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.
Vern Law tossed a four-hit shutout to lead the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates to a 3-0 victory over the 1969 Baltimore Orioles in the first round of the 1960s Diamond Gems Tournament.
In going the distance at Forbes Field, Law (1-0) fanned five and didn’t walk a batter. The only scoring threat by the Orioles came when Brooks Robinson doubled to lead off the top of the seventh. He advanced to third on a ground out, but Law worked out of trouble.
The Pirates scored all of the runs they would need in the bottom of the first against Baltimore starter Mike Cuellar on a RBI double by Dick Stuart that was followed by a single from Smoky Burgess that knocked in the next tally.
In the eighth, Bill Virdon and Dick Groat had back-to-back singles to oust Cuellar. Later in the frame Roberto Clemente‘s run-scoring single off Eddie Watt gave the Pirates their final advantage.
Cuellar (0-1) took the loss allowing nine hits with three strikeouts over seven innings. Watt got the three outs in the eighth, but surrendered Clemente’s hit along with a walk.
Second Round Schedule
1960 Pittsburgh Pirates at 1961 New York Yankees
First Round Results and Schedule
1961 New York Yankees 12, 1962 New York Mets 2
1960 Pittsburgh Pirates 3, 1969 Baltimore Orioles 0
1961 Cincinnati Reds at 1969 New York Mets
1968 St. Louis Cardinals at 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers
1967 Boston Red Sox at 1968 Detroit Tigers
1962 San Francisco Giants at 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers
1961 Detroit Tigers at 1967 St. Louis Cardinals
1965 Minnesota Twins at 1966 Baltimore Orioles