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.
Sam McDowell survived some trouble a few times as he helped the Cleveland Indians to a 6-4 win over the Boston Red Sox in the opening round of the 1969 Strat-o-Matic Tournament.
With the victory in Fenway Park, the Indians advance to the second round and are set to travel to the Detroit Tigers.
McDowell (1-0) left the mound after giving up a triple to Reggie Smith in the bottom of the ninth as Stan Williams came on to earn a save. For the game, McDowell allowed 13 hits with four walks and 10 strikeouts as the Red Sox stranded a dozen base runners.
The Indians were able to build a 6-0 advantage before the Red Sox came to life offensively,
In the first inning against Boston starter Ray Culp, Cleveland scored on a fielder’s choice by Frank Baker.
The score remained the same until the top of the sixth when Vern Fuller smacked a three-run homer over the Green Monster.
Cleveland added a pair of unearned runs in the seventh inning as Sparky Lyle replaced Culp. The Indians loaded the bases with a hit, an error and a walk against Lyle. The lefty continued to struggle with his control as he walked Lou Klimchock and Duke Sims to give the Indians their runs.
Boston finally got to McDowell in the bottom of the seventh as Dalton Jones had a RBI triple before scoring on a single by Carl Yastrzemski.
Jones cut Boston’s deficit to 6-3 with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
The final tally the Red Sox came as Smith tripled off McDowell to send him to the showers.
Rico Petrocelli hit a sacrifice fly off Williams, but that would be the end for the Red Sox.
Culp (0-1) worked six innings surrendering four runs on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Lyle got two outs before he gave up two run on a hit with three walks.
Jim Lonborg got the last out of the seventh for Boston before tossing a scoreless eighth with a walk and a strikeout. Vicente Romo allowed a pair of singles in the ninth, but worked out of the jam with a double play.
1969 Tournament Schedule
First and Second Round Pairings
NL East Bracket
(1) New York Mets, bye
(5) Philadelphia Phillies 4, (4) St. Louis Cardinals 2
(3) Pittsburgh Pirates 10, (6) Montreal Expos 0
(2) Chicago Cubs, bye
NL West Bracket
(1) Atlanta Braves, Bye
(4) Los Angeles Dodgers 8, (5) Houston Astros 5
(3) Cincinnati Reds 5, (6) San Diego Padres 3
(2) San Francisco Giants, bye
AL East Bracket
(1) Baltimore Orioles, Bye
(4) Washington Senators 7, (5) New York Yankees 1
(6) Cleveland Indians 6, (3) Boston Red Sox 4
(2) Detroit Tigers, bye
AL West Bracket
(1) Minnesota Twins, Bye
(5) Chicago White Sox at (4) Kansas City Royals
(6) Seattle Pilots at (3) California Angels
(2) Oakland A’s, bye