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.
The entire batting order for the Detroit Tigers got in the act on the way to an 8-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians in the second round of the 1969 Strat-o-Matic Tournament.
For the finale of the American League East Bracket, the Tigers will travel to the Baltimore Orioles to play for a ticket to the tournament semifinals.
Detriot scored all eight of its runs in the first four innings as the Tigers collected 11 of their 13 hits during that time.
After Larry Brown gave the Indians a 1-0 lead with a RBI single in the top of the first against Detroit starter Denny McLain, the Tigers answered in the bottom of the frame.
Willie Horton smacked a run-scoring single off Cleveland starter Luis Tiant to tie the contest.
With one out in the second, McLain was attempting to sacrifice bunt to advance Don Wert after a single. McLain beat out the bunt for a hit and the Tigers were in business.
Dick McAuliffe forced out McLain at second with a grounder, but Mickey Stanley doubled to give the Tigers a 2-1 lead.
Al Kaline followed with a two-run double, while Norm Cash added a RBI single and the Tigers were ahead 5-1.
Bill Freehan drilled a solo homer in the third as the Tigers widened their margin to five.
Tiant was finished in the fourth after walking McAuliffe and giving up a double to Stanley.
Kaline greated releiver Mike Paul with a two-run single and Detroit led 8-1.
Paul, Horacio Pina and Stan Williams blanked the Tigers the rest of the way, but the damage was done.
The Indians added a run in the fifth and another in the sixth against McLain, who went the distance allowing seven hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
Jose Cardenal doubled to begin the fifth and scored when Kaline misplayed a fly ball to right hit by Brown.
In the sixth, Duke Sims hit a homer that proved to be the final run of the game.
1969 Tournament Schedule
Second Round Results and Pairings
NL East Bracket
(1) New York Mets 1, (5) Philadelphia Phillies 0
(3) Pittsburgh Pirates 3, (2) Chicago Cubs 2
NL West Bracket
(4) Los Angeles Dodgers 6, (1) Atlanta Braves 2
(2) San Francisco Giants 7, (3) Cincinnati Reds 2
AL East Bracket
(1) Baltimore Orioles 4, (4) Washington Senators 1
(2) Detroit Tigers 8, (6) Cleveland Indians 3
AL West Bracket
(4) Kansas City Royals at (1) Minnesota Twins
(3) California Angels at (2) Oakland A’s
First Round Results
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
(4) Kansas City Royals 3, (5) Chicago White Sox 2
(3) California Angels 4, (6) Seattle Pilots 3 (12 innings)
(2) Oakland A’s, bye