Editor’s note: Tournament games are played with Strat-o-Matic cards and dice. The designated hitter is also being used for all games.
Sixto Lezcano carried a big stick as he led the Milwaukee Brewers to an 8-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the opening round of the 1977 Tournament at Busch Stadium.
Milwaukee moves on to the next round as the Brewers travel to Boston to meet the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Lezcano blasted a pair of homers by the third inning as the Brewers built a 7-2 advantage against Cardinals starter Bob Forsch.
In the first, Robin Yount got the scoring underway with a RBI double. After Don Money singled, Lezcano smacked a three-run long ball to make it 4-0.
Cecil Cooper put the Brewers on top 5-0 with run-scoring double in the second.
The Cardinals closed the gap to 5-2 as Ken Reitz brought home a pair of runs with a single off Brewers starter Jim Slaton in the second inning.
Forsch had his day come to an end when he walked Money to begin the third and Lezcano followed with a two-run shot.
Money’s RBI single in the fourth proved the eighth and final tally for the Brewers.
Slaton went six innings to get the win for the Brewers. He surrendered a solo homer to Keith Hernandez in the sixth, which made the score 8-3.
Bob McClure tossed the last three frames to earn a save allowing just one run in the ninth. Jerry Mumphrey knocked in a run as he beat out a double play attempt by the Brewers with one gone in the ninth.
1977 Tournament Results and Schedule
George Brett Bracket
(1) Kansas City Royals (102-60), bye
(16) San Francisco Giants 4, (17) Detroit Tigers 3
(9) Chicago White Sox 8, (24) Oakland Athletics 6
(25) Atlanta Braves 4, (8) Texas Rangers 2
Tom Lasorda Bracket
(5) Boston Red Sox (97-64), bye
(21) Milwaukee Brewers 8, (12) St. Louis Cardinals 4
(20) San Diego Padres (69-73) at (13) Chicago Cubs (81-81)
(4) Los Angeles Dodgers (98-64), bye
Reggie Jackson Bracket
(3) New York Yankees (100-62), bye
(19) Cleveland Indians (71-90) at (14) Houston Astros (81-81)
(22) New York Mets (64-98) at (11) Minnesota Twins (84-77)
(6) Baltimore Orioles (97-64), bye
Mike Schmidt Bracket
(26) Toronto Blue Jays (54-107) at (7) Pittsburgh Pirates (96-66)
(23) Seattle Mariners (64-98) at (10) Cincinnati Reds (88-74)
(18) California Angels (74-88) at (15) Montreal Expos (75-87)
(2) Philadelphia Phillies (101-61), bye