June 9, 1963 - Ernie Banks belted 3 home runs for Chicago today — the fourth time he’s swatted 3 in a game — but the Cubs lost, 11-8, to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field. The Dodgers made 13 hits. They were aided by four Cub errors and two consecutive wild pitches by Lindy McDaniel. The crowd was 35,743, the largest at a Cub home game since 1960. Larry Sherry (pictured) gained his first relief victory of the season after the Cubs had reached the Dodger starter, Sandy Koufax, with a four-run barrage in the fifth inning. The attack included consecutive home runs by Ron Santo and Ernie Banks. Tommy Davis, who hit safely in four of five trips to the plate, started the four-run uprising off the Cub starter, Dick Ellsworth, in the sixth to put the Dodgers ahead to stay. It included a bases-loaded walk to Lee Walls and a bases-loaded double by Maury Wills. Since Wills rejoined the Dodgers in Houston, Los Angeles has swept five games in a row to vault from third place to the league lead. It is more than coincidence that the National League’s most valuable player of 1962 has figured in all 5 victories. Maury, who played both third base and shortstop today with skill, has been to bat 22 times in those 5 games, reached base 15 times, stroked 11 hits, scored 6 runs, driven in 5 teammates, and stolen 4 bases. Banks sent shots over the left-field wall in the second, fifth, and ninth innings. He has 13 round-trippers this season. The third-place Cubs drew 115,137 for the 6 dates with the Giants and Dodgers, boosting their 1963 attendance to 300,407 for 30 dates. That’s 101,367 ahead of their pace in 1962.
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