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.
Back-to-back homers in the bottom of the eighth sent the Yankee Stadium crowd into a frenzy.
The two long balls by Clete Boyer and Johnny Blanchard gave the 1961 New York Yankees a 7-6 win over the 2005 Chicago White Sox and a sweep in the four-game series.
Chicago reliever Cliff Politte shutdown a New York rally in the seventh as the White Sox were clinging to a 6-5 advantage.
Boyer led off the New York eighth against Politte with his fifth blast of the season to tie the affair before Blanchard drilled his second homer of the year to put the Yankees in front.
New York manager Ralph Houk called Luis Arroyo in from the bullpen to work the ninth and he responded with a perfect frame to earn his fifth save.
With a team-high three hits for Chicago, Paul Konerko got the White Sox started in the first inning with a two-run homer off New York’s Ralph Terry.
The Yankees bounced back in the third as Mickey Mantle tied it with a two-run single before Yogi Berra added a RBI single to make it 3-2.
Konerko added a solo shot for his second homer of the contest in the fourth and it was 3-3.
Defense hurt the Yankees in the fifth as the White Sox scored three unearned runs off Terry, who would be replaced by Jim Coates with one out.
Chicago took a 4-3 lead with a run on an error by Blanchard, who was behind the plate to give Elston Howard a day off. Tadahito Iguchi tripled to drive in the other two runs as the White Sox led by three just before Coates retired the side to end the outburst.
In the seventh, White Sox starter Jose Contreras walked Roger Maris with one out and then his day was over when Mantle smacked his 17th homer to knock in a pair of runs cutting New York’s deficit to one. Politte came on to stop the Yankees.
After Coates tossed a scoreless sixth for the Yankees, Tex Clevenger (2-1) picked the win as he worked the seventh and eighth allowing just one hit that was erased by a double play.
New York sends Rollie Sheldon (2-5) to the mound against the 1948 Cleveland Indians in the opener of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium. Sam Zoldak is scheduled to get the ball for Cleveland.
27 * 61 Replay Standings
1927 New York Yankees (32-18)
1961 New York Yankees (29-21)
1948 Cleveland Indians (6-2)
1968 Detroit Tigers (7-3)
1970 Baltimore Orioles (3-5)
2004 Boston Red Sox (5-9)
1924 Washington Senators (7-15)
1972 Oakland A’s (7-17)
2005 Chicago White Sox (4-10)
27 * 61 Home Run Totals
Roger Maris 21
Babe Ruth 18
Lou Gehrig 18
Mickey Mantle 17