5. Aug. 15, 1960, Yankees 4, Orioles 3. Again, the Yankees were locked in a late-season pennant race with a surprising challenger, and again Mantle would play the decisive role. The Yanks entered the two-game series at Yankee Stadium trailing the Orioles and Chicago White Sox by a half game, and with 11-game winner Art Ditmar on the mound.
The Orioles grabbed the momentum with a pair of early runs only to have New York tie the game in the fourth when Mantle homered into the right field seats scoring Hector Lopez, who had singled, ahead of him. But in the top of the eighth, Jackie Brandt muscled up on a Ditmar offering and sent it into the left field seats, giving Baltimore the 3-2 lead.
That only lasted until the bottom of the inning. After Lopez led off by drawing a walk, Mantle lofted a lazy popup behind home plate that catcher Clint Courtney muffed for an error. It was all the break Mantle needed. His next swing landed deep in the right field seats for a two-run homer and a 4-3 lead, which Ditmar protected in the ninth. The win gave the Yankees sole possession of first place. Mantle Win Probability Added: 0.662.
4. Aug. 26, 1966, Yankees 6, Tigers 5. Although only 34 years old, injuries had reduced Mantle to a part-time player by August; in fact he would make only six more starts the remaining five weeks of the season. But he was still Mickey, and that meant he remained capable of delivering in the big moments, especially, it seemed, against the Tigers.
On this day, Mantle watched from the bench as Detroit gradually built a 5-3 advantage. But after Elston Howard opened the bottom of the ninth with a ground rule double and was wild pitched to third, Clete Boyer singled Howard home to put the tying run on base.
With the pitcher’s spot due next, Yankee manager Ralph Houk played his hole card, calling on Mantle for pinch hit duty. Batting right-handed against Tiger lefty Hank Aguirre, Mantle drove a fastball the other way and it reached the lower deck in right field for a dramatic, game-ending two run home run. Mantle Win Probability Added: 0.699.
3. July 22, 1954, Yankees 4, White Sox 3. The most memorable moment of the early portion of Mantle’s career ironically unfolded in the only one of his first eight seasons that his Yankees did not win the pennant.
The Yanks entered play just a half game behind the eventual champion Cleveland Indians and facing a double-header with the White Sox at Yankee Stadium. After being retired on his first three at bats, Mantle finally felt a sense of contribution when his eighth inning base hit off reliever Jack Harshman scored Bill Skowron with the run that tied the game at 3-3.
When neither team generated anything in the ninth, the contest moved into extra innings, with Mantle due up third for New York. Tiger pitcher Don Johnson got Skowron and Hank Bauer on easy grounders, but Mantle was having nothing of that. He sent a Johnson pitch deep into the left field seats for the game-ending home run. Mantle Win Probability Added: 0.705.
2. July 4, 1964, Yankees 7, Twins 5. The last pennant race of Mantle’s career played out in 1964 and included a July 4 doubleheader with the Twins. New York began play as four-time defending champions but in second place, four games behind the Orioles, so the pressure was on.
Mickey was up to the challenge. His first inning ground rule double scored one of New York’s two runs that inning. He singled opening the third and scored ahead of Joe Pepitone’s home run.
But the Twins fought back and led 5-4 entering the bottom of the eighth, when Twins reliever Al Worthington lost his poise. John Blanchard opened the inning by striking out, but he reached first when Worthington’s third strike pitch sailed past catcher Earl Battey. Phil Linz tried to lay down a bunt, and Worthington threw that ball away, too, allowing Linz to reach first safely with pinch runner Hal Reniff at second.
Worthington retired the next two hitters, but that brought up Mantle. He made Worthington pay for his lapses with a three-run home run into the right field seats. When the Twins failed to score in the ninth, Mantle’s home run was a game winner. Mantle Win Probability Added: 0.732.
1. April 26, 1961, Yankees 13, Tigers 11. Mantle’s consummate regular season performance again victimized the Tigers. At Briggs Stadium, the game began with a five-run Yankee first in which Mantle played a minimal role. Tiger shortstop Chico Fernandez fumbled his made-to-order double play ball, allowing four of the runs to score unearned.
Through the next six innings, Mantle was about the only one on either side who didn’t contribute. The Yanks piled up eight runs, but New York pitching was so bad that they still trailed 11-8 entering the eighth. That’s when Mantle asserted himself. After a Jim Donahue wild pitch produced one run, Mantle homered to right-center, scoring Tony Kubek ahead of him and tying the game 11-11.
When neither team did anything in the ninth, the game moved into the 10th inning. Hector Lopez’s one out hit gave Mantle a chance and he delivered with his second home run, this one to left-center off Hank Aguirre. His hit swung the outcome to New York. Mantle Win Probability Added: 0.737.