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 big first inning proved to be the difference as the Pittsburgh Pirates held on for a 7-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs in the third round of the 1972 Tournament.
Dave Cash led off the game for Pittsburgh with a solo shot, while Manny Sanguillen followed with a 3-run bomb as the Pirates build a 4-0 advantage against Cubs starter Burt Hooton.
Another solo homer by Willie Stargell in the third put the Pirates up by five runs.
Chicago got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth as Ron Santo knocked in a run with a single off Pittsburgh starter Bob Moose.
In the bottom of the frame, the Pirates added their final two runs of the contest as Hooton’s day came to an end.
After the Pirates had loaded the bases with one out, Juan Pizarro replaced Hooton. Al Oliver hit a sacrifice fly and Roberto Clemente picked up a RBI single and the Pirates led 7-1.
Although Moose (1-0) limited the Pirates to five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts, the Cubs did have some opportunities late in the game that produced only two runs.
Santo’s run-scoring triple in the sixth made it 7-2, but the Cubs third baseman was stranded 90 feet away from scoring.
The other chance came in the ninth as the Cubs scored an unearned run thanks to a pair of errors by the Pirates, who had three total miscues on the day.
Hooton (0-1) left the game after giving up all of the Pittsburgh runs on six hits with two walks, a hit batter and just one strikeout.
Pizarro, Bill Hands and Joe Decker shut down the Pirates, but the Cubs weren’t able to solve Moose’s effort to come back.
With the win, Pittsburgh is scheduled to entertain the winner of the Boston Red Sox at Detroit Tigers in the semifinals as the Pirates will start Dock Ellis on the mound.
1972 Tournament Schedule
Third Round Results and Pairings
NL East Bracket
(1) Pittsburgh Pirates 7, (2) Chicago Cubs 3
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