Series 1-2 are here
The '79 Orioles and '84 Tigers have moved to Round 2. Let's see who joins them in their quadrant.
32. 2007 Boston Red Sox v. 97. 1977 New York Yankees
Game 1
Yankees 5
Red Sox 8
WP: Lester
LP: Guidry
Boston gets game 1 at Fenway; the first time in the tournament the better seed has won a game.
2nd: Neither club put a man in scoring position in the first (Guidry going for the Yankees, Beckett for the Sox) with one out in the top of the second, Lou Piniella singled, took second on a passed ball, and then scored on a Graig Nettles base hit. Mike Lowell singled with one out in the bottom half, moved over on a Jason Varitek ground out - but Guidry got JD Drew to fly to center to end the inning.
3rd: New York put them on the corners in the third; Mickey Rivers hit a ground ball to the left side and beat out the throw; two outs later Chris Chambliss singled to center, but Beckett got Thurman Munson to pop up to first to end the threat. Boston also put two on in their half; Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a single to center, two outs later Kevin Youkilis followed up with a grounder in the hole that a diving Nettles couldn't quite stop to put two on, two out with David Ortiz coming to the plate. Guidry struck him out looking with a knee buckling breaking ball and the Yanks maintained their 1-0 lead.
5th: The Yankees added to that lead in the 5th. Rivers led off with a line drive single to right; Willie Randolph hit a soft fly ball that just went to no man's land in right center, Rivers scored all the way from first and Randolph took second on the play. Reggie Jackson followed with a run scoring base hit and New York had ten hits on the day and a 3-0 lead.
5th: Boston got both of those runs back in their half. Drew led off with a walk; Ellsbury followed with a single, he'd get wiped off the basepaths after a fielder's choice, and with 2 out Drew stood at third with Dustin Pedroia coming to the plate. This time Guidry didn't escape; Pedroia doubled to give Boston its first run and Youkilis singled him home to make it 3-2 Yankees.
6th: Beckett got into trouble again; with 2 out, Rivers worked a walk and Randolph singled to put two on for Reggie -- Beckett got him to harmlessly ground to first and the Sox deficit remained a run; that ended in the bottom of the inning; Manny opened with a walk and then scored on a Mike Lowell double to the center field wall. Varitek followed with a walk of his own - but Guidry fought back, struck out the next three to hold the score at 3 apiece.
8th No one threatened in the 7th; Jon Lester came on for Boston in the 8th, with one out Bucky Dent walked and the chirping from the Red Sox bench, angry about the strike zone, led to Terry Francona's ejection from the game. That lit a fire under the Sox bats as they exploded in the bottom half; Manny led off with a single, Lowell singled him to third, Varitek singled Ramirez home to give Boston the lead and then Drew walked to load the bases with no out. In a more modern game this would obviously be it for long past it for Guidry - but Billy Martin rolled the dice and paid for it with an Ellsbury single that gave Boston a 5-3 lead. That finished Guidry's day; Dick Tidrow came on - gave up a 2 run single to Julio Lugo that made it 7-3, then a sac fly to Pedroia for run number 8.
9th: A five run deficit was too much but the Yankees gave it a run; Reggie opened with a single, Chambliss doubled him to third and a Munson groundout made it 8-4. Joel Pineiro came on for Boston, got the second out and then gave up a Nettles single that made the game 8-5. Jonathan Papelbon was next - he struck out Roy White and the Sox had taken game one.
A double and two singles for Lowell, 3 singles for Ellsbury, two for Youkilis.
Both Nettles and Reggie had three singles on the day; Randolph doubled and singled, Munson and Rivers both singled twice.
Off to Yankee Stadium they go for Game 2; New York needing a win to avoid elimination. Ed Figueroa gets the ball for the Yanks. Boston will counter with 40 year old Curt Schilling.
Game 2
Red Sox 5
Yankees 9
WP Figueroa
LP Schilling
Can I interest you in a one game winner take all at Fenway? The Yanks force that result by taking game 2.
1st: A two base JD Drew error on a Reggie Jackson fly ball gave the Yankees a man on with two out, but Schilling didn't allow him to cross.
2nd: Boston jumped out to the lead - Manny Ramirez homering off of Figueroa. Cliff Johnson got the nod at DH in this one for New York; he doubled with two out in the bottom half, but a Bucky Dent pop up ended the frame.
4th: Neither side threatened in the 3rd; Manny got the Sox going again in the 4th with a two out single, Mike Lowell followed with a single - but Figueroa got Kevin Youkilis to ground to third and the score remained 1-0. Not for long - Thurman Munson led off the bottom half with a single, an out later Lou Piniella singled - and then Cliff Johnson - Cliff Johnson - hit a 3 run homer to put the Yankees out front, 3-1.
5th: Boston got one back in the 5th. Dustin Pedroia led off the inning with a ground rule double, a groundout moved him to third and an Alex Cora sac fly brought the Sox within a run.
5th: That didn't hold. Mickey Rivers led off the Yankee fifth with a double; an out later Reggie doubled off the wall and it was 4-2, an out later Graig Nettles singled Jackson home and the Yankees led 5-2.
6th: New York kept the pressure on Schilling with a Piniella double into the left field corner in the 6th, but couldn't advance him from there.
7th: Boston chased Figueroa in the 7th; he surrounded two outs by walking the bases loaded; Billy left Guidry in at least a batter too long in Game 1 and did it again here; Drew singled home two runs to cut the Yankee lead to 5-4. Dick Tidrow entered with men on the corners, 2 out and David Ortiz at the plate and he got him to ground to second.
7th: Schilling's last inning was also the 7th; Rivers led off with a single and an out later Reggie doubled him home. Jon Lester came on and held the damage to 6-4 Yankees.
8th: Manny led off the 8th with his second homer of the day - and Boston had cut it to 6-5 -- but New York wasn't done; they came back in the bottom of the 8th with a Piniella homer, a Johnson double, and then a Chambliss 2 run homer to boost the lead to 9-5. Tidrow closed the door in the 9th and the Yankees had tied the series.
Big day for the Yankee bats - 3 home runs one of them that 3 run bomb by Cliff Johnson who also added 2 doubles. Piniella went homer/double, Reggie doubled twice; Rivers doubled and singled.
Manny hit those 2 homers for the Sox and added a single; Mike Lowell followed up a 3 hit game one with a 2 hit game 2.
And so here we are. Back to Fenway for all the marbles. Daisuke Matsuzaka going for the Sox; the Yankees countering with Mike Torrez.
Game 3
Yankees 8
Red Sox 4
WP Torrez
LP Matsuzaka
Three series down - the underdog has won all of them.
1st: New York went down in order; Ellsbury led off the Red Sox half with a single off Torrez, Pedroia followed with a single that put men on the corners -- but that's it; Torrez got Ortiz/Manny/Lowell and we were onto the second.
2nd: New York again goes down in order; in the bottom half, Drew gets a two out single back through the box, Cora follows with a bleeder into right field - and again Torrez faces two on - and again he gets through it on an Ellsbury ground out.
3rd: After an out, Piniella singles to right for the first hit off of Matsuzaka; a fielders choice takes him off the basepaths and now Dent's at first with two out - Rivers singles to right to put men on the corners and then Willie Randolph doubles them both home. New York leads 2-0. Torrez gets the Sox in order in the bottom half.
4th: New York doesn't get a man in scoring position in the top half; Boston matches that result.
5th: With one out, Dent walked, Cora made a nice play on a Rivers grounder, but threw wide of first, pulling Youkilis from the bag, and the Yankees had men on the corners. An out later - Reggie Jackson came to the plate -- and he hit an absolute monster 3 run homer to right field to give New York a 5-0 lead. Boston got one back in the bottom, with 2 out, Pedroia singled and Ortiz doubled him home.
6th: A challenge with the simulation is it doesn't know there is no tomorrow; so pitching changes do not happen as frequently as should they; so Matsuzaka heads back to the mound and gives up another homer, this one to Chambliss, and it's 6-1 New York. Varitek doubled in the bottom half but couldn't advance.
7th: Rivers opens up the 7th with a single, steals second, and two outs later scores on a Johnson single to center. Boston doesn't threaten in their half and it's 7-1 Yankees with just two innings to play.
8th: We get the long overdue pitching change, Manny Delcarmen taking over - and he also gives up a solo homer, to Graig Nettles. Boston has to know they're DOA, but in the bottom half Varitek hits a two run homer and we head to the 9th at 8-3.
9th: New York went down in order - Cora led off the bottom of the 9th with a triple then scored on a Torrez wild pitch. That was all Billy needed to see - Tidrow came on and finished the Sox off.
The '77 Yankees advance; so many hitting stars for New York in the series - 6 hits for Mickey Rivers; 7 for Graig Nettles, but it was Reggie, with a half dozen RBI including the big 3 run homer in game 3, who earns MVP honors.
The '77 Yankees march on - they'll face the winners of the next series, the 1943 Cardinals against the 1908 Giants.
33. 1943 St Louis Cardinals v. 96 1908 New York Giants
Neither squad won the World Series; the Cards lost to the Yankees and the Giants finished second in the NL. One of them is about to advance to the Round of 64.
Game 1
Giants 5
Cardinals 6 (10 innings)
WP: Dickson
LP Mularkey
1st: Max Lanier on the hill for the Cards; he gets the Giants in order.
1st: Christy Mathewson going for the Giants; he gave up a leadoff double to Ray Sanders, but the Cards couldn't push him forward.
2nd: Lanier goes 3 up, 3 down again.
2nd: Mathewson matches him.
3rd: Cy Seymour and Fred Tenney open the inning with back to back singles - but New York can't push either of them across
3rd: The Cards don't get a hit.
4th: The Giants break through; Roger Bresnahan led off with a single to left and then came all the way around to score on a Larry Doyle triple - an out later Moose McCormick singled him home and the Giants led 2-0.
4th: Three up, three down.
5th: 3 up, 3 down.
5th: 3 up, 3 down
6th: Bresnahan and Mike Donlin are both going to single off Lanier, but the Giants can't add to their lead.
6th: Mathewson remains dominant - 3 up, 3 down.
7th: Tenney walked - and in what might be the crucial moment of the series - Lanier hit Mathewson square on the knee. The Giants didn't score and Mathewson was moving gingerly as he took the mound in the bottom of the 7th.
7th: Stan Musial led off with a routine ground ball that took a terrible hop and hit Doyle in the throat; an out later Danny Litwhiler punched a single to center and then Lou Klein hit a bleeder that just got right in between third and short and the bases were loaded with one out. Mathewson's rubbing his knee visibly on the mound; Doyle remained in the game but is attempting to maintain his breath at second base; Harry Walker then singles to left, breaking the seal to get St Louis on the board. Still only one out, bases still loaded. Light hitting Marty Marion singles to center, scoring two runs, the Cards are now up 3-2 and Mathewson is out of the game and almost certainly done for the series. Dummy Taylor enters in relief - Debs Garms hits for Lanier - and he singles home Walker to make it 4-2. A sac fly follows and the Cards have scored 5 in the 7th.
8th: Howie Krist took the mound for St Louis; he got the first two and then gave up a single to Donlin, a double to McCormick - and then a two out, two run single to Art Devlin that cut the lead to 5-4. Cy Seymour followed with a double - Devlin came all the way around to score and just like that the Giants had knotted the score at 5.
8th: Taylor gets them 3 up, 3 down and we're headed to the 9th.
9th: Red Munger is pitching now for the Cards; he gives up a single but the Giants can't advance.
9th: Klein and Walker start the inning with back to back singles and the winning run is in scoring position with nobody out -- but that's as far as they went, Taylor buckles down, the Cards don't get the ball out of the infield and we're onto extra innings.
10th: Murry Dickson is now pitching for the Cardinals and he gets the Giants in order
10th: Bill Mularkey is now pitching for the Giants; Walker Cooper hits the first pitch of the inning off the top of the center field wall and winds up at second with a leadoff double. That brought Stan Musial to the plate and he ended the game with a single to center. Cooper scores the winning run and the Cards are a game from taking the series.
Musial, Klein and Walker all had two hits for St Louis; Bresnahan, Donlin, McCormick and Seymour for the Giants.
To the Polo Grounds for Game 2; 23 game winner Hooks Wiltse will look to stave off elimination for the Giants; the Cards counter with 21 game winner Mort Cooper.
Game 2
Cards 1
Giants 4
WP Wiltse
LP Cooper
Just like Yanks/Sox - this one is headed to a showdown game as the Giants take Game 2; Hooks Wiltse throwing a complete game 7 hitter.
1st: Wiltse sets the Cards down in order
1st: The Giants get all the runs they're going to need; Larry Doyle opened the game with a walk, the Giants are playing small ball and they have Al Bridwell bunt him over. Mike Donlin then triples Doyle home for the game's first run and he's then driven home by a Roger Bresnahan base hit. It's 2-0 Giants and that's all they'll need today.
2nd: The Cards get singles by Whitey Kurowski and Ray Sanders, but a Danny Litwhiler double play keeps a man from ever entering scoring position.
2nd: The Giants end their scoring in the 2nd; Cy Seymour and Fred Tenney open up with base hits - again, John McGraw orders a bunt to move them over - and again he's rewarded, this time with a Larry Doyle base hit that plates both men and makes the game 4-0.
3rd: The Cards get a baserunner via error, but can't advance him.
3rd: Musial lays out for a terrific catch on a Donlin line drive to right and the Giants are down in order.
4th: The second Giants error in as many innings gives St Louis a baserunner - but again, Wiltse doesn't allow a Cardinal past first base.
4th: Cooper sets the Giants down in order.
5th: Marty Marion singled with one out - but, once again, the Cards do not move him into scoring position.
5th: Doyle's on base again with a one out single, but that's all for the Giants.
6th St Louis finally dents the scoreboard, Whitey Kurowski hit a solo homer to left center and the Cards trail 4-1.
6th Cooper sets the Giants down in order.
7th: Harry Walker gets a one out single - but Wiltse picks him off first base and St Louis is down in order.
7th Cy Seymour gets a base hit - but is thrown out trying to stretch it into a double and the Giants are down in order.
8th: Walker Cooper gets a 2 out single but once again, the Cards do not get him beyond first.
8th: Howie Krist comes on for St Louis; he gives up a walk to Doyle, who then steals second, but that's it for the Giants.
9th: Wiltse gives up a lead off double to Kurowski - but McGraw doesnt even look at his bullpen: the lefty sets down the next three Cards and it's done, Giants win 4-1 to force Game 3 back in St Louis.
Doyle and Seymour both had a couple of hits for the Giants; Doyle reached base 4 times and had a couple of RBI. Kurowski was the hitting star for the Cards on a day when Musial went 0-4, he was a triple short of the cycle in the losing effort.
So - it all comes down to Game 3. The Giants are going to go with their 37 year old veteran, Iron Man Joe McGinnity, in this must win game. St Louis counters with Howie Pollet and his 1.75 ERA.
Game 3
Giants 2
Cards 3
WP: Pollet
LP: McGinnity
Sv: Dickson
Just a helluva game to finish off this series; the first of the tournament where the seeding held. St Louis holding off a 9th inning rally to knock off the Giants 3-2.
1st: The Giants got a Roger Bresnahan leadoff walk, but Howie Pollet wouldn't let them advance past first.
1st: Iron Man McGinnity set down the Cards in order.
2nd: Pollett got the first two - but Fred Tenney singled to center to give the Giants their second baserunner; with the pitcher on deck, Billy Southworth chose to put Al Bridwell on intentionally - that decision paid off when McGinnity hit a soft liner to first to end the inning.
2nd: McGinnity sets them down in order.
3rd: Bresnahan works another walk; Buck Herzog follows with one of his own and the Giants are at the meat of their lineup with two on and no one out - but a Mike Donlin groundout and back to back strikeouts of Larry Doyle and Moose McCormick allowed the lefty Pollet to hold serve.
3rd: 3 up. 3 down.
4th: Pollet sends the Giants down in order.
4th: The Cards break through; with one out, Walker Cooper singles to right center to give the Cards a baserunner, he's erased after a Musial fielders choice - but with two out, Whitey Kurowski, the only Cardinal whose bat was alive in Game 2, doubled to the right center gap, Musial scored and the Cards had the first run of the game.
5th: 3 up. 3 down
5th: The Cards get a two out Marty Marion single, but it's harmless.
6th: Mike Donlin opened up with a single and a steal of second - and when Doyle hit a ground ball to to the right side the Giants were 90 feet from the tie - but Pollett got both McCormick and Cy Seymour to hit routine fly balls to to hold the lead.
6th: A leadoff Ray Sanders single doesn't go anywhere. Headed to the 7th, still Cardinals 1-0
7th: Big spot here, despite Pollet's effectiveness Southworth brought Howie Krist in to face the Giants and protect that lead. He gave up a one out single to Bridwell - but that's all the Giants could muster.
7th: McGinnity just blows right through them, 3 up and down.
8th: With one out, Donlin singled sharply to center, Doyle followed with a bloop to left and now the Giants had the potential go ahead run on base with one out. But Krist didn't budge, he got two flyballs and we went to the bottom - still 1-0.
8th: Marion led off with a single, Debs Garms hit for Krist - and he singled, and with two on and no one out...McGraw left McGinnity in the game -- and after an out, Walker Cooper doubled both runners home and it was 3-0 St Louis. That ended McGinnity's day, Dummy Taylor got the Giants out of the inning.
9th: Red Munger came on to close the door. Bridwell worked a one out walk, then Art Devlin, who sat in favor of Herzog in this one, came off the bench and drove a single right up the middle. 2 on, one out, Murry Dickson became the 4th Cardinal pitcher. He slammed a double to the left field corner, scoring both men and suddenly it was 3-2 St Louis. Herzog ground to 3rd. 2 out - the Giants best hitter, Mike Donlin, with his 154 OPS+ at the plate and the tying run at second base. Donlin hit one to the track in right - where it was gathered by Musial to end the series.
Just a tremendous one here. Pitching really carried the series for St Louis; Murry Dickson won game 1 and saved game 3 - terrific starting performances really in all three games - but the MVP is Pollet, shutting the Giants out for 6 innings in a close out game.
That gives us a quadrant for Round 2 - the '79 Orioles will face the '84 Tigers and the '77 Yankees will take on this Cardinal squad
