Second Chance Tournament: Orioles at Twins

Editor’s note: Second Chance Tournament games are being played with Strat-o-Matic cards and dice. The designated hitter is also being used for all games. The first and second rounds will be decided with a best of three series, while the championship series will be a best of five format.

Minnesota feasted on four Baltimore pitchers as the 1965 Twins beat up the 1969 Orioles 13-7 in Metropolitan Stadium.

With their second win, the Twins sweep the best of three series from the Orioles to advance to the semifinal round to play the winner of the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers and 1970 Cincinnati Reds series, which is currently tied at one game apiece.

Baltimore starter Jim Palmer didn’t make it out of the first inning as the Twins would score five times on six of their eventual 21 hits.

Zoilo Versalles and Jimmie Hall hit back-to-back solo homers to begin the frame.

After Palmer retired Tony Oliva and Harmon Killebrew, things came apart for the Orioles righty.

Frustrated by close call by home plate umpire Ed Vargo, Palmer walked Bob Allison and then gave up a two-run blast by Don Mincher.

Jerry Kindall was Palmer’s final hitter as he surrendered a RBI double, which made it 5-0.

Twins starter Jim Kaat got tagged for a solo homer in the second by Elrod Hendricks, but the Twins answered with four more runs.

In the third, Hall hit a two-run homer off Jim Hardin to make it 7-1.

One inning later, Hardin was rattled by a RBI double by Earl Battey and a run-scoring single from Kindall.

Tom Phoebus was called from the Orioles bullpen by an exacerbated Earl Weaver. Allison’s run-scoring double gave the Twins a 10-1 advantage.

Frank Robinson‘s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth gave the Orioles another run.

Allison liked what Phoebus had to offer in the seventh as he banged out a three-run shot that put the Twins ahead 13-2.

The Orioles were able to muster some offense in the eighth as Kaat as Boog Powell hit a solo homer of the lefty, who was getting tired.

Baltimore scored four times in the ninth against Al Worthington and Johnny Klippstein, but it wasn’t nearly enough for a comeback.

Frank Robinson walked with the bases loaded, Powell had a two-run single and Brooks Robinson had a sacrifice fly.

Second Chance Tournament Results and Schedule

Semifinals

1946 Boston Red Sox at 1954 Cleveland Indians
1954 Cleveland Indians at 1946 Boston Red Sox
1946 Boston Red Sox at 1954 Cleveland Indians, if necessary

First Round

1954 Cleveland Indians 5, 1935 Chicago Cubs 2
1954 Cleveland Indians 3, 1935 Chicago Cubs 0
Indians win series 2-0

1946 Boston Red Sox 9, 1962 San Francisco Giants 8 (10 innings)
1946 Boston Red Sox 9, 1962 San Francisco Giants 6
Red Sox win series 2-0

1953 Brooklyn Dodgers 8, 1970 Cincinnati Reds 5
1970 Cincinnati Reds 4, 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers 3
1970 Cincinnati Reds at 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers, if necessary
Series tied 1-1

1965 Minnesota Twins 2, 1969 Baltimore Orioles 1
1965 Minnesota Twins 13, 1969 Baltimore Orioles 7
Twins win series 2-0