The Giants started Juan Marichal, the Astros started Denny Lemaster. And in the first inning, the Giants jumped all over LeMaster ? Ron Hunt singled, Willie Mays singled, Jack Hiatt walked and then Dick Dietz walked to score the first run. Astros manager Harry the Hat Walker had seen enough: He yanked LeMaster and put in the irrepressible Dooley Womack.

And Womack induced Jim Ray Hart to hit into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning. Induce is a great double-play word.

Nothing of consequence happened in the second inning, though Houston tied the game.

In the third, Mays and Hiatt singled to put runners on first and second with one out. This time Dick Dietz hit into the double play, third-to-second-to-first. The Astros took the lead in the bottom of the inning on a Joe Morgan homer.

In the fourth, Hart led off with a single. Bobby Etheridge promptly hit into the 6-4-3 double play.

In the fifth, it was Juan Marichal who led off with a single. Frank Johnson hit into the 4-3 double play.

Nothing in the sixth, but in the seventh the Giants got runners on first and second and Houston put in a new pitcher, Fred Gladding. Marichal hit a grounder to short, Denis Menke fielded it, stepped on second, fired to first. Thats the fifth double play.

In the eighth, Bob Burda led off with a single. Ron Hunt grounded to first baseman Curt Blefary, stepped on the bag, and threw out Burda at second. Thats six double plays.

And then in the ninth, with the Giants down 3-1, with runners on first and third, with one out, Bobby Etheridge hit the tailor-made double play ? 4-6-3. Thats seven. And that is the record.

Newstex ID: KC-3053-34334278