Editor’s note: The 1948 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. The first and second round series will be the best two of three games. The semifinals are best of five, while the championship series is the best of seven.
Andy Pafko made sure the Chicago Cubs would take game one.
Pafko had four hits including a pair of two-run homers to help the Cubs to an 8-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of their semifinal best of five series in the 1948 Tournament.
With the win, Chicago will have Johnny Schmitz (2-0) on the mound as the Cubs try to take control of the series in the second contest, while the Cardinals hope Murry Dickson (1-0) can provide a boost to even the affair.
The Cubs got on the scoreboard in the first inning against St. Louis starter Howie Pollet with three runs.
Eddie Waitkus had a two-run single before Hal Jeffcoat doubled to give the Cubs a 3-0 advantage.
St. Louis answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first against Cubs starter Bob Rush.
Red Schoendienst doubled to begin the frame and he later scored when Rush had a two-base throwing error on a grounder by Enos Slaughter. Stan Musial brought home Slaughter with a single an it was 3-2.
It was then Pafko’s turn. His first two-run shot came in the third to make it 5-2. In the fourth, his long ball put the Cubs in front 7-2 and ended the day for Pollet (1-1).
A RBI single in the eighth by Waitkus produce the final tally for the Cubs against Al Brazle.
Rush (2-0) survived a three-run rally by the Cardinals in the bottom of the eighth as he tossed a complete game. He gave up 11 hits and walked three with a strikeout.
Ron Northey, Don Lang and Del Rice each drove in a run, but it proved to be too late for the Cardinals.
1948 Tournament
Semifinal Pairings and Results
(N1) Boston Braves vs. (N6) Philadelphia Phillies
Braves 8-0
(N8) Chicago Cubs vs (N2) St. Louis Cardinals
Cubs 8-5
Second Round Results
(N1) Boston Braves vs. (A5) Detroit Tigers, Braves 15-6, 9-2
(N6) Philadelphia Phillies vs. (A2) Boston Red Sox, Phillies 11-3, 4-3
(N8) Chicago Cubs vs (N5) New York Giants, Cubs 5-2, 3-0
(N3) Brooklyn Dodgers vs. (N2) St. Louis Cardinals, Cardinals 5-4, 5-3
First Round Results
(N1) Boston Braves vs. (A8) Chicago White Sox, Braves 12-4, 5-0
(A5) Detroit Tigers vs. (N4) Pittsburgh Pirates, Tigers 11-4, 1-0
(A3) New York Yankees vs. (N6) Philadelphia Phillies, Phillies 6-2, 5-2
(N7) Cincinnati Reds vs. (A2) Boston Red Sox, Red Sox 20-1, 3-4, 9-5
(A1) Cleveland Indians vs. (N8) Chicago Cubs, Cubs 4-0, 1-3, 11-0
(N5) New York Giants vs. (A4) Philadelphia A’s, Giants 5-2, 6-1
(N3) Brooklyn Dodgers vs. (A6) St. Louis Browns, Dodgers 5-0, 6-3
(A7) Washington Senators vs. (N2) St. Louis Cardinals, Cardinals 3-0, 5-4