1965 World Series: Game 1

Game 1:

Wednesday, October 6, 1965 at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Los Angeles	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	10	1
Minnesota	0	1	6	0	0	1	0	0	x	8	10	0
WP: Mudcat Grant (1–0) LP: Don Drysdale (0–1) Home runs: LAD: Ron Fairly (1) MIN: Don Mincher (1), Zoilo Versalles (1)

Box Score Info. - (read me)

BATTING

Los Angeles Dodgers          AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO      PO   A
Wills ss                      5   0   2   1       0   1       3   2
Gilliam 3b                    5   0   1   0       0   0       0   1
Davis cf                      4   0   1   0       0   1       2   0
Fairly rf                     4   1   1   1       0   0       2   0
Johnson lf                    4   0   1   0       0   1       4   0
Lefebvre 2b                   4   1   1   0       0   0       0   4
Parker 1b                     3   0   1   0       1   1       7   0
Roseboro c                    4   0   1   0       0   0       6   0
Drysdale p                    1   0   0   0       0   0       0   1
  Reed p                      0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Crawford ph                 1   0   1   0       0   0       0   0
  Brewer p                    0   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Moon ph                     1   0   0   0       0   0       0   0
  Perranoski p                0   0   0   0       0   0       0   1
  LeJohn ph                   1   0   0   0       0   1       0   0
Totals                       37   2  10   2       1   5      24   9

FIELDING - 
DP: 1. Perranoski-Wills-Parker.
E: Lefebvre (1).

BATTING - 
HR: Fairly (1,2nd inning off Grant 0 on 0 out).
Team LOB: 9.

Minnesota Twins              AB   R   H RBI      BB  SO      PO   A
Versalles ss                  5   1   2   4       0   2       2   2
Valdespino lf                 4   1   1   0       0   0       4   0
Oliva rf                      4   0   0   0       0   0       7   0
Killebrew 3b                  3   1   1   0       1   2       3   0
Hall cf                       3   0   1   0       1   2       1   0
Mincher 1b                    3   2   1   1       1   0       3   0
Battey c                      4   0   1   2       0   0       5   0
Quilici 2b                    4   1   2   1       0   0       2   1
Grant p                       3   2   1   0       0   0       0   0
Totals                       33   8  10   8       3   6      27   3

BATTING - 
2B: Quilici (1,off Drysdale); Valdespino (1,off Drysdale); Grant (1,off Brewer).
HR: Mincher (1,2nd inning off Drysdale 0 on 2 out); Versalles (1,3rd inning
off Drysdale 2 on 0 out).
SH: Grant (1,off Drysdale).
GDP: Battey (1,off Perranoski).
Team LOB: 5.

BASERUNNING - 
SB: Versalles (1,2nd base off Brewer/Roseboro).

PITCHING

Los Angeles Dodgers          IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP
Drysdale L(0-1)               2.2   7   7   3   1   4   2  17
Reed                          1.1   0   0   0   0   1   0   4
Brewer                        2     3   1   1   0   1   0   9
Perranoski                    2     0   0   0   2   0   0   7
Totals                        8    10   8   4   3   6   2  37

WP: Brewer (1).

Minnesota Twins              IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP
Grant W(1-0)                  9    10   2   2   1   5   1  38

Umpires: HP - Eddie Hurley, 1B - Tony Venzon, 2B - Red Flaherty, 3B - Ed Sudol, 
LF - Bob Stewart, RF - Ed Vargo

Time of Game: 2:29   Attendance: 47797

Starting Lineups:

   Los Angeles Dodgers           Minnesota Twins          
1. Wills               ss        Versalles           ss
2. Gilliam             3b        Valdespino          lf
3. Davis               cf        Oliva               rf
4. Fairly              rf        Killebrew           3b
5. Johnson             lf        Hall                cf
6. Lefebvre            2b        Mincher             1b
7. Parker              1b        Battey              c
8. Roseboro            c         Quilici             2b
9. Drysdale            p         Grant               p

Game 1 was set to be a pitching duel between Dodgers' Don Drysdale and the Twins' Mudcat Grant (21–7, 3.30 ERA on the year). Drysdale was starting because the game fell on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for people of the Jewish faith. Dodger ace Sandy Koufax, who was Jewish, stated he would not pitch that day.

In the Twins' third inning any thought of a pitchers' duel was put to rest. Going into that inning, it was 1–1. Coming out, it was 7–1. It started with a Frank Quilici double to left field, followed by an error by Jim Lefebvre, allowing the pitcher Grant to reach. Then, shortstop Zoilo Versalles stepped to the plate. He had hit nineteen home runs in the regular season and would later win the AL MVP Award for that year. He crushed a pitch from Drysdale for a three-run home run to make the score, 4–1. However, the Twins' scoring wasn't over. With still no one out, left fielder Sandy Valdespino began things again with a double. After a few outs and baserunners, and a single by Harmon Killebrew, the Twins had two runners again. With three straight singles (Earl Battey, Don Mincher, and Quilici), scoring three unearned runs, the Twins had jumped out to a six-run lead and would never look back, winning the game 8–2.

The Dodgers had scored their runs on a Ron Fairly homer and a Maury Wills bunt single that scored Lefebvre. Grant received the win while Drysdale took the loss. In the postgame news conference, a reporter jokingly said to Dodger manager Walter Alston, "I bet you wish Drysdale was Jewish too."