Willie Davis’ Homer Wins for ’62 Dodgers

It took 25 years, but the 1962 Dodgers finally have gotten even with the 1962 San Francisco Giants.

Willie Davis slugged a three-run homer in the third inning to lead the Dodgers to a 5-2 victory over the Giants in a six-inning exhibition game Sunday at Phoenix.

In 1962, San Francisco beat Los Angeles in a three-game playoff for the National League pennant by scoring four runs in the ninth inning of Game 3 for a 6-4 victory.

“We couldn’t let that happen again,” said the 46-year-old Davis, who also made a diving catch in center field for the final out Sunday.

“We got beat by a better team in ’62 and went as far as we could. But this time, we had to get even.”

Davis, who had 21 homers in 1962, hit his home run Sunday to right field off Giant reliever Billy Pierce. It followed singles by Norm Sherry and Maury Wills.

Leo Durocher served as the Dodger manager in street clothes.

Three Dodger Hall of Famers--outfielder Duke Snider and pitchers Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale--could not attend the game because of previous commitments.

The “Dream Game ‘87” exhibition was watched by a sellout crowd of 8,447, with proceeds benefiting the Phoenix Memorial Hospital Foundation.