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.
Chicago continued to upset the bracket in the 1948 Tournament as the No. 8 seeded Cubs beat the New York Giants 5-2 in the opener of the second round best of three series.
Johnny Schmitz (2-0) went the distance to earn the victory for the Cubs as he scattered nine hits with a pair of strikeouts.
The Cubs go for the sweep as Russ Meyer (0-1) takes the mound in the second contest with Larry Jansen (1-0) getting the ball for the Giants.
Both teams scored in the first inning as the Cubs picked up an unearned run off New York starter Dave Koslo (0-1), while the Giants got a sacrifice fly from Johnny Mize.
Bobby Thomson‘s homer in the second gave the Giants a 2-1 advantage.
In the third, Bill Nicholson‘s two-run homer gave the Cubs the lead for good.
The Cubs last two runs came in the fifth. Andy Pafko had a RBI double and Eddie Waitkus added a sacrifice fly.
Bob Scheffing and Emil Verban led the Cubs with three hits apiece.
1948 Tournament
Second Round Pairings and 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
(N3) Brooklyn Dodgers vs. (N2) St. Louis Cardinals
First Round Pairings and 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