Editor’s note: The 1960 Tournament games are being played with Strat-o-Matic cards and dice. Injuries will only be used during the game when they occur. For this tournament, the rules include a three-man pitching rotation using the best lineups available.
A sacrifice fly by Mike Shannon gave the 1967 St. Louis Cardinals a walk-off 5-4 victory over 1966 Baltimore Orioles to advance to the semifinals of the 1960s Diamond Gems Tournament.
With the score tied 4-4, Curt Flood began the bottom of the ninth with a walk. Baltimore starter Jim Palmer fanned Roger Maris before giving up a single to Orlando Cepeda. Palmer then walked Tim McCarver to load the bases.
After Baltimore manager Hank Bauer called Stu Miller from the bullpen, the new hurler was greeted by Shannon’s game-winning fly ball that allowed Flood to race home for the Cardinals.
Joe Hoerner (1-0) worked a perfect ninth for the Cardinals to get the win as he replaced St. Louis starter Dick Hughes, who tossed eight innings allowing four runs on six hits with nine strikeouts. Palmer (0-1) was tagged with the loss as he gave up five runs one nine hits with five walks and seven strikeouts.
The Cardinals were the first to score as Julian Javier‘s sacrifice fly in the second brought home McCarver. Baltimore responded in the fourth to grab a 2-1 lead on back-to-back doubles by Frank Robinson and Brooks Robinson. Hughes tied the affair in the bottom of the fourth as he slapped a RBI single to make it 2-2.
Cepeda’s two-run homer in the fifth put the Cardinals on top 4-2. In the sixth, Frank Robinson had a RBI double. Robinson would later score on a single by Davey Johnson as the Orioles tied the contest at 4-4 to set the stage for an exciting ninth inning for the Busch Stadium faithful, who will now get to cheer for the semifinal match-up against the 1967 Boston Red Sox.
Semifinals
1960 Pittsburgh Pirates at 1969 New York Mets
1967 Boston Red Sox at 1967 St. Louis Cardinals
Second Round Results
1960 Pittsburgh Pirates 4, 1961 New York Yankees 2
1969 New York Mets 3, 1968 St. Louis Cardinals 0
1967 Boston Red Sox 9, 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers 5
1967 St. Louis Cardinals 5, 1966 Baltimore Orioles 4
First Round Results
1961 New York Yankees 12, 1962 New York Mets 2
1960 Pittsburgh Pirates 3, 1969 Baltimore Orioles 0
1969 New York Mets 3, 1961 Cincinnati Reds 0
1968 St. Louis Cardinals 3, 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers 2
1967 Boston Red Sox 2, 1968 Detroit Tigers 1
1965 Los Angeles Dodgers 6, 1962 San Francisco Giants 0
1967 St. Louis Cardinals 2, 1961 Detroit Tigers 1
1966 Baltimore Orioles 2, 1965 Minnesota Twins 1 (11)