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.
After an 18-3 win in the opener of the two-game series, the 1961 New York Yankees survived the finale with a 12-10 victory over the 1972 Oakland A’s.
With 19 hits in each affair, the Yankees had seven homers in the first game and added four more in the second to sweep the series.
Bobby Richardson got the scoring underway with a solo homer in the third off Oakland starter Dave Hamilton, who had one day of rest since he was needed for a short relief appearance in the opener.
Both teams scored a run in the fourth. Roger Maris hit a solo shot, which was his 51st homer of the season. Mike Epstein got the A’s on the scoreboard with a solo homer off Yankees starter Bud Daley.
In the fifth, the Yankees added to their margin with four runs getting a solo homer from Tony Kubek, a run-scoring double from Elston Howard and RBI singles from Yogi Berra and Bill Skowron.
Howard’s two-run single in the sixth off Darold Knowles gave the Yankees an 8-1 advantage, but Oakland answered in the bottom of the frame.
Sal Bando had a two-run homer an Ted Kubiak added a RBI single to cut Oakland’s deficit to 8-4.
Oakland reliever Bob Locker worked a perfect seventh, but in the eighth he surrendered three runs on a homer to Skowron.
The A’s matched the three runs in the bottom of the eighth as Daley’s time on the mound came to an end.
With two outs, George Hendrick and Kubiak walked before pinch-hitter Dave Duncan smacked a three-run homer and the A’s trailed 11-7.
The ninth inning also had plenty of action as Mickey Mantle drove in his 123rd run of the season with a single off Rollie Fingers.
Jim Coates took over for Daley in a non-save situation and he struggled to make it through the ninth. Coates gave up a two-run homer to Bando and a RBI single to Gene Tenace before he was able to retire the final two A’s hitters.
Daley (8-14) did get the win for New York with eight innings of work as he allowed seven runs on eight hits with five walks and four strikeouts.
New York stays on the road with a five-game series at the 2004 Boston Red Sox.
In the opener, Whitey Ford (17-5) gets the start for the Yankees, while the Red Sox counter with Curt Schilling.
27 * 61 Replay Standings
1927 New York Yankees (78-50)
1961 New York Yankees (67-61)
1968 Detroit Tigers (22-14)
1948 Cleveland Indians (21-15)
2004 Boston Red Sox (15-19)
1970 Baltimore Orioles (15-21)
1924 Washington Senators (14-24)
2005 Chicago White Sox (11-22)
1972 Oakland A’s (12-30)
27 * 61 Home Run Totals
Mickey Mantle 52
Roger Maris 51
Babe Ruth 47
Lou Gehrig 33