1961 World Series Games 1 & 2: Reds pitching stifles Yankee bat to take 2-0 series lead

8/25-8/26 - Yankee Stadium
GAME 1 - Reds 2, Yankees 0
Nothing says World Series more than seeing the House that Ruth build all draped in red, white and blue bunting.  Having Whitey Ford on the mound to start the series is usually the punctuation mark for victory.  Ford went 8 solid innings and allowed just 2 runs on 4 hits.  On most days this would be the recipe for victory, but today was the day that knuckleball specialist Bob Purkey would pick to confound and confuse the Yankee hitters.  The much feared New York lineup was only able to muster up 3 hits off of Purkey.  A leadoff single by Moose Skowron to start the bottom of the 3rd was New York's only hit until a two out double by Bobby Richardson in the 8th.  Mickey Mantle singled in the 9th and the game all came down to a Yogi Berra fly ball that died in Frank Robinson's glove on the warning track in right center.  Gene Freese's two run shot in the 3rd would be all the runs that Purkey would need.

GAME 2 - Reds 1, Yankees 0
Fans in New York are starting to wonder if the 4 days off between the ALCS and the World Series is responsible for cooling the red hot Yankee bats.  Quite possibly it could be the Red staff, which now has 18 consecutive shutout innings vs an offense that hit 240 regular season homers.  Ken Hunt took the hill for Cincy after not pitching at all in the NLCS.  If rust slowed down the Yankee offense it did noting but make Hunt that much more effective.  Cincy would take a 1-0 lead in the 3rd when rookie shortstop Leo “don’t call me Chico” Cardenas doubled home Jerry Zimmerman with 2 outs.  That would be the only run scored off of Yankee starter Bill Stafford all day.  If fact it was to be the only run scored in the game.  Stafford would only have himself to blame for the run as he booted Zimmerman's comebacker, which allowed Cincy's light hitting catcher to reach base.  Jim Brosnan and Bill Henry each threw a scoreless inning in relief of Hunt with Henry getting the save.  Hunt would fan 7 Bombers on the day including Mantle twice.