60 YEARS AGO/141: GIANTS' NO-WILLIE WOES CONTINUE; L.A. HITS 13 IN CHICAGO

[*Note: this post covers games played on 9/13 and 9/14. We'll return to the '62 pennant race on Thursday.]

In our current pandemic-encrusted age, we often forget that the "old world" was pretty virulent in its own right. Willie Mays' malady was diagnosed as a flu bug, and he missed the first of three full games on 9/13/62, creating a void in the SF lineup that their other hitters did not fill.

Jim O'Toole dominated the Giants, allowing just four hits over nine innings, and Mike McCormick, back in the starting rotation due to the continuing absence of Juan Marichal, was unable to match him. Wally Post hit a two-run homer off him in the second, and he was gone after four innings. O'Toole triggered a late "insurance" rally off Stu Miller in the eighth inning with an RBI single, no mean feat for someone hitting .114 on the year. Final score: Reds 7, Giants 2.

IN Chicago on 9/14, the Dodgers arrived after their 1-0 squeaker against the Colts to find that the wind was blowing out at Wrigley Field. This led to a field day for Frank Howard, who went 4-for-5 with a homer (his 28th) and 4 RBI. Staked to a 7-0 lead after the first inning, Johnny Podres came undone in the third inning, allowing four runs and had to be bailed out by Larry Sherry in the fourth. 

Sherry would right the ship and throw 5 2/3 innings of relief to "vulture" a win; Duke Snider, a last-minute addition to the Dodger lineup for Willie Davis, hit his first home since May in the eighth, padding LA's lead as they took a 2 1/2 game lead over the Giants. Final score: Dodgers 13, Cubs 7.

The Mays-less Giants moved on to Pittsburgh for their game that night, and ran into Earl Francis, who had what was arguably the finest night of his sadly truncated career. Francis shut down SF on four hits over nine innings, and broke a close game open with a three-run homer off Bobby Bolin in the bottom of the eighth inning. 

SEASON RECORDS: LAD 97-51, SFG 94-54, CIN 93-57

[records the rest of the way: LAD 4-10, SFG 7-7, CIN 5-7]