1958 World Series
This was the first year New Yorkers had only one local team to root for; both the Giants and the Dodgers were now playing their home games more than 3,000 miles (4,800 km) away (in San Francisco and Los Angeles respectively).
Milwaukee coasted to an eight-game lead over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League and the Yanks bested the Chicago White Sox by ten games in the American.
With no pennant race in either league, managers Casey Stengel of the Yankees and Fred Haney of the Braves could rest their aces in preparation for an exciting repeat of the 1957 World Series.
AL New York Yankees (4) vs. NL Milwaukee Braves (3) Casey Stengel called on 14-game winner Whitey Ford (14–7, 2.01) to start Game 1.
Although teammate Bob Turley had a better regular season record at 21–7, the experienced, perennial winning southpaw Ford had five post-season victories under his belt.
Bill Skowron started the scoring with a home run in the top of the fourth inning, but the Braves came storming back with two of their own in the bottom of the frame.
Milwaukee would tie the game in the eighth on an Eddie Mathews walk, Aaron double and sac-fly by Wes Covington on a deep fly-out to Mickey Mantle in left-center.
Bill Bruton, who came into the game pinch-hitting for Pafko in the ninth, lined a single into right-center, scoring Adcock with the game-winning run.
Burdette got the next batter, Yogi Berra, to ground into an inning ending 4–6–3 double-play; Red Schoendienst, to Johnny Logan, to Frank Torre.
Hank Bauer led off with a home run, followed by a Gil McDougald single to left and then Mantle's second homer of the game, into the left-center field bleachers made it 13–5.
Burdette showed some tenacity by retiring Berra, Bill Skowron, and Bobby Richardson, in order, for the win and a 2–0 series lead.
Warren Spahn was at his much-needed best, winning Game 4 3–0 on a two-hit shutout over Yankee ace Whitey Ford.
New York left-fielder Norm Siebern (playing for the injured Elston Howard), had trouble fielding with the afternoon sun blazing, losing fly balls in the sixth and eighth innings, accounting for two of Milwaukee's three runs.
It was a much-heralded pitching duel until the top of the sixth when Red Schoendienst led off tripling into deep left-center, the ball slicing between Mickey Mantle in center and Siebern in left.
Turley kept cruising retiring the side in order in the fourth and fifth until his Yankee teammates opened the floodgates with a six-run sixth.
After Jerry Lumpe struck out bunting a third strike foul, Mickey Mantle singled to left-center advancing Bauer to third.
Pizzaro relieved Burdette, who was responsible for all baserunners, and was greeted with a two-run scoring double into the Milwaukee bullpen by Gil McDougald.
Turley stayed in the game to hit and delivered a single to left scoring the sixth run, Skowron, and the seventh, McDougald.
Milwaukee needed a split of two games at home to repeat as champions, but manager Fred Haney acted like his team had its back to the wall.
In the process, Haney bypassed veteran Bob Rush, who had an impressive 4-2 record and 1.81 earned run average in the final two months of the regular season and was effective again in Game 3, albeit in a loss.
Hank Bauer, who would be the Series' top hitter with a .323 batting average, four home runs and eight RBI, stepped to the plate and slammed his fourth homer into the left-field bleachers for an early 1–0 lead.
An exhausted Ford walked Schoendienst, loading the bases, and Casey Stengel had seen enough, motioning to the bullpen for reliever Art Ditmar.
Ditmar faced one batter, Logan, who flied out to Elston Howard, who in turn threw home with a perfect throw to Yogi Berra, doubling up Pafko trying to score on a sac-fly.
Red Schoendienst led off with a single to left, Bill Bruton walked and Frank Torre sacrificed up both runners, Jerry Lumpe to Gil McDougald, who was covering first base.
Slow-footed but hustling Elston Howard laid down a sacrifice and, incredibly, was called safe on a poorly tossed throw by Torre to pitcher Burdette.
Tony Kubek lifted a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Howard giving the Yankees a 2–1 lead, which held up until the sixth.
As in Game 6, the score was tied at two after six innings, when Del Crandall homered into the left-field stands with two outs, giving Braves fans a reason to cheer and promise of another title.
Andy Carey singled off Eddie Mathews' glove before Bill Skowron then delivered the back-breaker, a three-run homer to left-center field, to cap a storybook comeback.
Other than a lead-off walk to Eddie Mathews and a 2-out pinch-hit single by Joe Adcock in the ninth, Milwaukee went quietly to sleep, and the Yankees had their 18th World Championship.
