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.
A late rally by Boston has the Red Sox advancing to the second round after a 9-5 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in the 1948 Tournament.
The win in Fenway Park allowed the Red Sox to take the two of the three contests in the series to move on to face the Philadelphia Phillies.
Cincinnati starter Bucky Walters had survived 12 hits through six innings as the Reds had built a 5-3 advantage heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Bobby Doerr led off the frame with a triple and then Ted Williams homered and the game was tied and the Red Sox comeback was underway.
After Walters recorded an out he gave up two more hits, Ewell Blackwell came out of the bullpen for the second straight game to end the threat by getting Birdie Tebbetts to ground into a double play.
Blackwell’s success had Reds manager Johnny Neun hopeful for a repeat performance in the eighth inning after his pitcher earned a save in the second game of the series.
It didn’t happen. Blackwell (0-1) didn’t get an out as he gave up two-run double to Billy Goodman and left the bases loaded for Harry Gumpert, who allowed two more runners to cross the plate to put the Red Sox up by four.
Jack Kramer (1-0) surrendered 11 hits as he went the distance with three walks and a strikeouts.
Williams, Doerr and Dom DiMaggio each had four hits for the Red Sox as they pounded out 20 in the finale of the series.
Overall, the Red Sox outscored Cincinnati 32-9 in the affairs as the Red Sox collected a total of 52 hits.
Boston grabbed an early lead scoring a run in the first on a RBI single by Doerr.
In the second, the Red Sox added a run on a sacrifice fly by Stan Spence and it was 2-0.
Johnny Wyrostek‘s ground out in the third produced a run for the Reds to make it 2-1 before Boston responded wth a score in the bottom of the inning when Vern Stephens hit into a double play.
The Reds went on top 4-3 in the sixth on a RBI ground out by Ray Lamanno and a two-run single by Virgil Stallcup.
Cincinnati’s final tally came on a RBI double by Hank Sauer in the top of the seventh that set the stage for Boston’s comeback.
1948 Tournament
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
(N5) New York Giants vs. (A4) Philadelphia A’s
(N3) Brooklyn Dodgers vs. (A6) St. Louis Browns
(A7) Washington Senators vs. (N2) St. Louis Cardinals
Second Round Pairings
(N1) Boston Braves vs. (A5) Detroit Tigers
(N6) Philadelphia Phillies vs. (A2) Boston Red Sox