Editor’s note: Tournament games are played with Strat-o-Matic cards and dice. Three-man pitching rotations will be used for starting pitchers. Injuries are in-game only during this single elimination event.
A fast start for the Philadelphia Phillies led to a 5-3 victory over the St. Louis Browns in the second round of the 1951 Tournament.
The Phillies scored three times in the first inning off Browns starter Tommy Byrne to earn their spot in the semifinals against the winner of the St. Louis Cardinals at Cleveland Indians contest.
Eddie Waitkus and Richie Ashburn singled to open the contest for Philadelphia. After Byrne fanned Dick Sisler, Del Ennis tripled to give the Phillies the early lead. A single by Willie Jones brought home Ennis and it was 3-0.
Both teams added a run in the second to making it 4-1.
The Browns scored an unearned run as Fred Marsh hit into a double play, while Asburn had a RBI single in the bottom of the inning.
St. Louis cut its deficit to a run by scoring in the fourth and fifth.
In the fourth, Earl Rapp scored on a passed ball by Philadelphia catcher Andy Seminick. Ken Wood drilled a solo homer in the fifth for what turned out to be the last run for the Browns.
Jones capped the scoring for the Phillies in the seventh with a solo blast.
Bubba Church (1-0) gave up seven hits in his complete game effort with two walks and six strikeouts. He retired the final eight batters to put the game way.
Byrne (0-1) was tagged with the loss with seven innings on the mound as he allowed eight hits with eight walks and five strikeouts.
After Byrne walked Church to begin the eighth, Satchel Paige retired the next three batters with a strikeout to give the Browns a chance for comeback that didn’t materialize.
1951 Tournament
Semifinals
(4) Boston Braves at (2) Brooklyn Dodgers
Second Round Results and Pairings
(4) Boston Braves 5, (8) Chicago Cubs 3
(2) Brooklyn Dodgers 4, (6) Cincinnati Reds 1
(5) Philadelphia Phillies 5, (8) St. Louis Browns 3
(3) St. Louis Cardinals at (2) Cleveland Indians
First Round Results
(8) Chicago Cubs 2 at (1) New York Yankees 1
(4) Boston Braves 5, (5) Detroit Tigers 2
(6) Cincinnati Reds 4, (3) Boston Red Sox 2
(2) Brooklyn Dodgers 4, (7) Washington Senators 2
(8) St. Louis Browns 6, (1) New York Giants 1
(5) Philadelphia Phillies 10, (4) Chicago White Sox 3
(3) St. Louis Cardinals 2, (6) Philadelphia Athletics 0
(2) Cleveland Indians 5, (7) Pittsburgh Pirates 3