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.
An ability to escape trouble helped Ron Reed lead the Atlanta Braves to a 4-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in the second round of the 1972 Strat-o-Matic Tournament.
Reed (1-0) gave up 11 hits and fanned two by the time he left the mound in the bottom of the ninth after allowing a pinch-hit single by Darrel Chaney.
Overall, the Reds stranded a dozen base runners as Reed was able to hold off the powerful Cincinnati offense.
With the win, the Braves are set to travel for their third round contest to face the winner of the Los Angeles Dodgers at Houston Astros affair. Ron Schueler will get the start for the Braves.
Cincinnati picked up a run with two outs in the first inning to grab an early lead.
Bobby Tolan singled and stole second before scoring on a single by Johnny Bench.
A RBI single by Earl Williams off Cincinnati starter Gary Nolan tied the game at 1-1 in the second inning.
In the fourth, the Braves put together a rally with two outs with three straight doubles.
Rico Carty began the outburst and then Williams broke the tie before Felix Millan put the Braves up 3-1.
Carty smacked a solo homer in the sixth, which was the final frame for Nolan (0-1) as he surrendered eight hits with a strikeout.
Clay Carroll and Pedro Borbon finished up for the Reds as they held the Braves scoreless the rest of the way.
Chaney’s single leading off the ninth started a Cincinnati rally that would come up short.
Larry Jaster took over for Reed and got Pete Rose to hit into a fielder’s choice. Joe Morgan singled as Rose moved to third.
After Morgan swiped second, Tolan hit a grounder to first baseman Hank Aaron as Rose scored to cut Cincinnati’s deficit to two runs.
With Bench and Tony Perez due up, Braves manager Eddie Mathews called Cecil Upshaw from the bullpen.
Upshaw walked Bench, but he retired Perez on a ground ball to third to pick up the save.
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-(2) Houston Astros winner
Second Round Results and Pairings
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 at (2) Houston Astros
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