Aug. 27, 1963 - The Giants gave hurler Jack Sanford a big cushion today, and he did the rest, beating the Cardinals, 7-2, at Candlestick Park and boosting San Francisco into a second-place tie with St. Louis, 6½ games behind the Dodgers. The Giants banged Curt Simmons for three runs in the second and then exploded for three consecutive homers in the third, breaking the game open. Willie Mays began the sensational third with the 400th home run of his 12-year career and his 32nd this season — a towering shot to right that hit the top of the fence and bounced over. Orlando Cepeda followed with his 21st of the 1963 campaign and then, after Barney Schultz relieved Simmons, Felipe Alou made it three straight, lining his 16th of the year over the left-field fence. After today’s game, Mays said he cherished his first home run more than his 400th. “That first one was more important because it kept me up here,” he said. “If I hadn’t hit that first home run, who knows where I’d be today.” At the time in 1951 when he was called up from the minors, Mays was hitless in 12 appearances. His first round-tripper was blasted off Warren Spahn. Mays was asked if he didn’t also get a thrill out of being the first National League right-hander to achieve 400 homers. He merely shrugged his shoulders and said, “I guess it’s great, but we’re trying to win a pennant.” The leading National League home run hitter of all time is another ex-Giant, the late Mel Ott, with 511. Ott was a left-handed hitter. Today, Stan Musial — who has 472 home runs to his credit — complimented Mays’ achievement, adding: “Willie will have a chance to beat Ott’s record, and naturally if he beats Ott’s mark, he’ll pass me. He’s only 32. I wish I were that young.” Musial holds 17 major league and 29 other N.L. records. “I’m going to lose a lot of those records to guys like Mays and Hank Aaron,” he said. “But that’s what records are made for. I broke a lot of Ott’s records. Every time I did, he would send me a telegram. I still have them all."
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