Editor’s note: The 100-Loss Tournament games are being played with Strat-o-Matic cards and dice. Injuries will only be used during the game when they occur. For this tournament, the rules include a three-man pitching rotation using the best lineups available.
Doug Ault‘s three-run blast got things started for the 1977 Toronto Blue Jays on the way to a 5-4 victory over the 2012 Chicago Cubs in the opening round of the 100-Loss Tournament.
Toronto’s Roy Howell singled and then Ron Fairly reached on a error with one out in the top of the first against Cubs starter Ryan Dempster to set the stage for Ault, who drilled a long ball that bounced on Waveland Avenue to quiet the Wrigley Field faithful.
The Cubs picked up a run in the bottom of the fourth off Toronto starter Dave Lemanczyk. Bryan LaHair and and Darwin Barney both singled before Welington Castillo‘s RBI single made it 3-1.
Howell hammered a two-run homer into the right field stands off Dempster in the fifth as the Blue Jays went on top 5-1.
The Cubs rallied in the bottom of the eighth to sent Lemanczyk to the showers.
Anthony Rizzo walked with one out to begin the outburst and Alfonso Soriano followed with a single.
After a visit from Toronto manager Roy Hartsfield, LaHair hit a ball that Blue Jays left fielder Al Woods turned into a two-base error that allowed Rizzo and Soriano to score to close the Cubs deficit to 5-3.
Pete Vuckovich took over on the mound for Lemanczyk and surrendered a RBI single to Barney and the Cub were with a run. With the Wrigley crowd in a frenzy, Castillo hit into a double play that ended the inning.
Michael Bowden had blanked the Blue Jays in the three innings since Howell’s homer before Shawn Camp tossed a scoreless ninth.
Vuckovich worked a perfect ninth to earn the save as he fanned Tony Campana and and Starlin Castro to seal the victory for the Blue Jays.
Lemanczyk got the win having left with one out in the eighth. He gave up all four of Chicago’s run with only one being earned with two walks and seven strikeouts.
Dempster was tagged with the loss allowing five runs on eight hits with six strikeouts in five innings. Bowden gave up a hit with a pair of strikeouts in his three frames.
100-Loss Tournament
First Round Schedule and Results
1948 White Sox 5, 1988 Orioles 2
2006 Devil Rays 4, 1975 Tigers 2 (10)
1955 Senators 4, 1988 Braves 3
1977 Blue Jays 5, 2012 Cubs 4
1962 Mets (40-120) at 2002 Brewers (56-106)
1980 Mariners (59-103) at 2012 Astros (55-107)
1969 Expos (52-110) at 2006 Royals (62-100)
1981 Padres (41-69) at 2022 Reds (62-100)