Sain then scored on a Joe Collins single, and pitched a scoreless ninth to give the Yankees a 9–5 win and 1–0 series lead.

He looked shaky in the first, walking three, hitting a batter, and allowing a sacrifice fly to Yogi Berra for the game's first run, but Brooklyn's Preacher Roe settled down after that and engaged Eddie Lopat in a complete-game pitching duel.

The Yankees struck first in the fifth on an RBI single by Gil McDougald with runners on second and third, but the Dodgers tied it in the bottom half on Billy Cox's fielder's choice with Jackie Robinson at third.

Whitey Ford lasted just one inning as the Yankees' starter, allowing a leadoff ground-rule double to Jim Gilliam, who scored on Jackie Robinson's single.

Gilliam's double in the fourth off Tom Gorman made it 4–0, but Brooklyn's lead was cut in half in the fifth when Billy Loes gave up a two-run home run to Gil McDougald.

Snider's leadoff home run in the sixth off Johnny Sain made it 5–2 Dodgers, then after a double and single, Gilliam's sacrifice fly extended that lead to 6–2.

Clem Labine relieved Loes and got two-outs before Mickey Mantle's RBI single cut the Dodgers' lead to 7–3, but Billy Martin was thrown out trying to score from second base to end the game, tying the series 2–2.

After the Dodgers tied the game in the second on two singles followed by shortstop Phil Rizzuto's throwing error on Carl Furillo's ground ball, Podres was chased in a five-run third.

Rizzuto drew a leadoff walk, moved to third on two groundouts, and scored on when first baseman Gil Hodges misplayed Joe Collins's groundball.

A hit-by-pitch and walk loaded the bases, and the first man Podres's replacement Russ Meyer faced was Mickey Mantle, who greeted him with a grand slam.

The Yankees added another run in the eighth when Collins hit a leadoff double off Ben Wade, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on Yogi Berra's sacrifice fly, but in the bottom of the inning McDonald allowed two singles, then an RBI single to Furillo before a three-run Billy Cox home run cut their lead to 10–6.

Starter Whitey Ford pitched five shutout innings, but in the sixth, allowed a one-out double to Jackie Robinson, who stole third and scored on Roy Campanella's groundout.