Series IX Featured Game: New York Black Yankees @ New York Gothams
The first
subway series had seen the
Gothams take 2 of the first 3 games. They would send an early season workhorse,
Christy Mathewson, to the mound against the
Black Yankees'
Red Ruffing. Mathewson entered the game at 4-4 with a 4.69 ERA while Ruffing brought an undefeated record, at 4-0 with an ERA of 3.43.
The Gothams took the lead in the bottom of the 2nd, when
Cookie Rojas delivered a bases loaded single, scoring
Willie Mays. But a strong throw from
Mickey Mantle in right field beat
Yasiel Puig to the plate, keeping the lead 1-0.
Babe Ruth led off the top of the 4th with a line-drive double to left and Mantle walked. Both scored on a double by
Albert Belle, putting the Black Yankees up by 2 runs, 3-1. The Gothams would tie it up in the bottom of the frame:
Johnny Callison doubled and moved to 3rd on a sacrifice fly from
Willie McCovey. Puig--who has hit very well since a recent promotion from AAA--was hit by a pitch from Ruffing.
Brandon Crawford plated Callison with a sacrifice fly, and Puig scored on a wild pitch.
Ruffing and Mathewson found some consistency after that, until Ruffing was chased from the game in the bottom of the 7th, relieved by
Dellin Betances. who promptly gave up 2 hits and a walk, with a single from McCovey plating
Pinky Higgins and
Buster Posey.
Mathewson was chased from the game in the top of the 8th by a long solo homerun by Belle, with
Mike Norris coming in for the Gothams.
Mike Schmidt greeted him with a single, and
Thurman Munson followed with a deep shot to the upper deck in right field to put the Black Yankees up by a run, 6-5.
Goose Gossage took over for the Black Yankees in the bottom of the ninth with the 1 run lead, and induced flyball outs from Higgins and Posey. But Mays shot a ball just inside the RF foul pole to tie the game at 6. So ... EXTRA INNINGS!
The deadlock lasted until the top of the 12th, when Ruth led off against
Robb Nen by blasting a ball deep into the night.
David Robertson closed it out in the bottom of the inning to preserve the victory--and the series split--for the Black Yankees.
Ruffing had a hard time with the strike zone, walking 6 in 6 innings, as did Mathewson, who walked 5 in 7.2 innings. Overall, the Black Yankees' bullpen was just slightly more effective (3 hits and 2 runs in just under 6 innings), which--along with some timely longballs--was the difference maker.
Rojas and Higgins had 2 hits for the Gothams. For the Black Yankees,
Derek Jeter went 3-for-6 and five players (Ruth, Davis, Belle, Schmidt, and Munson) had 2 hits each. Belle drove in 3, and Munson's 2 homeruns gave him 5 on the year.
NYY 7 (Robertson 2-1; Citarella 6 H; Gossage 3 BS) @ NYG 6 (Nen 2-3; Norris 2 BS) [12 Innings]
HR: NYY - Belle (5), Munson 2 (5), Ruth (13); NYG - Mays (4)
Box Score