Sept. 3, 1963 - The Cubs handed the Giants 11 unearned runs today, and that was more than enough for Juan Marichal to register his first 20-victory season. Although Willie Mays wasn’t even in uniform, all nine of the Giants in the starting lineup took part in a 16-hit attack, every one of them drove in at least one run, and San Francisco overwhelemed Chicago, 16-3. Sloppy defense helped the Cubs to a 3-0 lead in the second inning, but Ron Santo, who drove in seven runs in the Cubs’ double victory yesterday, was charged with three errors in the bottom of the second today and those boo-boos meant seven unearned runs for the Giants. Larry Jackson, the Cub starter, had the bases loaded and two out in the second when Marichal, helping his own cause, lined a 2-2 pitch into center for two runs. That was the first of five straight hits. With one down in the bottom of the fourth, Andre Rodgers booted a grounder, and the Giants wound up with six more runs, just two of them earned. Orlando Cepeda (No. 25), Felipe Alou (No. 17), and Tommy Haller (No. 13) walloped home runs. Haller’s was a pinch hit. He batted for Marichal in the seventh, so Juan could be nice and rested when the Dodgers come to town this weekend. “It has always been my goal to win 20 games,” Juan said after today’s contest. “In my first year in 1958, I win 21 with a B Class League [Michigan City]. When I go back to my country, I am happy. But then I never even know if I’ll see the majors. And now to win 20 in the big leagues — that makes me happy all over.” Marichal came out of a little city called Laguna Verde in the Dominican Republic almost a finished product. “It was unbelievable,” recalled Hall of Famer Carl Hubbell. “I looked and looked and couldn’t find a thing wrong with his form.” With a big left-foot kick and an amazing variety of pitches, Marichal has proved an effective pitcher from the day he made his debut with the varsity club in 1960. His first game was a two-hitter.
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