June 2, 1963 - Three home runs by Willie Mays — who hadn’t hit one since May 17 — accounted for 4 runs today as the league-leading San Francisco Giants defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-4. The victory increased San Francisco’s lead to two games over second-place St. Louis. The Cardinals had won 5 straight and 10 of their last 11. Juan Marichal of the Giants gained his eighth victory of the year but needed help in the ninth from Bob Bolin. Mays had been hitless in 16 times at bat before going 6 for 11 in the three-game series in St. Louis. His homers today came off three different pitchers — Ernie Broglio, the loser; Bob Humphreys, and Bobby Shantz. His second homer hit the scoreboard and was immediately followed by Orlando Cepeda’s 10th home run of the year. Mays’s outburst was the third time the outfielder had hit three or more homers in a game. Mays hit four homers in one game on April 30, 1961, and hit 3 in a 10-inning game on June 29, 1961. A former Cardinal, Giant, and Yankee slugger, Johnny Mize, holds the major league record of hitting three homers in a game six times. After today’s game, Giant shortstop José Pagán told newsmen he had been praying for the slumping Mays. “In the dugout, every time Willie comes up, I pray for him to start hitting again,” said José. “He is a good fellow. He laughs and he jokes, but I know inside him he was dying because he was not hitting.” Pagán, whose prayers were answered today, has been mired in a slump of his own. However, Giant manager Alvin Dark said he has no intention of benching his shortstop. “He may be hitting .200, but there’s nobody I’d rather see the ball hit to than José,” Dark declared.
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