Editor’s note: Tournament games are played with Strat-o-Matic cards and dice.
A late rally proved to be the difference for Brooklyn as the Dodgers defeated the Cincinnati Reds 6-4 at Ebbets Field.
Trailing 3-0, the Dodgers came to life in the bottom of the eighth inning against Reds starter Johnny Klippstein.
Don Hoak walked and Pee Wee Reese single to bring Carl Furillo to the plate, who ended Klippstein’s day with a three-run blast that gave the Dodgers the lead.
After an unearned run scored, Jackie Robinson had a bases loaded walk to make it 5-3. Hoak finished the rally with a run-scoring single.
Despite giving up a RBI double to Johnny Temple, Carl Erskine went the distance for the Dodgers as he scattered 11 hits with three strikeouts.
Cincinnati took its early lead with a pair of runs in the third inning as Roy McMillan had a RBI single, while the other tally came home when Ted Kluszewski managed to beat out a Brooklyn double play attempt.
Rocky Bridges gave the Reds their 3-0 advantage with a RBI single in the fourth inning.
With the victory, Brooklyn advances to the semifinals as the Dodgers will entertain the winner of the (7) St. Louis Cardinals at (3) New York Giants contest.
1955 IN REAL LIFE: Furillo had a career-high 26 homers in 1955 as he helped the Dodgers to their only World Series title in Brooklyn. He also knocked in 95 runs, while hitting .314. In the World Series against the New York Yankees, Furillo had a solo homer off Whitey Ford in the opening contest.
A two-time all-star, Furillo played for the Dodgers from 1946 to 1960. In 15 seasons, he hit 192 homers and had 1,058 RBI along with a .299 career batting average. He also had a hit and two RBI during the Dodgers beat the Chicago White Sox in the 1959 World Series, which would be their first in Los Angeles.
Second Round Results and Schedule
Upper Bracket
(1) Brooklyn Dodgers 6, (5) Cincinnati Reds 4
(7) St. Louis Cardinals at (3) New York Giants
Lower Bracket
(7) Baltimore Orioles at (3) Chicago White Sox
(8) Pittsburgh Pirates at (4) Philadelphia Phillies
Semifinal Schedule
(7) St. Louis Cardinals at (3) New York Giants winner at (1) Brooklyn Dodgers
First Round Results
Upper Bracket
(1) Brooklyn Dodgers 4, (8) Washington Senators 0
(5) Cincinnati Reds 7, (4) Boston Red Sox 3
(3) New York Giants 2, (6) Kansas City Athletics 1
(7) St. Louis Cardinals 6, (2) Cleveland Indians 1
Lower Bracket
(7) Baltimore Orioles 6, (2) Milwaukee Braves 1
(3) Chicago White Sox 8, (6) Chicago Cubs 4
(4) Philadelphia Phillies 3, (5) Detroit Tigers 1
(8) Pittsburgh Pirates 3, (1) New York Yankees 2