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.
Warren Spahn was just good enough to survive.
Spahn’s complete game effort allowed the Boston Braves to post a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers in the opening round of the 1951 Tournament.
The Tigers had 12 hits off Spahn (1-0) as he walked three and fanned two. Detroit stranded 15 base runners and missed on several offense opportunities leaving the bases loaded twice.
With the win, the Braves will entertain the Chicago Cubs in the second round.
Unlike their opponent, the Braves scored early as they were able to hold off the Tigers.
In the bottom of the first against Detroit starter Fred Hutchinson, the Braves picked up an unearned run.
Earl Torgeson walked with two outs before Bob Elliott moved him to third with a single. Tigers first baseman Dick Kryhoski misplayed a grounder off the bat of Sid Gordon and Torgeson scored.
Boston built a 3-0 advantage in the second inning on a RBI double by Sibby Sisti and a run-scoring single by Sam Jethroe.
After leaving the bases loaded in the second, bags were jammed in the top of the fourth.
However, the Tigers were able to score on back-to-back RBI singles by Jerry Priddy and George Kell before Spahn was able to get out of the frame without more damage as Vic Wertz lined out to leave three more runners on base.
The Braves added their final two runs in the fifth as Willard Marshall tripled to bring them home.
Hutchinson (0-1) worked six innings for the Tigers allowing nine hits with a pair of walks and three strikeouts. Bob Cain gave up two hits and a walk in the seventh and the eighth to keep it close as the Tigers failed to score against Spahn.
1951 Tournament
Second Round Pairings
(8) Chicago Cubs at (4) Boston Braves
First Round Results and Pairings
(8) Chicago Cubs 2 at (1) New York Yankees 1
(4) Boston Braves 5, (5) Detroit Tigers 2
(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)