Orioles Defeat Yankees, 6–5, With Woodling’s Eighth‑Inning Homer
Baltimore Sweeps Three‑Game Set; Both Clubs Trade Power Blows Before 42,755 at Memorial Stadium
BALTIMORE, June 2 — A tight, back‑and‑forth contest at Memorial Stadium ended with a decisive swing from Gene Woodling, whose eighth‑inning home run lifted the Orioles to a 6–5 victory over the New York Yankees before a season‑high crowd of 42,755.
The win completed a three‑game sweep for Baltimore and kept the club atop the American League standings, 2½ games ahead of Cleveland.
Home Runs Dominate Scoring
Both teams relied heavily on the long ball. Baltimore received home runs from Brooks Robinson, Jim Gentile, and Woodling, while New York countered with drives from Bill Skowron and Roger Maris.
Robinson’s two‑run shot in the fifth tied the game at 2–2. Gentile’s 410‑foot blast in the sixth put Baltimore ahead 5–4. Woodling’s leadoff homer in the eighth — a 400‑foot drive off reliever Art Ditmar — broke a 5–5 tie.
Yankees’ Early Chances Slip Away
New York struck first in the second inning when Skowron drove a pitch deep into the left‑center seats. The Yankees nearly added another in the third when pitcher Jim Coates attempted to score from first on Gil McDougald’s double, but Coates failed to slide and was tagged out by catcher Clint Courtney.
Maris doubled and scored in the fourth, then homered in the sixth to give New York a 4–2 lead. Skowron added a sacrifice fly in the eighth to tie the game again at 5–5.
Orioles Rally in Middle Innings
Baltimore answered New York’s scoring with rallies in the fifth and sixth. After Robinson’s homer tied the game, Gentile’s three‑run drive in the sixth — following singles by Al Pilarcik and Woodling — pushed the Orioles ahead.
The Yankees threatened again in the eighth, but reliever Chuck Estrada limited the damage to one run. Estrada worked the final two innings, allowing two hits and earning his fifth win of the season.
Pitching Summary
- Hoyt Wilhelm started for Baltimore but allowed eight hits in five innings.
- Jack Fisher worked the sixth and seventh before giving way to Estrada.
- New York used Coates, Bobby Shantz, and Ditmar, with Ditmar taking the loss.
Defensive Highlights
- Courtney threw out pinch‑runner Bobby Richardson attempting to steal in the seventh.
- Second baseman Marv Breeding made a difficult running catch on Skowron’s eighth‑inning fly, though his off‑balance throw home was not in time to prevent the tying run.
Standings Impact
The Orioles have now won 11 of their last 13, while the Yankees dropped their third straight. Baltimore has won 26 of 36 since falling to 1–5 in late April.
Courtesy of The Baltimore Sun June 3, 1960 via Newspapers.com