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.
Detroit relief pitcher Don McMahon might have been the happiest person in Tiger Stadium.
One swing changed everything for McMahon after he suffered through a blown save opportunity in the ninth inning allowing three runs on a pair of homers.
Bill Freehan‘s walk-off three-run homer in the ninth gave McMahon the victory as the 1968 Detroit Tigers beat the 1961 New York Yankees 9-8.
The craziness began in the top of the ninth with the Tigers leading 6-5 as McMahon took over for Detroit starter Joe Sparma.
McMahon retired Tony Kubek on a fly ball before Bobby Richardson singled. After Roger Maris popped out to short, Mickey Mantle drilled a two-run homer to give the Yankees a 7-6 advantage.
A flustered McMahon then made a mistake pitch to Elston Howard, who deposited the baseball in the left field stands and New York led by two.
For Mantle, it was his second homer of the contest and 34th of the season. Howard’s long ball was his 12th.
Luis Arroyo entered the game on the mound in the eighth and he fanned Al Kaline to start the ninth before Willie Horton and Norm Cash both singled.
Jim Northrup fouled out to Howard, but then it was Freehan’s turn at the plate and even the cardboard fans were smiling at the result.
Yankees Lead Early
Kubek walked to get the game underway and one out later Maris tripled to put the Yankees on top 1-0. New York added a run in the third on a RBI single by Howard.
The Tigers tied it in the third on a two-run homer by Mickey Stanley.
Both teams scored in the fifth. Mantle had a run-scoring single, but the Tigers got another two-run blast by Stanley and a solo shot from Horton as Detroit led 5-3.
In the seventh, Mantle tied it at 5-5 with a two-run homer.
New York starter Rollie Sheldon pitched into the eighth, but didn’t retire a batter. He walked Northrup and then gave up a single to Freehan that put runners at first and third.
Arroyo was called from the bullpen and gave up a sacrifice fly to Don Wert as the Tigers led by a run after eight to set the stage for the wild ninth.
Sheldon went seven innings allowing six runs on 11 hits with just one strikeout. Sparma tossed eight innings for the Tigers giving up six runs on nine hits with six strikeouts.
Bud Daley (5-7) starts for the Yankees in the fifth contest of the six-game series in Tiger Stadium, while Detroit counters with John Hiller.
27 * 61 Replay Standings
1927 New York Yankees (49-30)
1961 New York Yankees (44-35)
1968 Detroit Tigers (11-7)
1948 Cleveland Indians (8-6)
2004 Boston Red Sox (15-17)
1970 Baltimore Orioles (5-9)
1924 Washington Senators (11-19)
1972 Oakland A’s (11-25)
2005 Chicago White Sox (4-10)
27 * 61 Home Run Totals
Mickey Mantle 34
Roger Maris 31
Babe Ruth 31
Lou Gehrig 21