1953 World Series recap

It was the Yankees and Dodgers again, as both clubs dominated the competition on their way to winning their respective pennants. Yankee Stadium hosted Game 1, and the Bronx Bombers opened with four runs in the first inning off Dodger starter Carl Erskine. Brooklyn battled back, however, and after seven frames the score was 6-5. But in the bottom of the eighth, Yankee reliever (and eventual winner) Johnny Sain smashed a two-run double, Joe Collins followed with an RBI single, and the Yankees took the 9-5 decision.

Game 2 wasn't decided until the eighth, when Mickey Mantle's two-out, two-run homer provided the margin of victory, Ed Lopat topping Preacher Roe, 4-2. Erskine, so ineffective in Game 1, came back with a strong effort in Game 3 in Brooklyn. "Oisk" (as he was called by the Flatbush faithful) set a new World Series record with 14 strikeouts, though he was never able to relax.

Just as in Game 2, the score was 2-2 until the bottom of the eighth, but this time a Dodger home run broke the logjam, as Roy Campanella deposited a Vic Raschi pitch into the left-field stands. Dodgers 3, Yankees 2. The Bums made it two straight in Game 4, scoring three times in the first inning on their way to an easy 7-3 decision. In the third inning of Game 5, Mantle blasted a grand-slam homer into the upper deck of the left-field stands, giving the Yankees a 6-1 lead which they wouldn't relinquish, the contest ending at 11-7.

In danger of elimination, the Dodgers trailed the Yankees 3-1 when they came to bat in the ninth inning of Game 6. But after Duke Snider drew a one-out walk, Carl Furillo blasted a two-run homer into the right-field stands, and the contest was tied. In the bottom of the ninth, Hank Bauer led off with a walk, and moved to second base on Mantle's infield single, bringing Billy Martin to the plate. Martin, who led the Yankees with eight RBI and a .500 batting average in the Series, singled to center, scoring Bauer with the winning run and giving the Yankees their fifth straight World Series.

Managers: Casey Stengel, NYY; Charlie Dressen, BRO