball player in Puerto Rico, which influenced his interest in the sport from a young age. His first contact with professional baseball was...
to give the Giants a 5–0 lead. Davenport then singled and Sherry was relieved by Jack Smith
Jack Smith (pitcher)
Jack Hatfield Smith was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched in 34 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Braves from 1962-1964.-External links:...
who finished the inning without further damage.
The game continued without scoring until the eighth inning. The Dodgers managed to get their second runner in scoring position
Scoring position
In the sport of baseball, a baserunner is said to be in scoring position when he is on second or third base. The distinction between being on first base and second or third base is that a runner on first can usually only score if the batter hits an extra base hit, while a runner on second or third...
as Doug Camilli
Doug Camilli
Douglas Joseph Camilli was a catcher in Major League Baseball. He played from 1960-1969 for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Senators...
pinch hit for Smith, but they did not score. Phil Ortega
Phil Ortega
Filomeno Coronada Ortega , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1960-1969 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, California Angels, and Washington Senators. Ortega was of Yaqui Indian descent...
entered to pitch for the Dodgers in the bottom of the eighth and the Giants continued their offensive performance. Willie Mays walked to open the inning and then stole second base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
with one out. Davenport and Bailey both walked
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
to load the bases
Bases loaded
In the sport of baseball, the bases are loaded when there is a runner on each base . This presents a great scoring opportunity for the batting team, but it also presents an easy double play opportunity for the defense. Causing the bases to become loaded is called loading the bases...
and José Pagán
José Pagán
José Antonio Pagán Rodríguez was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player.-Baseball career:Pagán made his major league debut with the San Francisco Giants on August 8, . He played for the Giants until 1965, then was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. In he played his final career games with...
doubled to empty the bases and make the game 8–0. Pierce remained in the game to pitch the ninth, finishing his complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
shutout
Shutout (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, a shutout refers to the act by which a single pitcher pitches a complete game and does not allow the opposing team to score a run...
. Koufax later said of his Game 1 performance, "I had nothing at all."
Game 2 summary
Box score (baseball)
In baseball, the statistical summary of a game is reported in a box score. An abbreviated version of the box score, duplicated from the field scoreboard, is the line score...
for Tuesday October 2, 1962 – 1:06 PM (PST) at Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
The Giants scored first for the second consecutive game, as Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes is a former Puerto Rican Major League Baseball first baseman.Cepeda was born to a poor family. His father, Pedro Cepeda, was a baseball player in Puerto Rico, which influenced his interest in the sport from a young age. His first contact with professional baseball was...
singled with one out in the second inning and scored on a double by Felipe Alou against Dodgers' starter Don Drysdale
Don Drysdale
Donald Scott "Don" Drysdale was a Major League Baseball player and Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was one of the dominant starting pitchers of the 1960s, and became a radio and television broadcaster following his playing career...
. The Giants then extended their lead in the top of the sixth inning. Alou struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
to open the inning but Tom Haller
Tom Haller
Thomas Frank Haller was an American professional baseball player and baseball executive. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball with the San Francisco Giants , Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers...
then walked and advanced to third base on a double by José Pagán
José Pagán
José Antonio Pagán Rodríguez was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player.-Baseball career:Pagán made his major league debut with the San Francisco Giants on August 8, . He played for the Giants until 1965, then was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. In he played his final career games with...
. Giants' starter Jack Sanford
Jack Sanford
John Stanley Sanford was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball, and later in his career a relief pitcher as well, for the Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, and California Angels. He finished his career playing very briefly with the Kansas City...
then reached based on a throwing error
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
by Drysdale, which also allowed Haller to score and advanced Pagán to third base. Chuck Hiller
Chuck Hiller
Charles Joseph Hiller was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. As a Major Leaguer, he primarily played second base. He batted left-handed, threw right-handed, stood tall and weighed . Hiller attended the University of St...
and Jim Davenport
Jim Davenport
James Houston Davenport is a former Major League Baseball infielder who played his entire career with the San Francisco Giants . The right-handed batter and thrower attended The University of Southern Mississippi.He played in one World Series in 1962, as the Giants lost to the New York Yankees...
followed this with successive singles which scored Pagán and Sanford respectively. This made the score 4–0 in favor of the Giants with Hiller on second and Sanford on first, still with only one out in the inning. Ed Roebuck
Ed Roebuck
Edward Jack Roebuck was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched in 11 seasons with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Senators and Philadelphia Phillies...
entered in relief of Drysdale, inducing an out at second base on a groundball by Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
, to leave runners at the corners with two outs. Willie McCovey
Willie McCovey
Willie Lee McCovey , nicknamed "Mac", "Big Mac", and "Stretch", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played nineteen seasons for the San Francisco Giants, and three more for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics, between and...
singled, allowing Hiller to score and make the game 5–0; Cepeda was then retired to end the inning.
Jack Sanford had allowed just four baserunners through his first five innings, only one of whom reached scoring position
Scoring position
In the sport of baseball, a baserunner is said to be in scoring position when he is on second or third base. The distinction between being on first base and second or third base is that a runner on first can usually only score if the batter hits an extra base hit, while a runner on second or third...
. However, after he walked Jim Gilliam
Jim Gilliam
James William Gilliam was an American second and third baseman and coach in Negro League and Major League Baseball who spent his entire major league career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. He was named the National League Rookie of the Year, and was a key member of ten NL championship...
to open the bottom of the sixth inning, Giants' manager Alvin Dark
Alvin Dark
Alvin Ralph Dark , nicknamed "Blackie" and "The Swamp Fox", is a former shortstop and manager in Major League Baseball who played for five National League teams from 1946 to 1960. Named the major leagues' Rookie of the Year with the Boston Braves when he batted .322...
double switched to bring Stu Miller
Stu Miller
Stuart Leonard Miller , is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals , Philadelphia Phillies , New York & San Francisco Giants , Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves...
in to relieve Sanford, and replaced McCovey in left field with Matty Alou
Matty Alou
Mateo Rojas "Matty" Alou was a Dominican outfielder who spent fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball with the San Francisco Giants , Pittsburgh Pirates , St. Louis Cardinals , Oakland Athletics , New York Yankees and San Diego Padres...
. After the game Dark explained his decision to remove his thus far successful pitcher: "Sanford was suffering from a cold and he was pooped." Duke Snider
Duke Snider
Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider , nicknamed "The Silver Fox" and "The Duke of Flatbush", was a Major League Baseball center fielder and left-handed batter who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Mets , and San Francisco Giants .Snider was elected to the National Baseball Hall of...
doubled, advancing Gilliam to third. Tommy Davis
Tommy Davis
Herman Thomas Davis, Jr. is an American former Major League Baseball left fielder and third baseman. He played from 1959-1976 for ten different teams, but he is best known for his years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. During an 18-year baseball career, Davis batted .294 with 153 home runs, 2,121...
then hit a sacrifice fly
Sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
, scoring Gilliam and advancing Snider. This run made the game 5–1 and ended what had been a 35 consecutive scoreless inning stretch by the Dodgers. The Dodgers increased their score as Wally Moon
Wally Moon
Wallace Wade Moon, known popularly as Wally Moon, is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. Moon played his 12-year career in the National League for the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers...
walked and Frank Howard singled, to bring Snider home and make the game 5–2. Billy O'Dell
Billy O'Dell
William Oliver O'Dell , is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1954 and 1956-1967...
relieved Miller and Doug Camilli
Doug Camilli
Douglas Joseph Camilli was a catcher in Major League Baseball. He played from 1960-1969 for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Senators...
, who was pinch hitting for John Roseboro, singled to load the bases. Andy Carey
Andy Carey
Andrew Arthur Carey is a former major league third baseman for the New York Yankees , and three other major league teams from 1960 to 1962...
then pinch hit for Willie Davis
Willie Davis (baseball)
William Henry Davis was a center fielder in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Los Angeles Dodgers...
and was hit by a pitch to score Moon. The Dodgers continued substituting players, pinch hitting Lee Walls
Lee Walls
Raymond Lee Walls, Jr. , is a former professional baseball player who played outfield in the Major Leagues from 1953-1964. Walls would play for the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He also played one season in Japan in 1965 for the...
for Roebuck and bringing in Larry Burright
Larry Burright
Larry Allen Burright is a former second baseman in Major League Baseball. He played from 1962-1964 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.-Career:...
to pinch run
Pinch runner
A pinch runner is a baseball player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing a player on base. In the typical case, the pinch runner is faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been substituted...
for Carey. Walls then hit a double which emptied the bases, giving the Dodgers a 6–5 lead in the game, and advanced to third base on the throw.
Walls' double continued his success as a pinch hitter, making him 13-for-26 with 12 runs batted in
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in such situations for the season. Don Larsen
Don Larsen
Donald James Larsen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953-67 for seven different teams. Larsen is best known for pitching the sixth perfect game in baseball history, doing so in game 5 of the 1956 World Series...
entered to relieve O'Dell, who had not recorded an out but had earned a blown save for his performance. Maury Wills
Maury Wills
Maurice Morning "Maury" Wills is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and switch-hitting batter who played most prominently with the Los Angeles Dodgers , and also with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal Expos...
hit a ground ball to the first baseman, who threw home
Fielder's choice
In baseball, fielder's choice is a term used to refer to a variety of plays involving an offensive player reaching a base due to the defense's attempt to put out another baserunner, or the defensive team's indifference to his advance...
in an attempt to put out Walls who slid hard into the Giants' catcher Haller. The slide, which cut Haller's arm deep enough to later require six stitches, caused him to drop the ball, leaving Walls safe on Haller's error and extending the Dodgers' lead to 7–5. John Orsino
John Orsino
John Joseph Orsino is a former Major League Baseball catcher. He was signed by the New York Giants as an amateur free agent before the 1957 season, and played for the San Francisco Giants , Baltimore Orioles , and Washington Senators .Orsino made his major league debut on July 14, 1961 against the...
entered as the new catcher to replace the injured Haller. Wills then stole second
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
, his 101st stolen base of the season, before the batter Gilliam saw a single pitch. Orsino's throw to try to catch Wills went past second base and into center field. Wills attempted to advance to third, but was thrown out by Willie Mays. Larsen then induced a flyball out by Gilliam and the inning was over. Between the two halves of the sixth the two teams had scored a combined 11 runs and used six pitchers, three pinch hitters, two defensive replacements, and a pinch runner.
Ron Perranoski
Ron Perranoski
Ronald Peter Perranoski is a former left-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher, having played from through ....
entered as the new pitcher for the seventh, Camilli took his place as the new catcher, and Ron Fairly
Ron Fairly
Ronald Ray Fairly is a former Major League Baseball player and broadcaster. He either played in or broadcast over 7,000 major league games from through .-College career:...
replaced Wally Moon at first base. Burright became the new second baseman, replacing Gilliam who moved to third base while the previous third baseman, Tommy Davis, moved to center field. Perranoski allowed singles to Orsino and Pagán after a ground out by Felipe Alou. The Giants pinch hit Harvey Kuenn
Harvey Kuenn
Harvey Edward Kuenn was an American player, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. As a shortstop and outfielder, he played with the Detroit Tigers , Cleveland Indians , San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies . He batted and threw right-handed...
for Matty Alou and Bob Nieman
Bob Nieman
Robert Charles Nieman was a Major League Baseball outfielder and right-handed batter who played for the St. Louis Browns , Detroit Tigers , Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles , St. Louis Cardinals , Cleveland Indians and San Francisco Giants...
for Hiller, but both recorded outs to end the top of the seventh. Ernie Bowman
Ernie Bowman
Ernest Ferrell Bowman is a former Major League Baseball infielder. Bowman played for the San Francisco Giants from to . He batted and threw right-handed....
replaced Nieman at second base for the Giants in the bottom of the inning and no runs scored in the frame. The Giants continued to hit Perranoski in the top of the eighth, with singles by Davenport and Mays to open the inning. Jack Smith
Jack Smith (pitcher)
Jack Hatfield Smith was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched in 34 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Braves from 1962-1964.-External links:...
entered in relief but allowed a single to Ed Bailey
Ed Bailey
Lonas Edgar Bailey, Jr. was an American professional baseball player who played catcher in the Major Leagues from through . Bailey batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee...
pinch hitting for Larsen which scored Davenport to cut the Dodgers' lead to 7–6. Mays attempted to advance to third on the play but was called out. The play drew arguments from Mays, Alvin Dark, and third base coach Whitey Lockman
Whitey Lockman
Carroll Walter "Whitey" Lockman was a player, coach, manager and front office executive in American Major League Baseball.-Role in miraculous 1951 comeback:...
as third base umpire Jocko Conlan
Jocko Conlan
John Bertrand "Jocko" Conlan was an American Hall of Fame umpire who worked in the National League from 1941 to 1965. He previously had a brief career as an outfielder with the Chicago White Sox....
appeared to call Mays safe before changing it to out. Carl Boles
Carl Boles
Carl Theodore Boles Carl Theodore Boles Carl Theodore Boles (born October 31, 1934 in Center Point, Arkansas, is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants in 1962.-External links:...
pinch ran for Bailey, and Cepeda reached on an error on his fly ball which allowed Boles to move to third. Stan Williams
Stan Williams (baseball)
Stanley Wilson Williams , nicknamed "Big Daddy" and "The Big Hurt", is a former Major League Baseball starting and relief pitcher who threw and batted right-handed. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Yankees , Cleveland Indians , Minnesota Twins , St...
relieved Smith and walked Felipe Alou to load the bases. Orsino hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at seven runs apiece and Pagán grounded out to end the inning.
Bobby Bolin
Bobby Bolin
Bobby Donald Bolin is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was signed by the New York Giants on November 10, 1956 at the age of 17, and played for the San Francisco Giants , Milwaukee Brewers and Boston Red Sox .He began and ended his 13-year career as a relief pitcher,...
entered as the new pitcher for the Giants in the bottom of the eighth. Bolin kept the game tied, as did Williams who pitched a perfect top of the ninth inning. Wills walked to leadoff the bottom of the ninth, however, and Dick LeMay
Dick LeMay
Richard Paul LeMay is a retired American professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher, LeMay appeared in parts of three Major League Baseball seasons , but had a long career in minor league baseball....
relieved Bolin. Gilliam then also walked, advancing Wills to second. The Dodgers announced Daryl Spencer
Daryl Spencer
Daryl Dean Spencer , is a former professional baseball player. He was a utility infielder, playing shortstop, second base, and third base in the major leagues from 1952-1963. He played for the New York Giants, San Francisco Giants, St...
as a pinch hitter for Snider and the Giants countered by bringing Gaylord Perry
Gaylord Perry
Gaylord Jackson Perry is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He pitched from 1962-1983 for eight different teams in his career. During a 22-year baseball career, Perry compiled 314 wins, 3,534 strikeouts, and a 3.11 earned run average...
in relief of LeMay. Spencer laid down a successful sacrifice bunt, advancing the two runners to second and third base. The play drew comment after the game, as some writers believed Perry had a chance to throw to third base to put out the lead runner Wills. He threw to first instead, allowing the sacrifice. Mike McCormick
Mike McCormick (pitcher)
Michael Francis McCormick is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the New York Giants from 1956 to 1958, then the San Francisco Giants from 1958 to 1970...
relieved Perry, intentionally walked
Intentional base on balls
In baseball, an intentional base on balls, usually referred to as an intentional walk and denoted in baseball scorekeeping by IBB, is a walk issued to a batter by a pitcher with the intent of removing the batter's opportunity to swing at the pitched ball...
Tommy Davis, and then allowed a game-winning walk-off sacrifice fly to Fairly driving in Wills. Game 2 lasted 4 hours and 18 minutes, breaking the previous record of 4 hours and 2 minutes for the longest 9-inning game in major league history. Coincidentally Wills, who scored the winning run, celebrated his 30th birthday on the same day as Game 2.
Game 3 summary
Box score (baseball)
In baseball, the statistical summary of a game is reported in a box score. An abbreviated version of the box score, duplicated from the field scoreboard, is the line score...
for Wednesday October 3, 1962 at Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium
Dodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
Game 3 matched the Giants' Juan Marichal
Juan Marichal
Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Playing for the San Francisco Giants most of his career, Marichal was known for his high leg kick, pinpoint control and intimidation tactics, which included aiming pitches directly at the opposing batters'...
against Johnny Podres
Johnny Podres
John Joseph Podres was an American left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent most of his career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
, though Dodgers' manager Walt Alston had considered starting reliever Larry Sherry
Larry Sherry
Lawrence Sherry was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent most of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers...
. The pair kept the game scoreless through two innings before the Giants opened the scoring in the top of the third. José Pagán
José Pagán
José Antonio Pagán Rodríguez was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player.-Baseball career:Pagán made his major league debut with the San Francisco Giants on August 8, . He played for the Giants until 1965, then was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. In he played his final career games with...
singled to lead off the inning, Marichal reached on a throwing error by the pitcher on a throw to second base which allowed Pagán to move to third, and Pagán scored on a Harvey Kuenn
Harvey Kuenn
Harvey Edward Kuenn was an American player, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. As a shortstop and outfielder, he played with the Detroit Tigers , Cleveland Indians , San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies . He batted and threw right-handed...
single. Then, while Chuck Hiller
Chuck Hiller
Charles Joseph Hiller was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager. As a Major Leaguer, he primarily played second base. He batted left-handed, threw right-handed, stood tall and weighed . Hiller attended the University of St...
was batting, John Roseboro made an error in attempting to pickoff
Pickoff
In baseball, a pickoff is an act by a pitcher or a catcher, throwing a live ball to a fielder so that the fielder can tag out a baserunner who is either leading off or about to begin stealing the next base....
Marichal on second base, allowing him to advance to third. Hiller hit a fly ball to shallow left field and Marichal held at third base. Left fielder Duke Snider
Duke Snider
Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider , nicknamed "The Silver Fox" and "The Duke of Flatbush", was a Major League Baseball center fielder and left-handed batter who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Mets , and San Francisco Giants .Snider was elected to the National Baseball Hall of...
threw home but the ball was cut-off by the third baseman who threw to second to try to catch Kuenn in a rundown
Rundown
A rundown, also called a pickle, is a situation in the game of baseball that occurs when the baserunner is stranded between two bases and is in jeopardy. When the base runner attempts to advance to the next base, he is cut off by the defensive player who has a live ball and attempts to return to...
between first and second. However, the second baseman's throw to first hit Kuenn in the back, leaving him safe at first and allowing Marichal to score, to make the game 2–0. Felipe Alou then singled, Kuenn went to third, and Alou advanced to second on the throw. Podres intentionally walked Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
to load the bases with one out, and induced a double play
Double play
In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....
from Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Cepeda
Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes is a former Puerto Rican Major League Baseball first baseman.Cepeda was born to a poor family. His father, Pedro Cepeda, was a baseball player in Puerto Rico, which influenced his interest in the sport from a young age. His first contact with professional baseball was...
to end the inning.
The Dodgers cut into the lead in the fourth,as Snider doubled to leadoff, advanced to third on a Tommy Davis
Tommy Davis
Herman Thomas Davis, Jr. is an American former Major League Baseball left fielder and third baseman. He played from 1959-1976 for ten different teams, but he is best known for his years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. During an 18-year baseball career, Davis batted .294 with 153 home runs, 2,121...
single, and scored on a groundout by Frank Howard. The Giants threatened against Podres in the top of the sixth with singles by Cepeda, Ed Bailey
Ed Bailey
Lonas Edgar Bailey, Jr. was an American professional baseball player who played catcher in the Major Leagues from through . Bailey batted left-handed and threw right-handed. He was born in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee...
, and Jim Davenport
Jim Davenport
James Houston Davenport is a former Major League Baseball infielder who played his entire career with the San Francisco Giants . The right-handed batter and thrower attended The University of Southern Mississippi.He played in one World Series in 1962, as the Giants lost to the New York Yankees...
on a bunt to load the bases. However, Ed Roebuck
Ed Roebuck
Edward Jack Roebuck was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched in 11 seasons with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, Washington Senators and Philadelphia Phillies...
relieved Podres and escaped the inning without allowing a run. The Dodgers took a 3–2 lead in the bottom of the inning as Snider singled and scored on a home run by Tommy Davis. They extended this lead in the bottom of the seventh as Wills singled and then stole second as Jim Gilliam
Jim Gilliam
James William Gilliam was an American second and third baseman and coach in Negro League and Major League Baseball who spent his entire major league career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers. He was named the National League Rookie of the Year, and was a key member of ten NL championship...
batted. Manager Alvin Dark
Alvin Dark
Alvin Ralph Dark , nicknamed "Blackie" and "The Swamp Fox", is a former shortstop and manager in Major League Baseball who played for five National League teams from 1946 to 1960. Named the major leagues' Rookie of the Year with the Boston Braves when he batted .322...
had chosen not to try to hold Wills to the first base bag as Dark did not believe his Giants' defense could stop Wills from stealing regardless of their positioning. Gilliam was put out for the second out of the inning, but Wills stole third base and then scored on a throwing error by the catcher trying to catch him. This extended the Dodgers' lead to 4–2. The Dodgers further threatened in the bottom of the eighth. Don Larsen
Don Larsen
Donald James Larsen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953-67 for seven different teams. Larsen is best known for pitching the sixth perfect game in baseball history, doing so in game 5 of the 1956 World Series...
entered in relief of Marichal midway through Davis' at bat but Davis walked to lead off the inning regardless. Ron Fairly
Ron Fairly
Ronald Ray Fairly is a former Major League Baseball player and broadcaster. He either played in or broadcast over 7,000 major league games from through .-College career:...
sacrificed
Sacrifice hit
In baseball, a sacrifice bunt is a batter's act of deliberately bunting the ball in a manner that allows a runner on base to advance to another base. The batter is almost always sacrificed but sometimes reaches base due to an error or fielder's choice...
him to second base and Davis then stole third as Howard struck out. However, Larsen intentionally walked both Roseboro and Willie Davis
Willie Davis (baseball)
William Henry Davis was a center fielder in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Los Angeles Dodgers...
to load the bases and induced a ground out by Roebuck to end the inning.
The Giants took the decisive lead in the top of the ninth inning. Matty Alou
Matty Alou
Mateo Rojas "Matty" Alou was a Dominican outfielder who spent fifteen seasons in Major League Baseball with the San Francisco Giants , Pittsburgh Pirates , St. Louis Cardinals , Oakland Athletics , New York Yankees and San Diego Padres...
pinch hit for Larsen and singled to lead off the inning and Kuenn grounded into a force out at second base. Willie McCovey
Willie McCovey
Willie Lee McCovey , nicknamed "Mac", "Big Mac", and "Stretch", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. He played nineteen seasons for the San Francisco Giants, and three more for the San Diego Padres and Oakland Athletics, between and...
pinch hit for Hiller and walked to advance Kuenn. Ernie Bowman
Ernie Bowman
Ernest Ferrell Bowman is a former Major League Baseball infielder. Bowman played for the San Francisco Giants from to . He batted and threw right-handed....
pinch ran for McCovey and Felipe Alou walked to load the bases. Mays hit a line drive single scoring Kuenn. Roebuck barely managed to knock the ball down to hold Mays to a single and Mays said he was "still mad" after the game because he had expected more off of the hit. Stan Williams
Stan Williams (baseball)
Stanley Wilson Williams , nicknamed "Big Daddy" and "The Big Hurt", is a former Major League Baseball starting and relief pitcher who threw and batted right-handed. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Yankees , Cleveland Indians , Minnesota Twins , St...
relieved Roebuck and Cepeda hit a sacrifice fly
Sacrifice fly
In baseball, a sacrifice fly is a batted ball that satisfies four criteria:* There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit.* The ball is hit to the outfield....
to tie the game at 4–4 and advance Alou to third. Mays moved to second on a wild pitch to Bailey and Williams intentionally walked him to reload the bases. Williams walked Davenport to give the Giants a 5–4 lead, and they added to it as Pagán reached on an error allowing Mays to score and extend the lead to 6–4. Billy Pierce
Billy Pierce
Walter William Pierce is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago White Sox. He was the team's star pitcher between 1952 and 1961, and was named the American League's top pitcher in 1956 and 1957 after being runner-up in both 1953...
pitched a perfect bottom of the ninth to end the game, earning his only save of the season. Had the Dodgers not yielded the lead in the final inning they instead would have earned a postseason berth, their first since winning the pennant via a tie-breaker
1959 National League tie-breaker series
The 1959 National League tie-breaker series was a best-of-three playoff series to decide the winner of Major League Baseball's National League pennant. The games took place on September 28 and 29, 1959 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Braves. The first game was played in...
in 1959.
Aftermath
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in the 1962 World Series
1962 World Series
The 1962 World Series matched the defending American League and World Series champions New York Yankees against the National League champion San Francisco Giants, who had won their first NL pennant since 1954 and first since moving from New York in 1958, defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers in a...
which they lost in seven games, ending the Giants' season. They returned to the playoffs in 1971
1971 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 2, 1971 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, CaliforniaWith aces Gaylord Perry and Steve Blass taking the mound for their respective teams, Game 1 looked to be a pitchers duel. It sort of was for four innings; the Pirates struck for two in the top of the third when Dave...
and the World Series in 1989
1989 World Series
†: Game 3 was originally slated for October 17 at 5:35 pm; however, it was postponed when an earthquake occurred at 5:04 pm.-Game 1:Saturday, October 14, 1989 at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California...
and 2002
2002 World Series
The 2002 World Series was a best-of-seven playoff series to determine the champion of Major League Baseball for the 2002 season. It was the 98th such contest between the champions of the American League and National League , and featured the AL champion Anaheim Angels against the NL champion San...
. In 2010
2010 World Series
The 2010 World Series was the 106th occurrence of Major League Baseball's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff, played between the American League champion Texas Rangers and the National League champion San Francisco Giants, began on Wednesday, , and ended on Monday, , with the Giants...
, the Giants won their first World Series since moving to San Francisco. The Dodgers returned to the World Series in 1963
1963 World Series
The 1963 World Series matched the two-time defending champion New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Dodgers sweeping the Series in four games to capture their second title in five years, and their third in franchise history....
and swept the Yankees. The Dodgers set a new attendance record in 1962, topping the previous mark of 2,641,845 set by the Cleveland Indians in 1948
1948 Cleveland Indians season
The Cleveland Indians season was a season in American baseball. The team won a one-game playoff against the Boston Red Sox and would then go onto win their second World Series in franchise history, its first in 28 years.-Off-season:...
with a total of 2,755,184 fans. Game 2 was the longest nine-inning game in MLB history with a time of 4 hours and 18 minutes, a record which stood until April 30, 1996 when a game between the Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
lasted 4 hours and 21 minutes. The record was again broken on August 18, 2006 during a game in which the Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
14–11 in 4 hours and 45 minutes.
In baseball statistics
Baseball statistics
Statistics play an important role in summarizing baseball performance and evaluating players in the sport.Since the flow of a baseball game has natural breaks to it, and normally players act individually rather than performing in clusters, the sport lends itself to easy record-keeping and statistics...
tie-breakers count as regular season games, with all events in them added to regular season statistics. For example, Willie Mays
Willie Mays
Willie Howard Mays, Jr. is a retired American professional baseball player who played the majority of his major league career with the New York and San Francisco Giants before finishing with the New York Mets. Nicknamed The Say Hey Kid, Mays was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979, his...
extended his league-leading home run total to 49 and Maury Wills
Maury Wills
Maurice Morning "Maury" Wills is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and switch-hitting batter who played most prominently with the Los Angeles Dodgers , and also with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal Expos...
raised his record-breaking stolen base total from 100 to 104, the most since 1900. Additionally Wills, José Pagán
José Pagán
José Antonio Pagán Rodríguez was a Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player.-Baseball career:Pagán made his major league debut with the San Francisco Giants on August 8, . He played for the Giants until 1965, then was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates. In he played his final career games with...
, and Tommy Davis
Tommy Davis
Herman Thomas Davis, Jr. is an American former Major League Baseball left fielder and third baseman. He played from 1959-1976 for ten different teams, but he is best known for his years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. During an 18-year baseball career, Davis batted .294 with 153 home runs, 2,121...
played in 165, 164, and 163 games respectively, totals which could not have been matched by players not on the Dodgers or Giants. Wills also won the NL Most Valuable Player Award narrowly over Mays, with Davis placing third in the voting. Don Drysdale
Don Drysdale
Donald Scott "Don" Drysdale was a Major League Baseball player and Hall of Fame right-handed pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was one of the dominant starting pitchers of the 1960s, and became a radio and television broadcaster following his playing career...
won both the Cy Young
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
and Sporting News Pitcher of the Year awards and Jim Davenport
Jim Davenport
James Houston Davenport is a former Major League Baseball infielder who played his entire career with the San Francisco Giants . The right-handed batter and thrower attended The University of Southern Mississippi.He played in one World Series in 1962, as the Giants lost to the New York Yankees...
, Wills, and Mays each won Rawlings Gold Glove Award
Rawlings Gold Glove Award
The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to as the Gold Glove, is the award given annually to the Major League Baseball players judged to have exhibited superior individual fielding performances at each fielding position in both the National League and the American League , as voted by the...
s. MLB played two All-Star Games
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
in 1962. Four Dodgers and five Giants were named to the first while four Dodgers and four Giants played in the second. Five future Hall of Famers
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
were on the Giants roster in 1962 (Cepeda, Marichal, Mays, McCovey, and Perry) while the Dodgers had three (Drysdale, Koufax, and Snider). Dodgers' manager
Manager (baseball)
In baseball, the field manager is an individual who is responsible for matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. Managers are typically assisted by between one and six assistant coaches, whose responsibilities are specialized...
Walt Alston was also inducted to the Hall as a manager in 1983. Additionally, this 1962 series was the last MLB tie-breaker to use the three-game series format. The AL had always used a one-game format and all future NL tie-breakers were played in that format as well.