1927 World Series recap

Yankees defeat Pirates, 4 games to 0

September 22nd, 2022
The iconic 1927 Yankees followed up a 110-win regular season with a four-game sweep of the Pirates in the World Series.

The '27 Yankees were one of baseball's greatest teams ever, and the '27 Series bore one of baseball's greatest myths. The Pirates, it seems, were so awed by the Yankees during batting practice that they lost all hope even before the Series began. Or so the story goes. In reality, the Pirates weren't particularly intimidated, boasting a number of fine hitters and having won the World Series just two years earlier.

In the opener, the Yankees took a 5-2 lead in the top of the fifth. The Pirates battled back with single runs in the fifth and eighth, but couldn't quite complete the comeback as New York triumphed, 5-4. Pittsburgh was never really in Game 2, the Yankees scoring three runs in the third and eighth innings on their way to a 6-2 win.

The Pirates were overpowered in Game 3 by Yankee right-hander Herb Pennock, who was working on a perfect game until Pie Traynor tripled with one out in the eighth. Lou Gehrig's two-run triple in the first inning got the Yankees all the runs they would need, but Babe Ruth's three-run homer in the seventh gave the Yankees their eventual 8-1 cushion.

With Pittsburgh on the brink of elimination, Ruth's two-run blast in the fifth gave the Yankees a 3-1 lead in Game 4. The Pirates battled back, however, with a pair of unearned runs in the seventh, and it was still 3-3 when New York batted in the bottom of the ninth. The Yankees loaded the bases with nobody out, but reliever Johnny Miljus struck out first Gehrig and then Bob Meusel. With Tony Lazzeri at the plate, however, Miljus uncorked his second wild pitch of the inning, and Earl Combs trotted home with the Series-ending run.

Managers: Miller Huggins, NYY; Owen Bush, PIT