Second Chance Tournament: Reds at Red Sox

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.

Cincinnati’s offense came to life as the 1970 Reds defeated the 1946 Boston Red Sox 10-6 at Fenway Park in the third contest of championship series in the Second Chance Tournament.

Boston still leads the best of five series two games to one as the Red Sox are set to host the fourth battle. A pair 20-game winners will tangle on the mound as Boston has Dave Ferriss slated to start, while the Reds counter with Jim Merritt.

There was plenty of offense early in the affair as all of the runs came in the first three frames as both starters would be gone by the end of the third inning.

Lee May got things underway with a two-run homer in the top of the first off Boston starter Mickey Harris.

Boston’s first five batters reached against Reds starter Gary Nolan in the bottom of the first. Ted Williams tied the contest with a two-run single. Rudy York put Boston on top with a RBI single.

In the second, Bobby Tolan‘s two-run single had the Reds back in front 4-3.

However, Nolan couldn’t answer the call as the Reds Sox grabbed a 6-4 advantage in their half of the second as they sent the Reds pitcher to the showers.

Dom DiMaggio tied the game again with a RBI double before Williams smacked a two-run single to give the Red Sox the lead.

Like Nolan, Harris would be done as the Reds put together a six-run inning to take the lead for good.

With one out Johnny Bench singled and Bernie Carbo walked. Hal McRae‘s three-run bomb over the Green Monster put the Reds up 7-6.

Dave Concepcion would later score on a wild pitch by Boston’s Joe Dobson and May would cap the rally with a two-run single.

Entering the game in the third inning, Tony Cloninger would blank the Red Sox by allowing one hit over the final seven innings to get the win.

Second Chance Tournament Results and Schedule

Championship Series

1946 Boston Red Sox 4, 1970 Cincinnati Reds 2
1946 Boston Red Sox 4, 1970 Cincinnati Reds 1
1970 Cincinnati Reds 10, 1946 Boston Red Sox 6
1970 Cincinnati Reds at 1946 Boston Red Sox
1970 Cincinnati Reds at 1946 Boston Red Sox, if necessary

Semifinals

1946 Boston Red Sox 6, 1954 Cleveland Indians 4
1946 Boston Red Sox 3, 1954 Cleveland Indians 2
Red Sox win series 2-0

1970 Cincinnati Reds 2, 1965 Minnesota Twins 0
1970 Cincinnati Reds 7, 1965 Minnesota Twins 3
Reds win series 2-0

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 7, 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers 2
Reds win series 2-1

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