Editor’s note: The 27 * 61 Yankees Replay games are being played with Strat-o-Matic cards and dice. The designated hitter will not be used for any games. Injuries will only be used during the game when they occur.
Roger Maris smacked a pair of two-homers to lead the 1961 New York Yankees to a 4-1 victory over the 1968 Detroit Tigers.
Maris took Tigers starter Denny McLain deep in the first inning after Tony Kubek led off the game with a double.
Norm Cash drilled a solo homer off New York starter Whitey Ford in the second to cut Detroit’s deficit in half.
Both starters settled down until the bottom of the fifth when Maris drilled another shot off McLain for the final runs of the affair.
With the two long balls, Maris now has 40 on the season with 70 RBI. The Yankee right fielder trails Mickey Mantle in both categories as the slugging switch hitter has 41 homers and 98 RBI.
Ford (12-6) went the distance for the Yankees as he held the Tigers to four hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
McLain tossed seven frames allowing eight hits, while fanning five. Daryl Patterson worked a perfect eighth for Detroit with two strikeouts.
Bill Stafford (13-4) will start the third contest of the four-game series for New York, while Earl Wilson gets the ball from Detroit manager Mayo Smith.
27 * 61 Replay Standings
1927 New York Yankees (61-43)
1961 New York Yankees (54-49)
1948 Cleveland Indians (18-12)
1968 Detroit Tigers (16-11)
2004 Boston Red Sox (15-17)
1970 Baltimore Orioles (13-17)
1924 Washington Senators (11-19)
2005 Chicago White Sox (8-14)
1972 Oakland A’s (11-25)
27 * 61 Home Run Totals
Mickey Mantle 41
Roger Maris 40
Babe Ruth 37
Lou Gehrig 27