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 Kansas City Royals continue to surprise their opponents.
This time, it was the Baltimore Orioles which fell victim to timely hitting and solid pitching by Kansas City as the Royals won 2-1 in the semifinals of the 1969 Strat-o-Matic Tournament.
As a result of the victory, the Royals will travel to Pittsburgh for the championship contest against the Pirates in Forbes Field.
Wally Bunker (2-0) won his second contest in the tourney as he limited the Orioles to six hits in a complete game effort without a walk and just one strikeout.
Baltimore starter Jim Palmer was even better through the first five innings as the Royals managed just one hit by Ellie Rodriguez in the second.
The Royals picked up another hit in the sixth, but this time it was a solo homer by Ed Kirkpatrick.
Kansas City added its final run in the eighth as Mike Foire scored on a sacrifice fly by Jerry Adair that was set up by a single from Kirkpatrick.
Baltimore scored its only run in the bottom of the eighth. Don Buford walked and raced home on a double by Paul Blair, but that would be all the Orioles could muster the rest of the way against Bunker.
Palmer (0-1) gave up just three hits, while walking six and fanning three.
1969 Tournament Schedule
Championship
(4) Kansas City Royals at (3) Pittsburgh Pirates
Semifinals
(3) Pittsburgh Pirates 3, (2) San Francisco Giants 1
(4) Kansas City Royals 2, (1) Baltimore Orioles 1
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