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.
Rick Wise tossed a complete game to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round of the 1969 Strat-o-Matic Tournament.
With the win, the Phillies will travel to New York to face the Mets in the second round.
Wise (1-0) allowed six hits with walked two and fanned seven.
The Philadelphia righthander only had serious trouble in the sixth inning as he gave up three infield singles to Cardinals starting pitcher Bob Gibson, Lou Brock and Vada Pinson.
Unfortunately for St. Louis, Joe Torre grounded into a double play that ended the threat.
Dick Allen got the scoring underway for the Phillies in the top of the first off Gibson with a RBI single.
The Cardinals tied the affair in the second on doubles by Tim McCarver and Mike Shannon.
Philadelphia grabbed the lead in the third thanks to a three-run homer.
Tony Taylor led off the frame with a single and then Gibson walked John Briggs.
Gibson retired Allen and Johnny Callison before Larry Hisle took the St. Louis pitcher deep to give the Phillies a 4-1 advantage.
McCarver smacked a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth, but it wasn’t enough to pose a problem for Wise.
Gibson (0-1) worked eight innings for the Cardinals giving up six hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Mike Torrez added a scoreless ninth for St. Louis.
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
(6) Montreal Expos at (3) Pittsburgh Pirates
(2) Chicago Cubs, bye
NL West Bracket
(1) Atlanta Braves, Bye
(5) Houston Astros at (4) Los Angeles Dodgers
(6) San Diego Padres at (3) Cincinnati Reds
(2) San Francisco Giants, bye
AL East Bracket
(1) Baltimore Orioles, Bye
(5) New York Yankees at (4) Washington Senators
(6) Cleveland Indians at (3) Boston Red Sox
(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