Editor’s note: The 1970 Tournament games are being played with Strat-o-Matic cards and dice. The designated hitter will be used for any games involving American League teams from 1973-79 when games are played at home. Injuries will only be used during the game when they occur. For this tournament, the rules include a three-man pitching rotation using the best lineups available.
Fans of the 1975 Boston Red Sox are over the moon after a 4-2 victory over the 1970 Minnesota Twins has the team headed to the championship contest of the 1970s Diamond Gems Tournament.
Thanks to the pitching and hitting of Bill Lee, the Red Sox will travel to the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates for the title affair in Three Rivers Stadium.
Lee gave up a solo homer to Minnesota’s Cesar Tovar in the bottom of the first and then was able to keep the Twins off the scoreboard until the seventh.
Boston scored all of its runs in the second frame of Twins starter Bert Blyleven.
Rico Petrocelli single and then Dwight Evans walked. After Rick Burleson‘s RBI single, it was Lee’s turn at the plate and he smacked a single that drove home two runs to give the Red Sox the lead.
Fred Lynn and Carl Yastrzemski both added a sacrifice fly and Boston led 4-1.
Lee gave up a single to Rich Reese leading off the seventh and then Brant Alyea walked, which brought Red Sox manager Darrell Johnson to the mound.
Johnson called Jim Willoughby from the bullpen. Leo Cardenas singled to load the bases, but Willoughby retired George Mitterwald for the first out.
Pinch-hitter Jim Nettles lifted a sacrifice fly to produce a run, but Willoughby got Tovar to end the inning.
Roger Moret took over for Willoughby, but got in trouble because of two errors. Moret was able to fan Cardenas with the bases loaded to get out of the problem.
Although he gave up a single to Rod Carew in the ninth, Moret got Tony Oliva to ground out as he earned his second save of the tournament.
Lee (1-0) gave up six hits with a walk and a strikeout in six innings to get the win.
Blyleven (0-1) worked seven inning allowing eight hits with four walks and nine strikeouts. Tom Hall finished up for the Twins with two hitless innings and four strikeouts.
1970s Diamond Gems Tournament
Championship Game
1975 Boston Red Sox at 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates
Semifinals
1971 Pittsburgh Pirates 2, 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers 1
1975 Boston Red Sox 4, 1970 Minnesota Twins 2
Second Round Results
1974 Los Angeles Dodgers 5, 1979 Montreal Expos 0
1971 Pittsburgh Pirates 6, 1975 Cincinnati Reds 5 (12)
1975 Boston Red Sox 6, 1979 Baltimore Orioles 5
1970 Minnesota Twins 7, 1972 Oakland A’s 4
First Round Results
1979 Montreal Expos 5, 1970 Baltimore Orioles 0
1974 Los Angeles Dodgers 5, 1978 Boston Red Sox 1
1975 Cincinnati Reds 3, 1976 Philadelphia Phillies 2
1971 Pittsburgh Pirates 13, 1978 New York Yankees 7
1979 Baltimore Orioles 4, 1972 Cincinnati Reds 3
1975 Boston Red Sox 2, 1977 Los Angeles Dodgers 1
1972 Oakland A’s 3, 1977 Kansas City Royals 1
1970 Minnesota Twins 9, 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates 5