A NEW ERA BEGINS WITH YAZ ...
The Sox rally in the bottom of the ninth
after falling behind the Yankees in the ninth

July 23, 1961 ... The Red Sox turned the tables on the New York Yankees by scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, and walked-off with a 5 to 4 victory. In the process, Don Schwall won his 10th game.

The game had a double climax. The Yankees came from behind in the top of the ninth inning on a two-run homer off the bat of Elston Howard, putting them ahead 4-3.

But Don Buddin started the bottom of the ninth with a base hit to left. Then Carl Yastrzemski moved him up with a sacrifice bunt. Pumpsie Green, pinch-hitting for Schwall came up next. He pumped a curve ball off the scoreboard for a double, that enabled Buddin to romp home with the tying run. Yankee pitcher Bud Daley, next got Chuck Schilling to pop up for the second out. On a 2-and-2 pitch, Gary Geiger next singled to right and Pumpsie jubilantly came across the plate with the winning run.

For Schwall, the victory was a sweet one. He gave up two runs in the third inning on a Bobby Richardson single, a Tony Kubek double, and an RBI single by Roger Maris. He then walked Mickey Mantle and proceeded to shut down the Yanks. Only one man reached base and that was Mantle who walked in the sixth.

Meanwhile in the second, third and fourth innings, the Sox put up single runs. In the second it was a homer by Jim Pagliaroni. In the third Yaz got a base hit off Richardson's glove, Schwall sacrificed and Geiger blooped a run-scoring single to right. And in the fourth inning, Frank Malzone homered to put the Sox ahead 3 to 2.

Now Schwall did a splendid job of protecting his one-run lead by pitching no-hit ball. Daley also was great in holding the Sox to just two hits during the stretch. Schwall retired 14 batters in  a row, except for Mantle's walk.

Then in the eighth, Tony Kubek beat-out a nubber hit toward Schilling. Maris then worked Schwall for a free pass and Mantle waited out Schwall for a walk on four pitches, to load the bases for Yogi Berra. Yogi smashed the ball right at Schilling however, who tossed over to Buddin, catching Maris off the bag for a doubleplay and crushing the potential rally.

Schwall had worked himself out of trouble, but it was only temporary. In the top of the ninth, the Yankees continued when Bill Skowron led-off with a single to center. That brought up Elston Howard who took a 1-and-1 pitch into the fourth row of the center field seats, and the score was now in the favor of the Yankees, 4-to-3.

Then came along the Red Sox fireworks in the bottom of the ninth.

 

F   E   N   W   A   Y     P   A   R   K

 

 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

 

R

H

E

 
 

NEW YORK YANKEES

0

0

2

0

0

0

0

0

2

 

 

4

9

0

 
 

BOSTON RED SOX

0

1

1

1

0

0

0

0

2

 

 

5

13

0

 

 

W-Don Schwall (10-2)
L-Bud Daley (8-12)
Attendance: 28,575

 2B-Green (Bost), Kubek (NY)

 HR-Pagliaroni (Bost), Malzone (Bost), Howard (NY)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AB

R

H

AVG

 

 

Chuck Schilling 2b 4 0 0 .253  

 

Gary Geiger cf 5 0 2 .247  

 

Jackie Jensen rf 4 0 3 .273  

 

Vic Wertz 1b 4 0 0 .275  

 

Pete Runnels 1b 0 0 0 .299  

 

Jim Pagliaroni c 4 1 3 .243  

 

Frank Malzone 3b 4 1 1 .228  

 

Don Buddin ss 4 1 1 .275  

 

Carl Yastrzemski lf 3 1 2 .265  

 

Don Schwall p 1 0 0 .188  

 

Pumpsie Green ph 1 1 1 .207  
               
    IP H ER BB SO  

 

Don Schwall 9 9 4 6 4  

 

 

         

 

 

 

1961 AMERICAN LEAGUE STANDINGS

 

 

Detroit Tigers 62 34 -

 

 

New York Yankees 60 33 1/2

 

 

Cleveland Indians 53 45 10

 

 

Baltimore Orioles 51 45 11

 

 

Chicago White Sox 50 47 12 1/2

 

 

BOSTON RED SOX 45 53 18

 

 

Washington Senators 42 53 19 1/2

 

 

Los Angeles Angels 42 54 20

 

 

Minnesota Twins 40 55 21 1/2

 

 

Kansas City Athletics 34 60 27