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.
The brooms were out as the 1948 Cleveland Indians looked for a sweep of the 1927 New York Yankees.
Cleveland player-manager Lou Boudreau had to put them back in the closet as the Yankees posted an 8-6 victory to avoid an unthinkable sweep.
Six runs in the seventh inning made the difference for the Yankees as they sent 11 batters to the plate and erased a 6-2 deficit.
Benny Bengough led off the rally with a single against Cleveland starter Gene Bearden. New York starting pitcher Urban Shocker smacked a single that moved the Yankee catcher to third.
A sacrifice fly by Earle Combs scored Bengough and it was 6-3.
After Mark Keonig singled and Babe Ruth walked to load the bases, Lou Gehrig added a two-run single an the Yankees trailed 6-5.
Bearden retired Tony Lazzeri for the second out, but Bob Meusel singled to tie the contest at 6-6.
Joe Black replaced Bearden and the situation didn’t improve as Joe Dugan reached on an error by Indians second baseman Joe Gordon as another run scored.
Bengough, who started the onslaught with a hit, finished it with a RBI single to score what turned out to be the final tally of the affair.
Shocker (10-1), who left the mound after a double by Eddie Robinson to begin the bottom of the ninth, allowed 10 hits and had three strikeouts to earn the victory.
Dutch Ruether picked up his fifth save of the season by retiring all three hitters he faced.
Bearden gave up 10 hits and surrendered all eight runs with seven being earned. He walked four and had three strikeouts. After Black got out of the seventh, Bob Muncrief tossed the final two frames.
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when the Indians produced a run on a sacrifice fly by Gordon.
Cleveland added to its margin with four runs in the fifth. Dale Mitchell and Thurman Ticker both had RBI singles before Boudreau capped the outburst with a double that made it 5-0.
Gehrig’s two run homer in the sixth was his 24th blast of the season as he got the Yankees on the scoreboard.
The final run for the Indians came in the sixth as they went on top 6-2. Larry Doby tripled with one out and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Robinson.
New York continues its 18-game, four-stop road trip as the Yankees visit the 1970 Baltimore Orioles.
Wilcy Moore (10-3) is set to start the opener of the four game-set against the Orioles, while Baltimore counters with Jim Hardin.
27 * 61 Replay Standings
1927 New York Yankees (51-34)
1961 New York Yankees (46-38)
1968 Detroit Tigers (14-8)
1948 Cleveland Indians (12-9)
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 36
Roger Maris 32
Babe Ruth 31
Lou Gehrig 24