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.
Chicago Cubs pitcher Bob Rush had quite a day as he faced the top-seed in the 1951 Tournament.
Rush limited the New York Yankees to five hits as the Cubs posted a shocking 2-1 victory in the opener of the first round.
Down by two runs, the Yankees were hitless until Gil McDougald smashed a solo homer off Rush in the fifth inning.
Jerry Coleman followed with a single later in the frame, but he was left stranded at first base.
New York’s other hits came from Mickey Mantle with a single, starting pitcher Eddie Lopat had a double, while Joe DiMaggio added a single in the ninth.
The Cubs scored both of their runs against Lopat in the top of the third inning.
Roy Smalley led off with a homer before Eddie Miksis and Hal Jeffcoat had back-to-back triples to produce the other tally.
Miksis and Smalley later picked up singles for the other two hits for the Cubs.
Rush (1-0) fanned six with a pair of walks in his complete game effort, while Lopat (0-1) gave up five hits in nine innings with four walks and four strikeouts.
The Cubs will continue to be on the road in the second round and they visit the winner of the Detroit Tigers at Boston Braves contest.
1951 Tournament
First Round Results and Pairings
(8) Chicago Cubs 2 at (1) New York Yankees 1
(5) Detroit Tigers (73-81) at (4) Boston Braves (76-78)
(6) Cincinnati Reds (68-86) at (3) Boston Red Sox (87-67)
(7) Washington Senators (62-92) at (2) Brooklyn Dodgers (97-60)
(8) St. Louis Browns (52-102) at (1) New York Giants (98-59)
(5) Philadelphia Phillies (73-81) at (4) Chicago White Sox (81-73)
(6) Philadelphia Athletics (70-84) at (3) St. Louis Cardinals (81-73)
(7) Pittsburgh Pirates (64-90) at (2) Cleveland Indians (93-61)