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.
Chicago’s Britt Burns kept Detroit in check long enough as the White Sox defeated the Tigers 5-1 in the opening round of the 1980 American League Tournament.
Burns went the distance allowing five hits and a run with six strikeouts. He was perfect until Richie Hebner‘s infield single with one out in the fifth.
After Duffy Dyer hit a solo homer in the eighth, Detroit had a chance in the bottom of the ninth to rally with the bases loaded.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, Burns found the answer as he fanned pinch-hitter Champ Summers and Dyer to end the contest.
Detroit starter Jack Morris gave up an unearned run in the third and then suurendered a sacrifice fly in the fourth to Todd Cruz as the White Sox built a 2-0 advantage.
Lamar Johnson‘s solo blast in the sixth put the White Sox up by three runs.
Dyer’s long ball made it 3-1, but the White Sox answered in the top of the ninth.
Morris gave up a single to Cruz before getting replaced by Aureilo Lopez. Bruce Kimm doubled before Lopez retired the next two hitters.
With runners at second and third, Chet Lemon and Jim Morrison had back-to-back RBI singles to give the White Sox their four-run advantage.
1980 AL Tournament
First Round Pairings and 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
Second Round Pairings
(8) Oakland Athletics at (1) New York Yankees
(13) California Angels at (5) Boston Red Sox
(7) Cleveland Indians at (2) Baltimore Orioles
(14) Seattle Mariners at (11) Chicago White Sox
1980 NL Tournament
First Round Pairings
(1) Houston Astros (93-70), bye
(9) St. Louis Cardinals (74-88) at (8) San Francisco Giants (75-86)
(4) Montreal Expos (90-72), bye
(12) Chicago Cubs (64-98) at (5) Cincinnati Reds (89-73)
(2) Los Angeles Dodgers (92-71), bye
(10) San Diego Padres (73-89) at (7) Atlanta Braves (81-80)
(3) Philadelphia Phillies (91-71), bye
(11) New York Mets (67-95) at (6) Pittsburgh Pirates (83-79)