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.
A power display by the 1961 New York Yankees led the squad to a 10-4 victory over the 2004 Boston Red Sox as they finished a stretch of five games in three days in Fenway Park.
Roger Maris blasted two homers and drove in six runs, while Mickey Mantle and Bill Skowron both hit long balls to help pitcher Jim Coates pick up a complete game win in his sixth start of the season.
Coates (6-6) gave up six hits with three walks and five strikeouts as he evened his record as a starter at 3-3. His other two wins were over the 1972 Oakland A’s, while he lost to the 1924 Washington Senators, 1968 Detroit Tigers and the 2005 Chicago White Sox.
Skowron gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead in the second inning as he drilled a solo shot off Boston starter Bronson Arroyo. It was his 21st of the year.
In the third, Coates smacked a ball toward Boston left fielder Manny Ramirez and it became a double to begin the inning.
After Tony Kubek was retired, Arroyo walked Clete Boyer before Maris hammered a three-run shot to give the Yankees a 4-0 advantage.
Arroyo didn’t make it out of the fifth inning as the Yankees scored four times to double their lead.
It was nearly a repeat of the the third frame as Coates and Boyer both walked before Maris clubbed another three-run homer for his 54th of the season raising his RBI total to 101.
Coates was cruising along until the eighth when the Red Sox put four runs on the scoreboard.
A pair of New York errors by Skowron and Boyer, led to a two-run double by David Ortiz. Bill Mueller had a RBI single and Doug Mirabelli added a sacrifice fly for the final run.
With two outs in the ninth, Maris reached on an error to give Mantle an opportunity to swing for the fence against the fifth Boston pitcher of the contest Ramiro Mendoza. Mantle put the ball in the stands for a two-run homer, which gives him 57 for the season with 132 RBI.
Season Series
The Yankees took four of the five contests at Fenway in this series, so they were able to even their season mark against Boston at 11-11.
New York welcomes the 1970 Baltimore Orioles to Yankee Stadium for a four-game series and begins a stretch of 21 home contests to end the season.
Scheduled to start the opener for the Yankees is Bud Daley (8-14), while the Orioles counter with Tom Phoebus.
27 * 61 Replay Standings
1927 New York Yankees (82-51)
1961 New York Yankees (71-62)
1968 Detroit Tigers (22-14)
1948 Cleveland Indians (21-15)
1970 Baltimore Orioles (15-21)
2004 Boston Red Sox (17-27)
1924 Washington Senators (14-24)
2005 Chicago White Sox (12-22)
1972 Oakland A’s (12-30)
27 * 61 Home Run Totals
Mickey Mantle 57
Roger Maris 54
Babe Ruth 48
Lou Gehrig 35