Editor’s note: The 1980 Tournament games are being played with Strat-o-Matic cards and dice. The designated hitter will be used for any games involving American League teams. Injuries will only be used during the game when they occur. For this tournament, the rules include a three-man pitching rotation using the best lineups available.
Graig Nettles hit a solo homer in the seventh inning as the New York third baseman helped the Yankees to a 6-5 win over the Oakland A’s in the second round of the 1980 American League Tournament.
With the victory, the Yankees are set to face the winner of the California Angels at the Boston Red Sox in the AL semifinals.
A two-run homer by Oakland’s Jeff Newman tied the affair at 5-5 in the top of the seventh off Yankees starter Rudy May that ended his day. Rich Gossage (1-0) got the final out of the frame and then finshed the contest to earn the win.
Oakland reliever Jeff Jones (0-1), who retired Bob Watson to finish the sixth, gave up the blast to Nettles to get tagged with the loss.
Watson got things underway in the first inning against Oakland starter Matt Keough with a two-run homer.
Newman put the A’s on top in the second as he drilled a three-run bomb off May to make it 3-2. The Oakland backstop knocked in all of the runs for the A’s with his two long balls.
Keough struggled in the sixth as New York took the lead as Lou Piniella, Ruppert Jones and Bobby Brown each drove in a run to make it 5-3 to set the stage for the critical seventh frame.
1980 AL Tournament
Second Round Pairings
(1) New York Yankees 6, (8) Oakland Athletics 5
(13) California Angels at (5) Boston Red Sox
(7) Cleveland Indians at (2) Baltimore Orioles
(14) Seattle Mariners at (11) Chicago White Sox
First Round Results
(1) New York Yankees (103-59), bye
(8) Oakland Athletics 8, (9) Minnesota Twins 2
(13) California Angels 11, (4) Milwaukee Brewers 4
(5) Boston Red Sox 9, (12) Toronto Blue Jays 3
(2) Baltimore Orioles (100-62), bye
(7) Cleveland Indians 10, (10) Texas Rangers 8
(14) Seattle Mariners 6, (3) Kansas City Royals 1
(11) Chicago White Sox 5, (6) Detroit Tigers 1
1980 NL Tournament
Second Round Pairings
(9) St. Louis Cardinals at (1) Houston Astros
(5) Cincinnati Reds at (4) Montreal Expos
(7) Atlanta Braves at (2) Los Angeles Dodgers
(6) Pittsburgh Pirates at (3) Philadelphia Phillies
First Round Results
(1) Houston Astros (93-70), bye
(9) St. Louis Cardinals 9, (8) San Francisco Giants 1
(4) Montreal Expos (90-72), bye
(5) Cincinnati Reds 3, (12) Chicago Cubs 1
(2) Los Angeles Dodgers (92-71), bye
(7) Atlanta Braves 5, (10) San Diego Padres 4
(3) Philadelphia Phillies (91-71), bye
(6) Pittsburgh Pirates 3, (11) New York Mets 1