THE DODGERS AND FIRST PLACE

After 36 days in the lead, the San Francisco Giants had to face the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team they worry about. What could go wrong? Well, Sandy Koufax could go right, and he did, pitching a strong four-hitter in the first game of the series to topple San Francisco into second place. The Giants, nervous every time they see a Los Angeles uniform, could make mistakes. Yep. Five errors in the first two games, and rookie Ollie Brown held the ball long enough to let Maury Wills off the hook and set up a four-run Dodger inning. What else? Willie McCovey and Jim Ray Hart could stop hitting, and Willie Mays could keep on not hitting. Check: they went a collective 4 for 30 over the weekend. The Dodgers won again Saturday and were in front by a full game. Nobody ever won a pennant in June, but the Dodgers appeared to have the Giants by the jugular. There was Juan Marichal for Sunday, but he had been hit hard in his last win and had been belted out his next two starts. Marichal was imperfect, but now the Dodgers made the mistakes—a wild pitch, a three-base throwing error—and the Giants were back in business. They looked at it this way: just about the worst had happened, and they were still only four percentage points out of first place. The Dodgers were, again, the team to beat, but somehow, even with their new muscles, they weren't terrorizing opponents the way the Yankees used to, the way the Yankees, again, were trying to (next page).

There is no defense against the proper squeeze bunt. All Giant Catcher Bob Barton can do is kick the air as Willie Davis scores on Lou Johnson's perfect placement (note ball) for 4-2 victory.

The force at third isn't even close, but Giant Jim Ray Hart gives Maury Wills room, just in case, as he throws to complete double play.

Giant Coach Charlie Fox, an Irish tenor, is unmoved by an a cappella chorus for Dodger Jim Brewer's ninth-inning door-slamming job.

THREE PHOTOS

HERB SCHARFMAN