Editor’s note: Tournament games are played with Strat-o-Matic cards and dice. The designated hitter is also being used for all games.
Although Willie McCovey‘s one big swing happened in the third inning, the 1977 Tournament’s top seed couldn’t recover.
McCovey’s three-run homer put San Francisco in the lead for good as the Giants went on to a 6-3 road victory over the Kansas City Royals.
The Royals took an early lead in the bottom of the first against Giants starter Bob Knepper.
Amos Otis led off with a double and then a two-out walk to Hal McRae brought John Mayberry to the plate.
Mayberry smacked a double that brought home Otis and it was 1-0.
In the third, a two-out single by San Francisco’s Darrell Evans tied the affair and set the stage for for a blast.
McCovey slugged an offering by Royals starter Dennis Leonard and the Giants led 4-1.
McRae’s RBI single in the bottom of the third made it 4-2, but the Giants were able to add two more runs later in the game.
Tim Foli had a sacrifice fly in the fourth off Royals reliever Steve Mingori, while Evans knocked in the final tally for the Giants with a double in the seventh off Larry Gura.
Knepper gave way to Randy Moffitt with two outs in the eighth. Moffitt worked the ninth and gave up a solo homer to McRae.
With the victory, the Giants advance to the George Brett Bracket final to face the winner of the (25) Atlanta Braves at (9) Chicago White Sox contest.
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
$ (16) San Francisco Giants 6, (1) Kansas City Royals 3
$ (25) Atlanta Braves at (9) Chicago White Sox
Tom Lasorda Bracket
% (5) Boston Red Sox (97-64), bye
% (21) Milwaukee Brewers 8, (12) St. Louis Cardinals 4
% (13) Chicago Cubs 2, (20) San Diego Padres 1
% (4) Los Angeles Dodgers (98-64), bye
$ (21) Milwaukee Brewers at (5) Boston Red Sox
$ (13) Chicago Cubs at (4) Los Angeles Dodgers
Reggie Jackson Bracket
% (3) New York Yankees (100-62), bye
% (14) Houston Astros 7, (19) Cleveland Indians 5
% (22) New York Mets 3, (11) Minnesota Twins 0
% (6) Baltimore Orioles (97-64), bye
$(14) Houston Astros at (3) New York Yankees
$(22) New York Mets at (6) Baltimore Orioles
Mike Schmidt Bracket
% (7) Pittsburgh Pirates 4, (26) Toronto Blue Jays 1
% (10) Cincinnati Reds 6, (23) Seattle Mariners 3
% (15) Montreal Expos 4, (18) California Angels 2
% (2) Philadelphia Phillies (101-61), bye
$ (10) Cincinnati Reds at (7) Pittsburgh Pirates
$ (15) Montreal Expos at (2) Philadelphia Phillies
% First Round
$ Second Round (Bracket Semifinals)