Whitey Ford breaks Babe Ruth’s record for consecutive scoreless innings in World Series play
On October 8, 1961, at Crosley Field – Whitey Ford of the New York Yankees sets a record for consecutive scoreless innings in World Series play. Ford extends his streak to 32 innings with a 7-0 shutout of the Cincinnati Reds.
Whitey Ford started Game 4 for the Yankees in an attempt to continue his post-season shutout streak, but more importantly to give the Bombers a 3–1 lead in the Series. He accomplished both. Ford retired the first nine batters of the game; when Elio Chacón grounded out to Bobby Richardson at second base for the final out in the third, Ford broke Babe Ruth’s record of 29 2⁄3 consecutive scoreless innings. Ford remained in the game until the end of the fifth, when an apparent ankle injury forced him to leave, his new record at 32 consecutive shutout innings. Jim Coates entered the game in the sixth and pitched four shutout innings.
The Yankees scored the game’s first run in the fourth. Roger Maris led off with a walk and went to third on a single to left-center by Mickey Mantle. Elston Howard grounded into a double play, Maris scoring. The Yankees added another run in the fifth on a walk to Ford, a Bobby Richardson single to right-center and a run-scoring single by in Tony Kubek.
In the sixth, O’Toole was relieved by Jim Brosnan who got into a jam. With one out, Howard doubled to right-center. After Yogi Berra was intentionally walked, Skowron loaded the bases by beating out a slow roller to third. Clete Boyer then doubled to left to plate two runs. The Yankees put on the safety squeeze, only to have Ford bunt right to Reds first baseman Gordy Coleman who tagged first base. Boyer had moved to third and Skowron had come halfway home before stopping. Coleman then raced across the diamond and tagged Skowron, who was trapped between third and home, for an unassisted double play.
The Yankees would add three more runs in the seventh to put the game away. New York’s seven-run output equaled what the Bronx Bombers were able to put up combined in their first three games as solid Reds starting pitching, combined with a wounded Mantle, kept the New York offense sputtering. That would change in Game 5.
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World Series Game 4 Played on Sunday, October 8, 1961 (D) at Crosley Field
NY A 0 0 0 1 1 2 3 0 0 - 7 11 0 CIN N 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 5 1
BOX+PBP WP: Ford (2-0) LP: O'Toole (0-2) SV: Coates (1)
Play by Play
YANKEES 1ST: Richardson flied out to center; Kubek struck out; Maris popped to catcher in foul territory; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Yankees 0, Reds 0. REDS 1ST: Chacon struck out; Kasko flied to right; Pinson flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Yankees 0, Reds 0. YANKEES 2ND: Mantle grounded out (third to first); Howard struck out; Berra flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Yankees 0, Reds 0. REDS 2ND: Robinson grounded out (third to first); Post flied out to left; Freese flied to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Yankees 0, Reds 0. YANKEES 3RD: Skowron walked; Boyer forced Skowron (shortstop to second); Ford forced Boyer (second to shortstop); Richardson doubled to left [Ford to third]; Kubek flied to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Yankees 0, Reds 0. REDS 3RD: Coleman grounded out (second to first); D. Johnson singled to left; O'Toole forced D. Johnson (shortstop to second); Chacon grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Yankees 0, Reds 0. YANKEES 4TH: Maris walked; Mantle singled to left [Maris to third]; LOPEZ RAN FOR MANTLE; Howard grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Maris scored, Lopez out at second]; Berra grounded out (second to pitcher); 1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Yankees 1, Reds 0. REDS 4TH: MARIS CHANGED POSITIONS (PLAYING CF); LOPEZ STAYED IN GAME (PLAYING RF); Kasko singled to left; Pinson flied to left; Robinson was hit by a pitch [Kasko to second]; Post grounded into a double play (shortstop to second to first) [Robinson out at second]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Yankees 1, Reds 0. YANKEES 5TH: Skowron singled to right; Boyer grounded into a double play (third to second to first) [Skowron out at second]; Ford walked; Richardson singled to center [Ford to second]; Kubek singled to center [Ford scored, Richardson to third, Kubek to second (on throw to home)]; Maris flied to right; 1 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Yankees 2, Reds 0. REDS 5TH: Freese flied to right; Coleman grounded out (shortstop to first); D. Johnson singled to center; GERNERT BATTED FOR O'TOOLE; Gernert forced D. Johnson (third to second); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Yankees 2, Reds 0. YANKEES 6TH: BROSNAN REPLACED GERNERT (PITCHING); Lopez was called out on strikes; Howard doubled to right; Berra was walked intentionally; Skowron singled to third [Howard to third, Berra to second]; Boyer doubled to left [Howard scored, Berra scored, Skowron to third]; Ford hit into a double play (first unassisted) [Skowron out at home]; 2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Yankees 4, Reds 0. REDS 6TH: Chacon singled to left; COATES REPLACED FORD (PITCHING); Kasko flied out to left; Whitey Ford left with an ankle injury; Pinson grounded out (first unassisted) [Chacon to second]; Robinson was hit by a pitch; Post flied to center; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Yankees 4, Reds 0. YANKEES 7TH: Richardson singled to center [Richardson to second (error by Pinson)]; Kubek flied out to left; Maris was walked intentionally; Brosnan threw a wild pitch [Richardson to third, Maris to second]; Lopez singled to center [Richardson scored, Maris scored, Lopez to second (on throw to home)]; Howard struck out; Berra was walked intentionally; Skowron singled to center [Lopez scored, Berra out at third (center to third)]; 3 R, 3 H, 1 E, 1 LOB. Yankees 7, Reds 0. REDS 7TH: Freese flied out to left; Coleman flied out to right; BELL BATTED FOR D. JOHNSON; Bell grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Yankees 7, Reds 0. YANKEES 8TH: ZIMMERMAN REPLACED BELL (PLAYING C ); Boyer flied out to center; Coates struck out; Richardson lined to second; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Yankees 7, Reds 0. REDS 8TH: LYNCH BATTED FOR BROSNAN; Lynch struck out; Chacon popped to second; Kasko grounded out (shortstop to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Yankees 7, Reds 0. YANKEES 9TH: HENRY REPLACED LYNCH (PITCHING); Kubek struck out; Maris struck out; Lopez flied out to center; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB. Yankees 7, Reds 0. REDS 9TH: Pinson popped to first; Robinson walked; Post singled to left [Robinson to second]; Freese struck out; Coleman flied out to right; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 2 LOB. Yankees 7, Reds 0. Final Totals R H E LOB Yankees 7 11 0 6 Reds 0 5 1 7