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.
Perseverance was the key for Bill Buckner.
After striking out three times in a row, Buckner finally delivered with a blast that gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-5 victory over the Houston Astros as the second round of the 1972 Strat-o-Matic Tournament came to an end.
With the win, the Dodgers are slated to entertain the Atlanta Braves in the third round.
The Dodgers were down two runs heading into the top of the seventh against Houston starter Don Wilson.
Steve Yeager smacked a solo homer with one out to cut the Los Angeles deficit to a run.
Wilson retired pinch-hitter Davey Lopes, but he allowed a single to Lee Lacy to set up Buckner.
The Houston hurler fanned Buckner in the first, fourth and sixth, so Astros manager Leo Durocher didn’t see a reason to make a change.
However, Buckner had another idea as he drilled a two-run homer and the Dodgers were in the lead as Wilson’s day was finished. Wilson (0-1) gave up 10 hits with five strikeouts as he was tagged with the loss.
Dave Roberts was called from the Houston bullpen and he ended the rally by getting Willie Davis to pop to short. Roberts worked the final two frames to give the Astros a chance to comeback.
Claude Osteen (1-0), who was lifted for a pinch-hitter during the rally, picked up the win as he went six innings allowing six hits with three walks and a strikeout.
Jim Brewer blanked the Astros in the seventh and eighth, while Hoyt Wilhelm earned tha save with a perfect ninth.
Everything was going in the right direction for the Astros as they led 3-0 after three innings.
Doug Rader had a solo homer in the second. In the third, Jim Wynn had a sacrifice fly and Lee May added a RBI double.
Frank Robinson got the Dodgers on the scoreboard in the fourth with a solo homer.
One inning later, Osteen slapped a RBI single to cut Houston’s lead to 3-2.
May’s two-run double in the bottom of the fifth added to Houston’s advantage as it was 5-2.
In the sixth, Wes Parker had a RBI single that made it 5-3 and the stage would be set for the game-winning rally in the next inning.
Tommy John gets the start for the Dodgers in the third round as the Braves send Ron Schueler to the mound.
1972 Tournament Schedule
Third Round Pairings
NL East Bracket
(2) Chicago Cubs at (1) Pittsburgh Pirates
AL East Bracket
(2) Boston Red Sox at (1) Detroit Tigers
AL West Bracket
(3) Minnesota Twins at (1) Oakland A’s
NL West Bracket
(4) Atlanta Braves at (3) Los Angeles Dodgers
Second Round Results
NL East Bracket
(1) Pittsburgh Pirates 2, (4) St. Louis Cardinals 1
(2) Chicago Cubs 9, (6) Philadelphia Phillies 1
AL East Bracket
(1) Detroit Tigers 2, (5) Cleveland Indians 0
(2) Boston Red Sox 7, (3) Baltimore Orioles 2
AL West Bracket
(1) Oakland A’s 4, (5) California Angels 1
(3) Minnesota Twins 2, (2) Chicago White Sox 1
NL West Bracket
(4) Atlanta Braves 4, (1) Cincinnati Reds 2
(3) Los Angeles Dodgers 6, (2) Houston Astros 5
First Round Results
NL East Bracket
(1) Pittsburgh Pirates, bye
(4) St. Louis Cardinals 5, (5) Montreal Expos 3
(6) Philadelphia Phillies 3, (3) New York Mets 0
(2) Chicago Cubs, bye
AL East Bracket
(1) Detroit Tigers, Bye
(5) Cleveland Indians 7, (4) New York Yankees 0
(3) Baltimore Orioles 4, (6) Milwaukee Brewers 0
(2) Boston Red Sox, bye
AL West Bracket
(1) Oakland A’s, Bye
(5) California Angels 1, (4) Kansas City Royals 0
(3) Minnesota Twins 3, (6) Texas Rangers 0
(2) Chicago White Sox, bye
NL West Bracket
(1) Cincinnati Reds, Bye
(4) Atlanta Braves 4, (5) San Francisco Giants 1
(3) Los Angeles Dodgers 4, (6) San Diego Padres 2
(2) Houston Astros, bye