The Montreal Expos worked their way through the field with five straight victories to win the 1975 Strat-O-Matic Tournament presented by Press Room Pass.
The Expos scored five times in the first three innings on their way to a 7-6 win over the Boston Red Sox.
Gary Carter got things started in the top of the first with a RBI single before Bob Bailey coaxed a bases loaded walk from Boston starter Luis Tiant for an early lead.
Carter smashed a two-run homer in the second and Bailey hit a solo shot in the third and it was 5-0.
Carl Yastrzemski got Boston on the scoreboard in the third with a two-run triple.
Both teams scored a run in the fourth as Carter had another RBI single, while Boston’s Rico Petrocelli had a run-scoring single to make it 6-3.
In the sixth, both teams again scored a run and this time it was with solo homers that made it 7-4. Pete Mackanin hit one for the Expos with Dwight Evans blasting one for the Red Sox.
Fisk hit a two-run homer in the seventh to close the gap to 7-6 as Expos starter Dan Warthan was able to leave the mound with the lead.
The Red Sox were able to load the bases in the ninth as Don Carrithers and Dale Murray could only get one out apiece.
Fred Scherman finished the tournament with a strikeout of Petrocelli to earn his second save, while giving Warthan his second victory.
Carter led the Expos with three hits as Jim Rice topped Boston with three hits.
League Championships
(6) Expos 10, (2) Dodgers 7, NL championship
(1) Red Sox 10, (4) Twins 3, AL championship
1975 Tournament Championship
(6) Expos 7, (1) Red Sox 6
IN REAL LIFE:
After playing in nine games with Montreal in 1974, Gary Carter was in his second season in the big leagues in 1975 as he hit 17 homers and knocked in 68 runs to finish second in the Rookie of the Year balloting. He also was named to the all-star team for the first time.
Carter would play with the Expos until 1984 as he established himself as one of the top catchers in the majors.
In 1981, the Expos made the post-season for the first time and Carter played a big role. In 10 games, he batted .429 with two homers and six RBI.
Prior to the 1985 season, the Expos traded Carter to the New York Mets for four players.
Carter would play five seasons with the Mets, including 1985 when he had a career-high 32 homers to go with 105 RBI. It was the third straight season he had knocked in over 100 runs.
After leaving the Mets, Carter would end his 19-year career in 1992 with one season stops in San Francisco, Los Angeles and back with Montreal.
An 11-time all-star and three-time Gold Glove winner, Carter was inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.