Editor’s note: Tournament games are played with Strat-o-Matic cards and dice.
One swing by Stan Lopata and the right arm of Robin Roberts was all the Philadelphia Phillies needed to defeat the Detroit Tigers 3-1 at Connie Mack Stadium.
Roberts went the distance allowing six hits, while fanning eight to get the win.
The only run that Roberts surrendered came in the fifth on a RBI triple by Harvey Kuenn.
Detroit’s Billy Hoeft blanked the Phillies on two hits through seven innings. Richie Ashburn singled in the third and Andy Seminick doubled in the fourth.
However, everything quickly went downhill for Hoeft in the eighth.
With two outs, Ashburn and Earl Torgeson walked and then Lopata drove a pitch from Hoeft over the wall for a three-run homer to put the Phillies on top.
Roberts worked a perfect ninth to secure the victory.
The Phillies advance to the second round to play the winner of the Pittsburgh Pirates at New York Yankees contest.
1955 IN REAL LIFE: Roberts won 20 games for the sixth straight time in 1955. He earned his sixth of seven all-star selections as he posted a 23-14 mark leading the National League in victories.
In his 19-year career, Roberts was 286-245 with an ERA of 3.41. He won 234 games for the Phillies from 1948 to 1961. He ended his career in 1966 after pitching for the Baltimore Orioles, Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs. In 1976, Roberts was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
First Round Results and Schedule
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 at (1) New York Yankees
Second Round Schedule
Upper Bracket
(5) Cincinnati Reds at (1) Brooklyn Dodgers
(7) St. Louis Cardinals at (3) New York Giants
Lower Bracket
(7) Baltimore Orioles at (3) Chicago White Sox
(4) Philadelphia Phillies vs. the winner of the (8) Pittsburgh Pirates at (1) New York Yankees