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.
It took just one inning for the Kansas City Royals to pull off the upset.
Scoring all of their runs in the sixth, the Royals defeated the Oakland A’s 6-2 in the finale of the American League West Bracket in the 1969 Strat-o-Matic Tournament.
As a result of the victory, the Royals are headed to Baltimore to meet the Orioles for a semifinal round affair.
Although Kansas City starting pitcher Roger Nelson (1-0) didn’t strikeout a batter, the righty went the distance for the Royals allowing five hits with three walks.
After Oakland starting pitcher Catfish Hunter gave his team a 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the fifth with a RBI single, the Royals answered quickly.
Nelson led off with a single to begin the rally.
Hunter retired Pat Kelly before walking Mike Fiore and Lou Piniella to load the bases.
Joe Foy gave the Royals a 2-1 lead with a two-run single before Ed Kirkpatrick drilled a double that drove in a couple more to make it 4-1.
The uprising happened so fast that Oakland manager couldn’t get anyone ready in the bullpen.
Jerry Adair reached on an error by Hunter, who had his day finally come to an end.
Paul Lindblad took over and got Ellie Rodriguez on a grounder in front of the plate, but Jackie Hernandez smacked a single to knock home a pair of runs and the Royals led by five.
Oakland picked up a run in the bottom of the sixth as Reggie Jackson double and later scored on a single by Dick Green, but that was all the A’s could muster against Nelson the rest of the way.
1969 Tournament Schedule
Semifinals
(3) Pittsburgh Pirates at (2) San Francisco Giants
(4) Kansas City Royals at (1) Baltimore Orioles
Bracket Finals
NL East Bracket
(3) Pittsburgh Pirates 3, (1) New York Mets 1
NL West Bracket
(2) San Francisco Giants 2, (4) Los Angeles Dodgers 1
AL East Bracket
(1) Baltimore Orioles 2, (2) Detroit Tigers 1
AL West Bracket
(4) Kansas City Royals 6, (2) Oakland A’s 2
Second Round Results
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 5, (1) Minnesota Twins 3
(2) Oakland A’s 3, (3) California Angels 2
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