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.
Mickey Mantle won another game with his bat.
For the third time this season, Mantle did it in walk-off fashion in the 10th inning as the 1961 New York Yankees beat the 1948 Cleveland Indians 5-4.
Mantle had walk-off homers against the 1968 Detroit Tigers and 1970 Baltimore Orioles.
Cleveland starter Bob Lemon was still on the mound in the 10th when Tony Kubek led off with a single.
After Lemon fanned Clete Boyer, Roger Maris singled to move Kubek to third.
Russ Christopher was called in from the bullpen by Indians player-manager Lou Boudreau to face Mantle.
The New York slugger singled to drive home his fourth run of the affair as the celebration began in Yankee Stadium.
Lemon was tagged with the loss as he gave up all of the runs on six hits with four strikeouts.
Other than the winning run, all of the scoring came via homers.
Mantle slugged a two-run shot in the first and hit a solo blast in the sixth. He now has 61 long balls this season with 141 RBI.
Yogi Berra accounted for the other New York tally as he led off the second with his 23rd homer of the season.
Cleveland’s runs came on a pair of homers off Whitey Ford, who went the distance for the Yankees.
Ford (16-8) gave up 12 hits and fanned nine without a walk in 10 innings.
With the Yankees up 3-0, Lemon smacked a three-run homer in the third to tie the contest.
Joe Gordon hit a solo homer in the top of the sixth that put the Indians ahead 4-3, but Mantle answered in the bottom of the frame to tie it.
In the finale of the four-game series, Bill Stafford (8-12) will be the starter for the Yankees, while Bob Feller gets the ball for Cleveland. It is also last contest of 22 games in the season series.
27 * 61 Replay Standings
1927 New York Yankees (86-54)
1961 New York Yankees (75-65)
1968 Detroit Tigers (22-14)
1948 Cleveland Indians (23-19)
1970 Baltimore Orioles (19-25)
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 61
Roger Maris 54
Babe Ruth 54
Lou Gehrig 35