Cambridge's partisan baseball bugs will be able to place a lot of bets this morning, with the Giants and Sal Maglie (23-6) favored to take the third National League playoff game. But none of the bets will be taken by Harvard's leading baseball authority and most rabid rooter, Coach Stuffy McInnis.

"Nine innings is short," Stuffy said yesterday, "too short to guarantee that the winner will be the best club. A few errors or breaks here and there can make the difference. For example, if Thompson had got a hit early in the game today with three men on, the Giants might have been in the game. And remember Sunday in Philadelphia, when Ennis struck out with the bases full when a long fly would have won it? A good team can make up its errors and bad breaks in 154 games--but in three . . ."

"And it's a shame," the baseball coach went on, "that the National League has a three-game playoff, instead of only one. It's very disastrous to the pitchers just before the Series. Brooklyn's pitching staff is all worn out; and what if Jansen had to relieve Maglie for the Giants tomorrow? It takes the edge off the World Series."

McInnis played first base in the $100,000 Philadelphia Athletics infield that lost four straight Series games to the "Miracle" Braves of 1914. But he thinks the Giants, compared frequently to that Boston team of old, deserve more credit. "Those Braves started their drive on the 4th of July," he points out. "Remember, in mid-August they were saying that the Dodgers were going to win by 25 games."

"And who," we asked, "do you think is the better manager, Dressen or Durocher?"

"You know I've always thought Durocher was a wonderful manager," Stuffy answered. "Dressen will have to take all the blame for the Dodgers blowing a 13-game lead. After all, it's a manager's responsibility--putting in and pulling out pitchers at the right times, and so forth."

"But it will be tough," he continued, "for either team to do well against the Yankees. There's a team that's really blessed with an old-time college spirit."

"Er, one more question, Stuffy," we ventured. "What's Wrong With The Red Sox?"

Stuffy didn't sound happy. "You know as much about it as I do, son. It's a shame . . . really a shame . . ."