Apr. 30, 1963 - The Phillies are in one of those streaks where nothing they do is right. Last night, a base-running blunder by the opposing team turned out to be the Phillies’ undoing as the San Francisco Giants won, 4-3, at Connie Mack Stadium. Orlando Cepeda (pictured #30), who destroys the Phillies, made the base-running boo-boo, and it led to a three-run second inning for the Giants, who ended a three-game losing streak and extended the Phillies’ skid to three games. The Giants’ first baseman, who batted .459 against the Phils last season, showed he hasn’t lost the knack as he pounded out three hits and knocked home what proved to be the winning run with a line single to right in the third. However, it was a play in the second that proved the Phillies’ undoing. Cepeda started that frame with a double off the fence in left center. Felipe Alou followed with a grounder to short, and Cepeda broke for third. Bobby Wine fielded the ball, turned and threw to third in plenty of time to nail Cepeda, but the ball hit Cepeda squarely in the back, and the Giants had men on first and third. Ed Bailey brought Cepeda home with a single and, after José Pagan moved the runners to second and third with a grounder down the third-base line for the second out, the Phillies’ defense faltered. Pitcher Jack Fisher, the former Baltimore righthander who staggered through to win his first National League game, hit a high fly to left center that should have been caught. Center fielder Tony Gonzalez, playing close with the pitcher up, gave it a hard run but couldn’t get there in time, while left fielder Wes Covington, apparently thinking Gonzalez would reach the ball, gave way to the Cuban speedster. The ball fell in for a double that scored Alou and sent Bailey, who had tagged up at second, to third. Chuck Hiller then banged a liner to right for a sacrifice that brough Bailey home. The Phils got back in the game with two runs in the home second, but in the third, Willie Mays tripled off the scoreboard, Cepeda singled him home, and that was just one too many.
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