Editor’s note: The 1940s Diamond Gems 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.
Lou Boudreau‘s walk-off single in the 12th inning gave the 1948 Cleveland Indians a 4-3 victory over the 1940 Detroit Tigers in the opening round of the 1940s Diamond Gems Tournament.
Detroit’s Johnny Gorsica walked pinch-hitter Thurman Tucker to begin the 12th before Dale Mitchell singled to put runners on first and third.
Gorsica retired Allie Clark on a shallow fly by to center, which set the stage for Boudreau’s game-winner to tag the Detroit reliever with the loss.
Cleveland’s Russ Christopher worked the final three frames to the Indians to earn the win. He allowed three hits with a pair of walks and a strikeout.
The Indians grabbed an early advantage in the bottom of the first on Clark’s RBI single, but the Tigers quickly answered in the top of the second as Rudy York doubled and later scored on a single by Birdie Tebbetts.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the seventh when the Indians picked a pair of runs against Detroit starter Bobo Newsom on solo homers by Larry Doby and Jim Hegan.
York’s two-run blast in the top of the ninth tied the affair at 3-3 as Cleveland starter Bob Lemon was sent to the showers. Satchel Paige got the final two outs of the frame to send the contest to extra innings.
Lemon allowed three hits with two walks and nine strikeouts before York’s homer ended his day.
Newsom went seven innings for the Tigers surrendering seven hits with two walks, while fanning seven. Archie McKain and Al Benton both tossed two scoreless innings before Gorsica was sent to the mound in the 12th by Detroit manager Del Baker.
1940s Diamond Gems Tournament
First Round Schedule
1940 Cincinnati Reds 5, 1948 Boston Braves 2
1941 Brooklyn Dodgers 2, 1946 St. Louis Cardinals 0
1948 Cleveland Indians 4, 1940 Detroit Tigers 3 (12)
1941 New York Yankees at 1946 Boston Red Sox