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.
One big inning was all the San Francisco Giants needed.
San Francisco sent 11 batters to the plate in the third inning as the Giants scored six times on the way to a 7-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in the second round of the 1969 Strat-o-Matic Tournament.
With the win, the Giants will entertain the Los Angeles Dodgers in the finale of the National League West Bracket.
After San Francisco picked up a run in the bottom of the first on a RBI double by Willie McCovey, the Giants exploded against Reds starter Gary Nolan.
Giants starting pitcher Juan Marichal smacked a double to get the rally underway as Bobby Bonds drilled a two-run homer to set the tone for what was about to happen.
Ron Hunt walked before Willie Mays was retired on a fly ball for the intial out of the frame.
McCovey doubled as Hunt raced to third. Jim Davenport hit a sacrifice fly to score Hunt and the Giants led 4-0.
Ken Henderson was next with a RBI single before Dick Dietz hammered a two-run homer that sent a stunned Nolan to the showers.
Cincinnati mamager Dave Bristol called Clay Carroll to the mound and the situation didn’t improve.
Hal Lanier singled and Marichal walked before Carroll got Bonds to ground out to end the outburst.
With the wide margin, Marichal (1-0) would go the distance for the Giants allowing two runs on a dozen hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
The only real blemish for the day for Marichal was a two-run homer by Tony Perez in the eighth inning.
Nolan (0-1) would be charged with all seven San Francisco runs as he surrendered six hits with a pair of walks and a strikeout.
Carroll would go one to pitch the fourth for the Reds, while Tony Cloninger and Wayne Granger both added two scoreless innings for Cincinnati.
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
(4) Washington Senators at (1) Baltimore Orioles
(6) Cleveland Indians at (2) Detroit Tigers
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