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.
A late rally by the Kansas City Royals gave the squad a 5-3 victory over the Minnesota Twins in the second round of the 1969 Strat-o-Matic Tournament.
With the win, the Royals will face the winner of the California Angels and Oakland A’s contest on the road in the finale of the American League West Bracket.
Down 3-2 entering the top of the eighth inning, Jerry Adair‘s RBI single off Minnesota Twins starter Jim Perry tied the affair to set the stage for the ninth.
Pat Kelly reached on an error and stole second before Mike Fiore singled to break the tie and send Perry to the showers.
The Royals added to their advantage against reliever Dick Woodson after Lou Piniella doubled and Ed Kirkpatrick hit a sacrifice fly to score Fiore.
Moe Drabowsky (1-0) finished with a perfect ninth to get the win for the Royals after a scoreless eighth when he took over on the mound for Kansas City starter Dick Drago.
Drago went seven innings allowing three runs on six hits with three walks.
For the Twins, Perry (0-1) gave up all five runs with only one being earned as his defense made three errors.
Minnesota did all of its damage to Drago in the bottom of the first.
Cesar Tovar made it to first base whe Royals shortstop Jackie Hernandez misplayed a ground ball.
After Tovar swiped second Rod Carew smacked a two-run homer. One out later, Harmon Killebrew drilled a solo shot and the Twins led 3-0.
Kansas City began its comeback in the third as Drago walked with one out and eventually went to third on a two-base error by Minnesota shortstop Leo Cardenas. Fiore’s sacrifice fly scored Drago to make it 3-1 Twins.
Hernandez had a RBI single in the fourth to cut Kansas City’s deficit to 3-2 to give the Royals the opportunity for their comeback late in 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 5, (1) Minnesota Twins 3
(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