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 lesson to be learned is don’t give Roberto Clemente another chance.
After not getting the job done with the bases loaded in his first opportunity, Clemente drove in the winning runs as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 in the second round of the 1972 Strat-o-Matic Tournament.
Clemente grounded out with the bases full in the fifth, but his second chance came in the seventh.
St. Louis starter Rick Wise walked Bob Robertson to begin the seventh before he got Gene Alley to hit into a double play.
Perhaps a lack of concentration by Wise led to his mound counterpart getting a hit as Steve Blass kept the inning alive by slapping a single.
Dave Cash reached second on a two-base error by Cardinals first baseman Joe Torre as the Pirates had a rally underway.
A flustered Wise then walked Al Oliver to set the stage for Clemente, who singled to knock in two runs giving the Pirates the lead.
Although Blass would give up a single and a stolen base to Lou Brock to lead off the eighth, the Pittsburgh right-hander got the final six outs to finish with a complete game. Blass (1-0) gave up four hits with two walks and a hit batter, while fanning Bernie Carbo to end the affair for his only strikeout.
Wise (0-1) worked eight frames allowing the two unearned runs on nine hits with a pair of walks and two strikeouts.
A solo homer by Jose Cruz provided the only run for the Cardinals in the top of the sixth.
In the third round, the Pirates are scheduled to entertain the winner of the Philadelphia Phillies at the Chicago Cubs.
Bob Moose will get the start on the mound for the Pirates.
1972 Tournament Schedule
Third Round Pairings
NL East Bracket
(6) Philadelphia Phillies-(2) Chicago Cubs winner at (1) Pittsburgh Pirates
Second Round Results and Pairings
NL East Bracket
(1) Pittsburgh Pirates 2, (4) St. Louis Cardinals 1
(6) Philadelphia Phillies at (2) Chicago Cubs
AL East Bracket
(5) Cleveland Indians at (1) Detroit Tigers
(3) Baltimore Orioles at (2) Boston Red Sox
AL West Bracket
(5) California Angels at (1) Oakland A’s
(3) Minnesota Twins at (2) Chicago White Sox
NL West Bracket
(4) Atlanta Braves at (1) Cincinnati Reds
(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