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 Cleveland Indians took advantage of three defensive mistakes by the New York Yankees to post a 7-0 victory in the first round of the 1972 Strat-o-Matic Tournament.
After working a perfect first frame, things went bad for Yankees starter Mel Stottlemyre in the top of the second inning as the Indians build a 4-0 advantage.
Ray Fosse and Graig Nettles began rally with singles before and error by New York shortstop Gene Michael loaded the bases.
Del Unser smacked a two-run single to put the Indians on top. Stottlemyre retired the next two hitters, but Buddy Bell drilled a two-run single and the Indians were on their way to the win.
Stottlemyre (0-1) got through the third, but in the fourth his own error on a grounder by Frank Duffy led to another run as Bell added a RBI single to make it 5-0.
In the sixth, Lindy McDaniel replaced Stottlemyre and he was victimized by a defensive miscue as Unser reached on an error by Horace Clarke.
Unser would score on a single by Bell and later in the inning, Chris Chambliss knocked in the final run of the game with a single.
For the Indians, Gaylord Perry (1-0) went the distance on the mound for the win. He gave up eight hits and a walk with four strikeouts.
New York’s only offense threat came in the fifth when Felipe Alou had a pinch-hit single and Clarke followed with a hit before Thurman Munson grounded into an inning-ending double play.
McDaniel didn’t allow a a base runner in the seventh before Casey Cox finished the final two frames on the hill for the Yankees.
With the win, the Indians move to the second round as they visit the Detroit Tigers.
Dick Tidrow gets the start for the Indians as the Tigers counter with Mickey Lolich.
1972 Tournament
Second Round Pairings
NL East Bracket
(4) St. Louis Cardinals at (1) Pittsburgh Pirates
(6) Philadelphia Phillies at (2) Chicago Cubs
AL East Bracket
(5) Cleveland Indians at (1) Detroit Tigers
First Round Results and Pairings
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
(6) Milwaukee Brewers at (3) Baltimore Orioles
(2) Boston Red Sox, bye
AL West Bracket
(1) Oakland A’s, Bye
(5) California Angels at (4) Kansas City Royals
(6) Texas Rangers at (3) Minnesota Twins
(2) Chicago White Sox, bye
NL West Bracket
(1) Cincinnati Reds, Bye
(5) San Francisco Giants at (4) Atlanta Braves
(6) San Diego Padres at (3) Los Angeles Dodgers
(2) Houston Astros, bye