Winners Bracket Game 1: NL 1 at AL 1
AL 1 swept NL 2 in the opening series, 1927 Lou Gehrig the series MVP; NL 1 dropped the first two games against AL 2, but came back to take the series in 7. Albert Pujols the series MVP.
That means AL 1 will face NL 1 in a 7 game winners bracket series.
And then AL 2 will face NL 2 in a 7 game losers bracket series. The loser of that series is eliminated. The winner of that series will face the loser of this winners bracket series. That loser will be eliminated and the winner will head back to the winners bracket to face the winners of this upcoming series for the championship.
First two games of the series will be at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, the next 3 at the Polo Grounds in New York, and then back to Detroit if necessary for 6 and 7.
On the mound for the American League in Game 1, 1913 Walter Johnson, for the NL 1963 Sandy Koufax. All lefty hitting lineup for the NL against the RH Johnson (save Piazza) and an all right handed lineup for the AL against the LH Koufax (save Mauer)
NL Lineup
2B 1975 Joe Morgan
1B 1946 Stan Musial
LF 2001 Barry Bonds
RF 2015 Bryce Harper
C 1997 Mike Piazza (R)
3B 1959 Eddie Mathews
CF 1953 Duke Snider
SS 1935 Arky Vaughan
LHP 1963 Sandy Koufax
AL Lineup
LF 1990 Rickey Henderson
2B 1910 Nap Lajoie
1B 1932 Jimmie Foxx
CF 1941 Joe DiMaggio
RF 1917 Ty Cobb
3B 2007 Alex Rodriguez
SS 1991 Cal Ripken
C 2009 Joe Mauer (L)
RHP 1913 Walter Johnson
Top 1
25 year old Walter Johnson takes the mound here for Game 1 of the winners bracket, winning team in this series will advance to the finals. Johnson was 36-7 with a 1.14 ERA. 31 year old Joe Morgan leads off for the NL, Morgan hit .327 this year and led all of MLB with a .466 OBP. MORGAN HITS THE FIRST PITCH INTO THE RIGHT FIELD SEATS. NL 1-0. The National League jumps out in front on the first pitch of the game.
25 year old Stan Musial missed the prior season due to WW2, he hit .365 in his return campaign this year to lead the NL. Johnson strikes him out looking.
Barry Bonds is 36, he set the major league single season home run record this year, hitting 73 - he grounds sharply to second, Lajoie throws him out.
Bryce Harper is just 22, but has still been a big league regular for 4 seasons, he hit .330 this year and led the NL with 42 homers. Johnson gets him on a routine grounder to short, Ripken onto first and the inning ends.
Bottom 1
27 year old Sandy Koufax was 25-5 with a 1.88 ERA, he goes today for the NL - leading off for the AL is 31 year old Rickey Henderson, he hit .325 this year, led all MLB with a .439 OBP and he works a walk to open the game. Two pitches later, Henderson swipes second and the AL has a man in scoring position.
Nap Lajoie is 35, its the last great season of his career, leading all MLB with a .383 BA. He drops a perfect bunt down the left field line, Henderson scoots to third, Lajoie is safe at first and the AL has men on the corners.
25 year old Jimmie Foxx hit .356, leading the AL - AND HE HITS A 3 RUN HOMER INTO THE UPPER DECK IN LEFT FIELD - A Mammoth Shot for Foxx, the AL takes the 3-1 lead.
26 year old Joe DiMaggio hit .357, Koufax gets him to ground to second for the first out of the inning.
Ty Cobb is 30, he led all MLB with a .383 BA, routine ground ball to short, two away.
31 year old Alex Rodriguez led all MLB with 54 homers - AND HE JUST CLEARS THE WALL WITH A HOMER TO LEFT the AL scores 4 first inning runs and goes up 4-1. This AL team ran through the NL B team in Rnd 1 and they are off and running here in game 1 of this series.
30 year old Cal Ripken hit .323, he lines sharply to Musial at first to end the inning.
Top 2
Johnson comes back out for the second - leading off is 28 year old Mike Piazza, he hit .362, he rips a liner to left center -- Henderson makes a diving catch for the first out.
Eddie Mathews is 27, he hit .306 and led all MLB with 46 homers; Johnson strikes him out swinging.
26 year old Duke Snider comes to the plate, he hit .336, Snider hits a looping liner to first that Foxx leaps to snare and the NL is down in order.
Bottom 2
Joe Mauer is 26, he led all MLB with a .365 average, he grounds to Vaughan at short - but Arky's throw to first pulls Musial off the bag and Mauer is aboard on the error.
Walter Johnson at the plate - he shows bunt but then chops a ball that bounces over the second base bag and the AL again has the first two baserunners aboard.
Henderson walked/stole second to open the game - Rickey won the only MVP of his career this season, he led MLB with a 189 OPS+, AND HE HITS A 3 RUN HOMER THAT JUST CURLS INSIDE THE RIGHT FIELD FOUL POLE - The AL is battering Koufax, 7-1.
Lajoie hit an infield single in the first, he led all MLB in total bases this year with 304 - he works a walk.
Foxx hit that 3 run homer in the first - Koufax strikes him out swinging.
DiMaggio's 0-1, he hits a routine fly to left. 2 away.
Cobb's 0-1, Koufax strikes him out swinging to end the inning - the AL has 3 run homers in each of the first two innings and it is 7-1.
Top 3
Johnson staked to a 7-1 lead through 2, 23 year old Arky Vaughan leads off for the NL, he led the NL with a .385 BA this year, he loops a single to center.
Koufax bunts him over.
Morgan hit a home run on the first pitch of the game, Morgan won the first of his back to back MVPs this season, he led MLB with a 169 OPS+. Morgan laces a single to right center - Vaughan will score easily and the NL cuts the lead to 7-2. Morgan steals second on the next pitch.
Musial's 0-1, he won his second MVP this year, he led all MLB with 366 total bases and he walks, the NL has 2 on and 1 out.
Bonds is 0-1, Johnson strikes him out.
Harper's 0-1, routine ground ball to Foxx - flip to Johnson and the inning is over.
Bottom 3
ARod homered in the first, he won his 3rd MVP this year, he led MLB with a 176 OPS+, he singles to center.
Ripken's 0-1, he grounds back to the mound.
Mauer's 0-1, reaching on an error back in the second, he doubles in the right center field gap, A-Rod will score and the AL goes on top 8-2. Mauer won the MVP this year, he led the AL with a 171 OPS+.
Johnson singled in the second -- and he does it again, blooping a single to center, Mauer comes around to score and the AL - without Ruth or Gehrig or Williams or Mantle - they lead 9-2.
That ends Koufax's day - Greg Maddux comes on, one out, one on, down 9-2, Maddux is 29, he won his 4th straight Cy Young this season, 19-2, 1.63. Henderson has walked and hit a 3 run homer -- and he rips a single to left, Mauer onto third. Henderson had already been traded twice at this point in his career, in '84 and '89, from the A's to the Yankees and then back the other way; Eric Plunk was on the other side of the both of those trades. Henderson singles sharply and there are men on the corners.
Lajoie is 1-1 with a walk, Maddux gets him to go 4-6-3 and end the frame.
Top 4
Johnson with the big 9-2 lead here in the 4th; Piazza's 0-1, he grounds to third.
Mathews is 0-1, Johnson strikes him out for the second time.
Snider's 0-1, he flies to right.
Bottom 4
Maddux on for his first full inning; Foxx is 1-2 with that big 3 run homer, he grounds to second.
DiMaggio's 0-2, he flies to the track - Bonds with the putout.
Cobb's 0-2, he tops one in front of the plate and Piazza throws him out.
Top 5
Vaughan led off the third with a single, here, he grounds to third.
Maddux hits for himself, and its a weak grounder back to the mound.
Morgan's 2-2 and has both NL runs batted in, but Johnson gets him this time, with a pop up to third.
Bottom 5
ARod's 2-2 with a homer, he rolls out to second.
Ripken's 0-2, he pops to second.
Mauer's 1-2 with a double and an RBI, Maddux strikes him out.
Top 6
Musial's 0-1 with a walk, Johnson gets him to ground to second.
Bonds is 0-2, he won his 4th MVP this year, he led MLB with a 259 OPS+, he doubles over DiMaggio's head.
Harper's 0-2, he scorches a line drive right at Ripken.
Piazza's 0-2 and he grounds to Lajoie - another harmless inning and it remains 9-2 AL
Bottom 6
Walter Johnson is 2-2; he had a 12 WAR career with the bat -- and he singles again here to open the 6th, a 3 hit day for the Big Train.
Henderson is 2-2 with a walk and a 3 run homer; his career OPS+ single season high was this year, 189. He hits a ground ruled double to left, Johnson held up at third and the AL is in business again.
Lajoie is 1-2 with a walk; he hits a shallow fly to right, too shallow to send Johnson.
Foxx is 1-3 with the 3 run homer --- he doubles in the left center gap; everyone scores and it is 11-2 AL. That's a 5 RBI day for Jimmie Foxx; he led MLB this season with 169 RBI.
DiMaggio's 0-3, he lines to second.
Cobb's 0-3, he walks.
ARod is 2-3 with a homer- Maddux strikes him out and we head to the 7th.
Top 7th
Johnson comes back out for the 7th, up 9 runs. Matthews is 0-2, he singles to left.
Snider's 0-2, he pops to short.
Vaughan's 1-2, he flies to center.
Maddux hits for himself and he flies to left.
Bottom 7
Ripken's 0-3, he won his second MVP this season, leading MLB with 368 total bases - he singles to center.
Mauer's 1-3; Maddux gets him to go 4-6-3.
Walter Johnson is 3-3....and he singles to left. It's a 4 hit day for the .235 lifetime career hitter.
Henderson is 3-3 with a walk and a 3 run homer -- and he puts a charge into one -- deep fly ball to left - but Bonds gets it at the base of the wall to end the inning.
Top 8
Johnson comes back out to the mound, cruising through an 11-2 lead, Morgan is 2-3, he ground to short.
Musial is 0-2 with a walk, Johnson strikes him out.
Bonds is 1-3, he flies to the center field wall - DiMaggio makes a nice play.
Bottom 8
37 year old Randy Johnson takes over for what is probably the final half inning; he won his 4th Cy Young this year, 21-6, 2.49. Lajoie is 1-3 with a walk, he flies to center.
Foxx is 2-4, he's got 5 RBI, Johnson strikes him out.
Tough day for DiMaggio, he is 0-4 and pops to third.
Top 9
Walter Johnson is going to finish this one himself.
Harper's 0-3, he strikes out.
Piazza's 0-3, he strikes out.
Mathews is 1-3, Johnson strikes out the side in the 9th inning and the American League takes game 1
AL 11 NL 2
WP Johnson
LP Koufax
3 homers in the first two innings and the AL rolls in game 1
Henderson 3-4, HR, 2B, BB, 3RBI, 3RS, SB
Lajoie 1-4, BB, RS
Foxx 2-5 HR, 2B, 5RBI, RS
DiMaggio 0-5
Cobb 0-3 BB
Rodriguez 2-4 HR RBI, 2RS,
Ripken 1-4
Mauer 1-4 2B RBI, 2RS,
Johnson 4-4 RBI, 2RS
Johnson 1-0, 8K 1BB, 9 IP 2.00
Morgan 2-4 HR, 2RBI, RS
Musial 0-3 BB
Bonds 1-4 2B
Harper 0-4
Piazza 0-4
Mathews 1-4
Snider 0-3
Vaughan 1-3, RS, E
Koufax 0-1, 2K, 2BB, 2.1 IP 30.86
Maddux 2K, BB, 4.2 IP, 3.86
Johnson K 1 IP 0.00
Game 2 will also be played at Tiger Stadium, Bob Gibson going for the NL, Hal Newhouser for the AL.
