John bracket: 1961 Yankees defeat 1924 Browns in seven games

Game 1: Yankees 7, Browns 1
WP: Ford (2-0)
LP: Danforth (0-1)
HR: Howard (1), Maris (7), Skowron (1)

Game 2: Browns 5, Yankees 4
WP: Wingard (1-2)
LP: Sheldon (0-1)
Save: Shocker (1)

Game 3: Browns 10, Yankees 4
WP: Davis (2-0)
LP: Stafford (1-1)
HR: Williams (1)

Game 4: Yankees 1, Browns 0 (11 innings)
WP: Coates (2-0)
LP: Shocker (3-1)
Save: Arroyo (3)
HR: Kubek (2)

Game 5: Browns 3, Yankees 1
WP: Pruitt (1-0)
LP: Ford (2-1)
Save: Danforth (1)

Game 6: Yankees 9. Browns 2
WP: Terry (2-0)
LP: Wingard (1-3)
HR: Maris 2 (9), Blanchard (2), Skowron (2)

Game 7: Yankees 9, Browns 0
WP: Stafford (2-1)
LP: Davis (2-1)
HR: Marris (10), Berra (1)

The Browns won every game in which the Yankees failed to hit a homer. Unfortunately for St. Louis, that only happened three times in the series.

Game One turned into a Yankee rout late. Elston Howard homered in the fourth to give the home team a 2-0 lead and drove in another run in the sixth. After the Browns broke through in the top of the seventh to make it 3-1, however, the Browns bullpen surrendered two more two-run homers, to Roger Maris and Bill Skowron.

The Browns evened the series with a three-run outburst in the eighth against Rollie Sheldon and Luis Arroyo, Hack Severeid had a crucial triple in the middle of the inning. Urban Shocker made a one-batter appearance in the ninth with two on and two out to get the save. Winner Ernie Wingard allowed three earned runs in seven innings on five hits and five walks.

The series shifted to 1924 and Sportsman's Park in St. Louis for Game Three. Ken Williams drove in four runs on a triple and homer, and each of the first four hitters in the Browns lineup scored at least twice. Dixie Davis allowed three hits in 6.1 innings for the win.

The bats were silent in Game Four. Shocker pitched all 11 innings for the Browns and was victimized by Tony Kubek's two-out homer in the final frame. Bud Daley threw seven scoreless innings for the Yankees, followed by three more by Jim Coates, who got credit for the win. Shocker allowed six hits and one walk.

The Browns left home with the series lead after piecing together a stout game from bullpen parts. Bill Baynes (four innings), George Grant (one), Hub Pruett (2), George Lyons (0.1) and Danforth (1.6) combined for a seven hitter. The Browns scored three runs in the seventh off Whitey Ford and Sheldon, with Jack Tobin driving in a pair.

Back in 1961's Yankee Stadium, the Bronx Bombers took control in Game Six. The Browns scored a pair of unearned runs in the second after a Skowron error to take an early lead, but that was not only the last lead the Browns would hold in the series, it was the last runs they would tally. The Yankees got a pair of homers from Maris, plus longballs from Skowron and Johnny Blanchard, and won 9-2.

Game Seven was over early. Yogi Berra hit a three-run homer off Davis in the first inning; Maris hit a three-run homer off Elam Vangilder in the second. Bill Stafford went the distance for the win, allowing just two singles and one walk.

Pitcher use restrictions: Yankee bullpen is fully rested for Round Three

Projected rotation: Ford-Daley-Terry-Stafford-(Ford)-(Daley)-(Terry)