The Yankees, Dodgers, Athletics and Cardinals have combined to win 53 World Series, so it feels right that all four franchises have been knocked out of a tournament all about second chances as we begin our 32-team sim tourney of the best squad from every franchise to never win it all.
It was quite a first round of our simulated event, with seven of the 16 series going seven games. Seeding teams across historical eras is an inexact science at best -- 10 of the 16 higher-seeded teams advanced to the second round. Ted Williams squared off against Mike Trout. Stan Musial hit against Randy Johnson. And somehow, the virtual Willie Mays turned out to be even more amazing than the actual Willie Mays.
Read on for a series-by-series recap and to see who advanced to the second round of our tournament that will play out all week long.
Jump to American League matchups:
2001 Mariners vs. 1982 Brewers | 1954 Indians vs. 1997 Orioles
1995 Indians vs. 2010 Rays | 1946 Red Sox vs. 2014 Angels
2001 A's vs. 2011 Rangers | 1965 Twins vs. 1983 White Sox
1977 Royals vs. 1985 Yankees | 1985 Blue Jays vs. 1961 Tigers
Jump to National League matchups:
1998 Astros vs. 1957 Cardinals | 2017 Dodgers vs. 2009 Rockies
1994 Expos vs. 2011 D-backs | 1949 Dodgers vs. 1984 Cubs
1993 Giants vs. 1993 Phillies | 1962 Giants vs. 1962 Reds
2002 Braves vs. 1999 Mets | 1991 Pirates vs. 1998 Padres
See the Sweet 16 matchups & All-first round team
How we determined our 32-team bracket
American League First Round
(All series best-of-seven)
(No. 1 seed) 2001 Seattle Mariners beat (No. 16) 1982 Milwaukee Brewers 4-1
It was a high-scoring series between teams that not only led the American League in scoring nearly two decades apart but both rated among the top 30 teams since 1901 by wRC+. The potent Mariners did more damage, hitting .345 and rolling up 44 runs while dispatching the Brewers in five games. Four Mariners hit over .400 in the matchup: John Olerud, Mike Cameron, David Bell and Edgar Martinez. A pair of short outings from Milwaukee starter Mike Caldwell and two straight extra-inning affairs exhausted Harvey Kuenn's pitching staff. Milwaukee never got a save situation for Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers, who nonetheless picked up the lone win in the series for Milwaukee during an extra-inning affair.
Game 1: Mariners 10, Brewers 2. Mike Cameron's first-inning grand slam backed Jamie Moyer's 7⅓ strong innings.
Game 2: Mariners 5, Brewers 4, 10 innings. Milwaukee scored two in the ninth off Kaz Sasaki to tie the game, but Charles Gipson singled home Dan Wilson in the 10th to win it.
Game 3: Brewers 6, Mariners 5, 16 innings. Charlie Moore's two-out RBI double off Suzuki in the ninth tied the game, and Robin Yount ended a 5-hour, 19-minute marathon with a solo homer off Ryan Franklin.
Game 4: Mariners 11, Brewers 4. David Bell doubled, homered and drove in six runs as the Mariners battered Milwaukee lefty Mike Caldwell to grab a 3-1 series lead.
Game 5: Mariners 13, Brewers 8. John Olerud homered among his five hits to lead a 23-hit Mariners outburst against a weary Milwaukee pitching staff.
MVP: Mike Cameron, Mariners (.440, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs, 2 SBs)
Key stat: Over the five games, the Brewers used three starters -- Mike Caldwell, Pete Vuckovich and Don Sutton -- who combined to throw just 13 innings.
Clinching box score:
Clinching-game details: County Stadium, Milwaukee | Time: 3:58
2B: Martinez (2), D. Bell (3), Cameron (1), Simmons, T (2), Gantner (2), Yost (1)
HR: Olerud (1) off Easterly (1) in the 4th with bases empty, 417 feet
SB: Suzuki (3), McLemore (2), Boone (1)
Game MVP: John Olerud
(No. 8) 1985 Toronto Blue Jays beat (No. 9) 1961 Detroit Tigers 4-2
Dave Stieb won just one of his five career postseason starts, but his virtual counterpart propelled the Blue Jays into a second-round meeting with their expansion compatriots, the Mariners. Toronto roared back after falling behind 2-1 to 1961 AL batting champ Norm Cash and the Tigers. The Jays battered Detroit's bullpen while sealing the series over the last two games. Stieb held Detroit to just two runs over 17 innings during his two starts, both wins. The turning point was Stieb's Game 4 gem at Tiger Stadium, when he held the Tigers to three hits over eight innings and outpitched Frank Lary.
Game 1: Blue Jays 8, Tigers 1. Dave Stieb went the distance for the Jays, backed by a three-run homer from George Bell in the third that erased an early Tigers lead.
Game 2: Tigers 12, Blue Jays 3. Jim Bunning spun a complete game for the Tigers, backed by three hits apiece from Jake Wood, Bill Bruton and Steve Boros, to even the series.
Game 3: Tigers 2, Blue Jays 1. Don Mossi outdueled Jimmy Key, and Norm Cash homered as Detroit grabbed the series advantage at Tiger Stadium.
Game 4: Blue Jays 3, Tigers 1. The Blue Jays evened things up thanks to another strong outing from Stieb, Bill Caudill's save and a three-RBI game from Jesse Barfield.
Game 5: Blue Jays 17, Tigers 6. Damaso Garcia homered, drove in five runs and scored as the Blue Jays jumped on the Detroit bullpen late after knocking out Bunning.
Game 6: Blue Jays 9, Tigers 7. The Blue Jays finished off the Tigers thanks to two homers and four RBIs from Garth Iorg, and a bullpen that held Detroit to two runs over 7⅓ after Jim Clancy was knocked out early.
MVP: Stieb, Blue Jays (2-0, 1.06 ERA, 11 K's, 17 IP)
Key stat: Detroit got at least eight innings in the five games started by Lary, Bunning and Mossi but still couldn't overcome a 13.50 bullpen ERA for the series.
Clinching box score:
Clinching-game details: Exhibition Stadium, Toronto | Time 3:08
E: Whitt 2 (3)
2B: Barfield (4), Bell, G (1), Iorg (1)
3B: Wood (1)
HR: Iorg (1) off Foytack (1) in the 1st with 2 on base, 388 feet; Iorg (2) off Regan (2) in the 5th with bases empty, 335 feet
CS: Barfield (1)
HBP: Colavito, Moseby
Game MVP: Garth Iorg
(No. 12) 2011 Texas Rangers beat (No. 5) 2001 Oakland Athletics 4-3
It was an awkward matchup for Ron Washington, whose 49-year-old self coached third base for the Athletics, while his 59-year-old self managed the Rangers. Welcome to temporal anarchy! While it's hard to say whom Washington might have been rooting for, Wash got to see a dramatic if uneven series that carried echoes of the 1960 World Series, when the Yankees outscored Pittsburgh 55-27 and lost in seven games. Here, Oakland won games by scores of 10-0, 7-0 and 11-0, while outscoring Texas 32-18 through six games. Yet it came down to a scintillating Game 7 at Oakland Coliseum, where the Rangers survived a late Oakland rally to knock out the fifth-seeded A's and move on.
Game 1: Athletics 10, Rangers 0. Tim Hudson and Chad Bradford teamed up on the shutout, while Jermaine Dye's two-run homer led the Oakland attack.
Game 2: Rangers 3, Athletics 1, 10 innings. Mike Napoli cracked a two-run homer in the 10th off Jason Isringhausen to draw Texas even in the series.
Game 3: Athletics 7, Rangers 0. Barry Zito threw eight shutout frames, backed by a homer and three RBIs from Eric Chavez.
Game 4: Rangers 6, Athletics 3. Colby Lewis tossed eight strong innings, offsetting Jason Giambi's two-homer game for Oakland.
Game 5: Rangers 9, Athletics 3. Napoli's seventh-inning grand slam off Erik Hiljus broke a 3-3 tie and put Texas within one game of advancing.
Game 6: Athletics 8, Rangers 0. Oakland forced a Game 7 behind 7⅔ shutout innings from Mark Mulder and Jason Giambi's third homer of the series.
Game 7: Rangers 6, Athletics 4. Texas closer Neftali Feliz escaped when Chavez's bullet to right field with two on and two outs in the bottom of the ninth found Nelson Cruz's leather.
MVP: Napoli, Rangers (.333, 2 HRs, 7 RBIs, both homers go-ahead, late-inning shots)
Key stat: Oakland aces Mulder, Zito and Hudson combined for a 1.28 ERA over 42⅓ innings. The rest of the Athletics' staff compiled a 7.78 ERA.
Clinching box score:
Clinching-game details: Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland | Time 3:32
Oak: Byrnes hit for Hernandez in the 5th; Myers, G moved to C in the 6th; Giambi, Je moved to DH in the 8th
E: Beltre (1)
2B: Hamilton, J (2), Cruz, N (2), Giambi, Ja (4)
HR: Young, M (1) off Magnante (2) in the 7th with bases empty, 367 feet
SB: Andrus (2), Cruz (2), Gentry (3)
Game MVP: Nelson Cruz
(No. 4) 1946 Boston Red Sox beat (No. 13) 2014 Los Angeles Angels 4-1
Ted Williams against Mike Trout? Are you serious? There was a cosmic appropriateness to the matchup. Both stars were the best players in baseball at one time (and in Trout's case, still is). Both, so far, made exactly one postseason appearance, and those are the teams that are matched up here. Both all-timers struggled in their lone playoff tests too, combining to go 6-for-37 with two RBIs in 10 games. Could either take advantage of this virtual second chance? Well, Trout drove in seven runs but went just 4-for-19. Meanwhile, the Splendid Splinter went just 3-for-17. As so often happens in a short series, it came down to a hot pitcher. Boston had Tex Hughson step up with two complete-game wins in a series the Red Sox dominated.
Game 1: Red Sox 11, Angels 3. Boston RF Wally Moses, who had a poor 1946 season in real life, led off the bottom of the first with a solo homer and later added a two-run double to back Tex Hughson's complete-game win.
Game 2: Red Sox 11, Angels 7. The Angels roared to a 7-0 lead behind early homers from Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, but Boston knocked C.J. Wilson out early and won going away with Dom DiMaggio's three RBIs leading the way.
Game 3: Red Sox 6, Angels 1. Mickey Harris went the distance, backed by three solo homers off Matt Shoemaker, as the Red Sox pushed the Angels to the brink.
Game 4: Angels 7, Red Sox 1. Pujols rang out three hits, including a two-run homer, and Garrett Richards threw eight strong innings as the Angels stayed alive.
Game 5: Red Sox 3, Angels 1. Hughson tossed his second complete-game win to close out the series.
MVP: Hughson, Red Sox (2-0, 2.00 ERA, 15 Ks, two complete games)
Key stat: Red Sox hitters struck out just 16 times in the five games.
Clinching box score:
Clinching game details: Angel Stadium | Time 2:58
E: Iannetta (2)
2B: Williams, T (1), Calhoun (1)
SB: Higgins (1)
CS: Doerr (2)
HBP: Pujols
Game MVP: Tex Hughson
(No. 3) 1995 Cleveland Indians beat (No. 14) 2010 Tampa Bay Rays 4-3
In a sense, this tournament is about the lingering pain of every fan base. In that context, this one was a mismatch: The Rays' inaugural season (1998) marked the 50th anniversary of Cleveland's last World Series win. It was also a mismatch on paper, as this Cleveland group was the best of a series of mashing Indians squads from the 1990s. But those Cleveland teams also were marked by a collective run prevention effort that didn't match the power of the offense. That was largely true in this simulation, but after Cleveland survived a tense Game 6 with a ninth-inning win, the Indians bashed their way to a Game 7 victory. For the Rays, they had Joe Maddon and Ben Zobrist on their side in a Game 7 in Cleveland, but this time, it wasn't enough.
Game 1: Indians 4, Rays 3. The Rays mounted a two-out rally off Indians closer Jose Mesa in the ninth, but Ben Zobrist struck out with two on to end it.
Game 2: Indians 12, Rays 9. In an instant classic, Sandy Alomar Jr. cranked a three-run homer off Rafael Soriano to cap a seven-run ninth-inning rally by the Indians.
Game 3: Rays 7, Indians 4. Matt Garza's seven solid innings tamed the Cleveland offense, while Carl Crawford and B.J. Upton each drove in a pair of runs for the Rays.
Game 4: Rays 8, Indians 4. The Rays scored four in the eighth to break open a tie game, led by Matt Joyce's two homers and four RBIs, as Tampa Bay drew even in the series.
Game 5: Rays 13, Indians 2. Evan Longoria made second-chance history by going 5-for-5 with three homers and six RBIs as the Rays moved one win from advancing.
Game 6: Indians 7, Rays 6. Eddie Murray's single plated Carlos Baerga in the ninth, forcing a Game 7.
Game 7: Indians 10, Rays 2. Garza held down the Cleveland attack in his first outing, but the Tribe knocked him out with a seven-run fourth as the Indians took the clincher.
MVP: Carlos Baerga, Indians (.462, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs, 7 runs)
Key stat: The full scope of the '95 Indians offense was on display, as Cleveland stole 12 bases in the seven games while getting caught just twice.
Clinching box score:
Clinching-game details: Jacobs Field | Time 3:02
TB: Kapler hit for Joyce in the 8th, Rodriguez hit for Brignac in the 9th
E: Nagy (1)
2B: Belle 2 (3), Sorrento (1), Thome 2 (2)
HR: Sorrento (2) off Garza (2) in the 2nd with 1 on base, 390 feet
SB: Lofton (4)
Game MVP: Paul Sorrento
(No. 11) 1983 Chicago White Sox beat (No. 6) 1965 Minnesota Twins 4-2
This was a fascinating matchup between two offensive juggernauts of their time who both played in long-gone ballparks. The cross-era adjustment worked against Chicago, which had to use DH and cleanup hitter Greg Luzinski off the bench in the games at Metropolitan Stadium. That ended up working out just fine, as The Bull came up with a big pinch hit in the clincher.
Game 1: White Sox 5, Twins 4, 13 innings. The Chicago bullpen strung together five shutout innings, punctuated by Dennis Lamp striking out Jimmie Hall with runners on the corners to end the game.
Game 2: Twins 4, White Sox 3. Minnesota rallied for two in the eighth off Salome Barojas, with the go-ahead run scoring when Barojas plunked Jerry Kindall with the bases loaded.
Game 3: White Sox 4, Twins 2. Go crazy, folks! Banjo-hitting shortstop Scott Fletcher hit a two-run homer off Johnny Klippstein to end it.
Game 4: White Sox 8, Twins 5. Carlton Fisk hit two of Chicago's four homers, three of which were coughed up by Jim Kaat.
Game 5: Twins 4, White Sox 2. Mudcat Grant went the distance, backed by Harmon Killebrew's two-run homer, to keep the Twins alive.
Game 6: White Sox 6, Twins 2, 10 innings. Greg Luzinski tied the game with a two-out pinch-hit single in the ninth, then Harold Baines' two-run homer sparked a four-run Chicago 10th.
MVP: Fisk, White Sox (.440, 2 HRs, 5 RBIs, 5 runs)
Key stat: White Sox relievers Dick Tidrow, Lamp, Barojas and Juan Agosto combined to strand all 13 runners they inherited in the series.
Clinching box score:
Clinching-game details: Metropolitan Stadium | Time 3:30
E: Killebrew (1)
2B: Paciorek (4), Hall, J (2), Oliva (2)
3B: Mincher (2)
HR: Baines(2) off Pleis (1) in the 10th with 1 on base, 389 feet
CS: Mincher (1), Versalles (2)
Game MVP: Harold Baines
(No. 7) 1977 Kansas City Royals beat (No. 10) 1985 New York Yankees 4-3
Once upon a time, a Royals-Yankees October clash was almost taken for granted, as these franchises battled postseason after postseason in one of the most heated rivalries in baseball. It was the '77 Yankees who thwarted Kansas City in that season's ALCS. Eight years later, while the Yankees missed the postseason with their best team from the dark days of the Boss era, the Royals finally won their first crown. This virtual matchup would have been an all-timer. The Royals ran by the Yankees in three straight to start the series, only to see their bats fall silent. When New York forced a seventh game, it seemed like it would be the Bombers exorcising their 2004 demons rather than the Royals getting revenge for '77. Instead, Dennis Leonard closed the door with eight strong innings in the clincher for KC.
Game 1: Royals 3, Yankees 2. The Royals rallied from behind on back-to-back RBI singles from Al Cowens and Amos Otis in the eighth.
Game 2: Royals 8, Yankees 2. Freddie Patek reached base four times and had two of KC's three stolen bases in the game.
Game 3: Royals 8, Yankees 6. Darrell Porter's three-run homer capped a six-run rally that knocked Yankees starter Ed Whitson out of the game in the first, as Kansas City withstood a two-homer, four-RBI burst from Don Mattingly and pushed New York to the brink.
Game 4: Yankees 5, Royals 1. The Yankees got five shutout innings from three relievers and a two-RBI game from Willie Randolph to stay alive.
Game 5: Yankees, 4, Royals 0. Ron Guidry tossed a four-hit shutout as the Yankees pulled to within a game and sent the series back to Royals Stadium.
Game 6: Yankees 6, Royals 5, 10 innings. The Royals tied the game on Cowens' two-run triple in the ninth, but Butch Wynegar's RBI single in the 10th evened the series and forced a winner-take-all finale.
Game 7: Royals 4, Yankees 2. Whew! KC grabbed an early four-run lead, then hung on for dear life behind Dennis Leonard and Mark Littell. Don Baylor grounded out with two on to end it.
MVP: Patek, Royals (.438, 1 HR, 2 RBIs, 6 SBs, 6 runs)
Key stat: The Royals homered just twice in the series but swiped 11 bases over the seven games.
Clinching box score:
Clinching-game details: Kauffman Stadium | Time 2:44
2B: Mayberry (1), Otis (4), Poquette (2), McRae (4)
HR: Mattingly (3) off Leonard (1) in the 6th with bases empty, 418 feet
SB: Patek (6)
Game MVP: Dennis Leonard
(No. 15) 1997 Baltimore Orioles beat (No. 2) 1954 Cleveland Indians 4-0
The 111-win 1954 Indians remain one of history's unrequited pennant winners, falling in four straight to Davey Johnson's '97 Orioles. The Orioles got the better of the Indians' era, with starters Mike Mussina, Jimmy Key, Scott Erickson and Scott Kamieniecki all outpitching their hallowed Cleveland counterparts. Baltimore also got the better of its own era thanks to a bullpen that didn't allow a run.
Game 1: Orioles 4, Indians 2. Mike Mussina outdueled Early Wynn, backed by Brady Anderson's three hits, as the O's grabbed the series lead.
Game 2: Orioles 3, Indians 0. Jimmy Key and Bob Lemon both took shutouts into the eighth, but Rafael Palmeiro broke the deadlock with an RBI single, then Geronimo Berroa cracked a two-run homer in the ninth.
Game 3: Orioles 3, Indians 2. Baltimore starters continued to shut down the Cleveland attack, with Scott Erickson outpitching Mike Garcia to put Baltimore one win away from advancing.
Game 4: Orioles 6, Indians 4. Harold Baines, Cal Ripken Jr. and Palmeiro all homered off Bob Feller as the Orioles completed the first sweep of the tournament.
MVP: Randy Myers, Orioles (4 saves, 0.00 ERA, 4 K's, 4 IP)
Key stat: In a pitching-dominated series, Baltimore's Brady Anderson went 7-for-14 with two walks.
Clinching box score:
Clinching game details: Camden Yards | Time 2:56
E: Smith, A (1)
2B: Anderson, B (1), Hoiles (3)
3B: Alomar (1)
HR: Wertz, V (1) off Kamieniecki (1) in the 2nd with bases empty, 324 feet; Glynn (1) off Kamieniecki (2) in the 2nd with bases empty, 384 feet; Baines (1) off Feller (1) in the 2nd with bases empty, 410 feet; Ripken Jr. (1) off Feller (2) in the 6th with bases empty, 320 feet; Palmeiro (1) off Feller (3) in the 7th with 1 on base, 322 feet
SB: Palmeiro (1)
Game MVP: Rafael Palmeiro
National League First Round
(No. 1) 1998 Houston Astros beat (No. 16) 1957 St. Louis Cardinals 4-3
Stan Musial in the Astrodome? The Man facing the Big Unit? Sure, why not? That's what this tournament is all about. As it turned out, Musial hit a quiet .259 in the series, driving in just one run. Randy Johnson threw a complete game and struck out 14 over his two outings, as the top-seeded Astros survived a tight series and a topsy-turvy seventh game.
Game 1: Astros 7, Cardinals 3. Moises Alou's two homers and four RBIs were more than enough to back Randy Johnson's complete-game win.
Game 2: Astros 6, Cardinals 5. Jeff Bagwell drove in three, but it was Dave Clark's pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth that provided the winning margin for Houston.
Game 3: Cardinals 5, Astros 4. Stan Musial singled, doubled and scored twice, and Hoyt Wilhelm picked up the four-out save as the Redbirds staved off a 3-0 hole.
Game 4: Cardinals 3, Astros 1. Larry Jackson went seven strong innings, and Wilhelm threw two perfect innings to pick up his second save of the series.
Game 5: Cardinals 6, Astros 5. Houston grabbed an early lead on Bagwell's two-run homer off Vinegar Bend Mizell in the first, but St. Louis chipped away at Johnson and completed its comeback by scoring a run on Sean Berry's throwing error in the seventh.
Game 6: Astros 7, Cardinals 4. Mike Hampton pitched into the eighth and stroked three hits at the plate as Houston forced a Game 7.
Game 7: Astros 9, Cardinals 6. Alou homered, reached base five times and drove in three as Houston survived a wild Game 7 that saw several lead changes in the early innings.
MVP: Bagwell, Astros (.480, 1 HR, 10 RBIs)
Key stat: Billy Wagner saved Houston's last three wins without giving up a run.
Clinching box score:
Clinching game details: Astrodome | Time 3:41
E: Everett (1), Gutierrez (3)
2B: Blasingame (2), Alou, M (2), Bagwell (3)
HR: Alou, M (3) off Jackson (2) in the 2nd with 1 on base, 343 feet
SB: Dark (1), Cunningham (1), Biggio (2), Bagwell (1), Ausmus (1)
Game MVP: Moises Alou
(No. 9) 1998 San Diego Padres beat (No. 8) 1991 Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1
This was a matchup between two all-time greats -- Barry Bonds and Tony Gwynn -- who never played on a World Series winner. Bonds actually has two shots at applying a virtual patch to that hole, as his '93 Giants are also in the tournament, but for Gwynn, this was his only shot. Gwynn didn't enjoy a very Gwynn-like series, hitting just .150, but two of his hits left the yard and he drove in five runs. Bonds hit .313 and homered but went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position. With Pittsburgh eliminated, Bonds won't face the specter of facing himself later in the bracket.
Game 1: Padres 5, Pirates 0. Kevin Brown threw a six-hit shutout, and Gwynn cracked a two-run homer off Doug Drabek during a five-run fifth.
Game 2: Padres 4, Pirates 2. Zane Smith held San Diego to one run through eight innings, but Wally Joyner crushed a three-run homer in the ninth to lift the Friars.
Game 3: Padres 8, Pirates 6. San Diego took charge of the series, with No. 8 hitter Chris Gomez coming up big with two doubles among his three hits.
Game 4: Pirates 9, Padres 0. Bonds and Bobby Bonilla hit two of Pittsburgh's four dingers to back seven shutout innings from Randy Tomlin.
Game 5: Padres 2, Pirates 1. Brown outpitched Drabek, Gwynn homered and Trevor Hoffman saved his third game of the series to close it out.
MVP: Kevin Brown, Padres (2-0, 0.57 ERA, 12 K's over two starts)
Key stat: San Diego leadoff hitter Quilvio Veras went 7-for-15 with seven walks for a .636 OBP.
Clinching box score:
Clinching-game details: Qualcomm Stadium | Time 3:06
2B: Joyner (1)
HR: Gwynn (2) off Drabek (3) in the 4th with bases empty, 328 feet
SB: Merced (2)
CS: Vaughn
Game MVP: Kevin Brown
(No. 12) 1993 Philadelphia Phillies beat (No. 5) 1993 San Francisco Giants 4-3
We ended up with a couple of same-season matchups on the National League side of the bracket. Here we have what would have been the 1993 NLCS had the 103-win Giants been able to stave off the 104-win Braves in the NL West that year. The Phils ended up knocking out the Braves before bowing to Joe Carter and the Blue Jays in the World Series. Could the Giants have fared better against Philly? Well, the Phillies remained the NL's destiny darling, overcoming a 3-1 series deficit. Beer-league slugger Pete Incaviglia had a huge series despite starting only against lefties. Inky had a seven-RBI game in one Philly win and a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning of Game 7. Both Barry Bonds entrants were one and done in our second-chance tournament.
Game 1: Giants 4, Phillies 2, 12 innings. Dave Hollins homered off Giants closer Rod Beck in the ninth to tie it, but Bonds ended it with a two-run shot in the 12th off Roger Mason.
Game 2: Giants 6, Phillies 4. To cap a soft rally, the Giants got two in the seventh off Jose DeLeon, with Bonds scoring on a wild pitch and Kirt Manwaring hitting a sacrifice fly.
Game 3: Phillies 11, Giants 4. Pete Incaviglia drove in seven runs and fell a single shy of the cycle to propel the Phils' offense.
Game 4: Giants 15, Phillies 1. Matt Williams homered among his four hits as the Giants broke open a tight game in the middle innings and romped to a 3-1 series lead.
Game 5: Phillies 5, Giants 2. Curt Schilling allowed just one earned run in a four-hit complete game to send the series back to Candlestick Park.
Game 6: Phillies 4, Giants 0. Danny Jackson, long a big-game ace, shut out the Giants for eight innings, backed by three hits and two runs from Lenny Dykstra, to force a seventh game.
Game 7: Phillies 5, Giants 1. In addition to Incaviglia's eight-inning grand slam, Phils lefty Terry Mulholland held his real-life former teammates to one run over 6⅔ innings.
MVP: Incaviglia, Phillies (.750, 3 HRs, 12 RBIs)
Key stat: Phillies starters Schilling, Mulholland and Jackson combined for a 1.69 ERA in the series.
Clinching box score:
Clinching-game details: Candlestick Park | Time 3:21
E: Dykstra (2)
HR: Incaviglia (3) off Jackson (2) in the 8th with bases full, 393 feet
Game MVP: Pete Incaviglia
(No. 13) 1984 Chicago Cubs beat (No. 4) 1949 Brooklyn Dodgers 4-0
Long before Cubs faithful became the icons of fan loyalty and suffering alike, there were those perennial also-rans in Brooklyn. Here's a chance to ease some pain for someone and do it in a series that shuttled back and forth between Wrigley Field and Ebbets Field. The press box was alive with the Southern poetry of Red Barber and the ecstatic proclamations of Harry Caray. The matchup didn't live up to the billing, however, as the Cubs shut down a Brooklyn attack dotted with Hall of Famers Duke Snider, Roy Campanella, Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese. Maybe next year.
Game 1: Cubs 2, Dodgers 0. 1984 Cy Young winner Rick Sutcliffe carried a perfect game into the seventh and finished with a one-hitter, backed by Ron Cey's two-run homer.
Game 2: Cubs 6, Dodgers 3. Leon Durham homered twice, including a three-run shot in the eighth off Brooklyn reliever Erv Palica.
Game 3: Cubs 8, Dodgers 0. Keith Moreland and Jody Davis both homered and combined for seven RBIs as the Cubs battered Ralph Branca and pushed Brooklyn into a 3-0 hole.
Game 4: Cubs, 5, Dodgers 4. Dennis Eckersley scattered six hits, and George Frazier struck out Billy Cox with two outs to finish it.
MVP: Sutcliffe (one-hit shutout in only start)
Key stat: The Dodgers hit a tournament-low .176 over the four games.
Clinching box score:
Clinching-game details: Wrigley Field | Time 3:03
E: Campanella (1)
2B: Cey (1), Dernier (2)
HR: Furillo (1) off Eckersley (1) in the 6th with bases empty, 364 feet; Reese (1) off Eckersley (2) in the 7th with bases empty, 368 feet; Davis, J (2) off Newcombe (2) in the 2nd with 1 on base, 376 feet
CS: Matthews (1)
Game MVP: Jody Davis
(No. 3) 1994 Montreal Expos beat (No. 14) 2011 Arizona Diamondbacks 4-1
While few mourn the loss of Olympic Stadium in the majors, the sight of the old Expos logo is a little bittersweet. This virtual tournament berth is the latest of countless times someone has simulated the fate of the '94 Expos, whose shot at a World Series was stamped out by the strike that ended that season. While the Expos never did land a pennant in Montreal, the Diamondbacks, of course, captured a World Series in just their fourth season. So while karma would seem to favor Montreal, that had less to do with the Expos' five-game romp over Arizona than with Larry Walker's hitting and Pedro Martinez's pitching.
Game 1: Expos 9, Diamondbacks 5. Larry Walker went 5-for-5 with a double, a homer and three RBIs, backing Pedro Martinez in a Game 1 win.
Game 2: Expos 3, Diamondbacks 1. Ken Hill tossed 6⅔ shutout innings, and John Wetteland retired the last five Arizona hitters to pick up the save.
Game 3: Diamondbacks 6, Expos 2. Joe Saunders throttled the Expos for eight innings, while Justin Upton and Ryan Roberts both drove in a pair of runs for the D-backs.
Game 4: Expos 11, Diamondbacks 10, 11 innings. Rondell White's RBI single in the ninth tied it, and Montreal won on Darrin Fletcher's sacrifice fly in the 11th.
Game 5: Expos 2, Diamondbacks 1. Martinez held Arizona to one run over 7⅔ innings, while Wetteland and Mel Rojas finished up to close out the series.
MVP: Larry Walker, Expos (.500, 2 HRs, 4 2Bs, 1 3B, 6 RBIs)
Key stat: The Expos became the first team in the tournament to go through an entire series without committing an error.
Clinching box score:
Clinching-game details: Chase Field | Time 2:54
E: Roberts, R (2), Drew, S (1)
2B: Walker, L 2 (4)
CS: Upton (1), Burroughs (1)
HBP: Walker, Roberts
Game MVP: Pedro Martinez
(No. 6) 1962 San Francisco Giants beat (No. 11) 1962 Cincinnati Reds 4-3
A decade before the Reds became a 1970s dynasty, they had some very good near-miss teams. In 1962, the Giants and Dodgers engaged in a historic pennant race that left the teams tied with 101 wins, forcing a three-game series. The Reds don't get remembered for that season, but they won 98 games and easily had the NL's best record after the All-Star break. Also, at a time when Giants legend Willie Mays was neck-and-neck with Atlanta's Hank Aaron for the title of best player in the NL, Cincinnati's Frank Robinson lurked just behind them as a very strong No. 3.
In other words, the Reds were fighting for their forgotten place in history. Alas, Cincinnati once again fell just short. Unfortunately for Robinson, it was that man Mays again. Say Hey homered three times in Game 7 off Reds knuckleballer Bob Purkey on a windy day at Candlestick Park, and the Giants survived. From the worlds-have-collided department: The '62 Giants advance to play the '94 Expos. That's right -- Felipe Alou, the manager, will be trying to defeat Felipe Alou, the player.
Game 1: Reds 9, Giants 3. Vada Pinson homered twice and drove in five to back a complete-game performance from Reds starter Bob Purkey.
Game 2: Giants 8, Reds 5. Willie Mays rocketed a two-run homer in the first, and Orlando Cepeda's two-run single keyed a five-run seventh as the Giants pulled even.
Game 3: Giants 8, Reds 3. Frank Robinson went 4-for-4 and homered for the Reds, but it wasn't nearly enough as Jim Davenport and Chuck Hiller combined to drive in seven for the Giants.
Game 4: Reds 4, Giants 2. Gordy Coleman homered twice to back Purkey, who outpitched Juan Marichal for the second time in the series.
Game 5: Reds 6, Giants 0. Coleman homered for the fifth time in the series, Jim Maloney and Moe Drabowsky combined on a five-hit shutout, and Cincinnati moved to one win of advancing.
Game 6: Giants 9, Reds 1. Mays and Harvey Kuenn homered to back Billy O'Dell's complete game, as San Francisco forced a seventh game.
Game 7: Giants 7, Reds 4. In addition to Mays' trio of long balls, Marichal went the distance, throwing 152 pitches in winning for the first time in the series.
MVP: Mays, Giants (.385, 5 HRs, 9 RBIs, 10 runs)
Key stat: The Reds homered 13 times over the seven games, with five coming from platoon first baseman Coleman.
Clinching box score:
Clinching-game details: Candlestick Park | Time 3:04
E: Kasko (1)
2B: Post (1), Robinson, F (2), Davenport (3)
3B: Blasingame (2)
HR: Pinson (3) off Marichal (6) in the 8th with bases empty, 351 feet; Mays (3) off Purkey (3) in the 2nd with bases empty, 406 feet; Mays (4) off Purkey (4) in the 4th with bases empty, 371 feet; Mays (5) off Purkey (5) in the 5th with 1 on base, 375 feet
SB: Hiller (1)
Game MVP: Willie Mays
(No. 7) 2002 Atlanta Braves beat (No. 10) 1999 New York Mets 4-1
This was a matchup all about breaking through dead ends. During the last half of the last decade of the past century, the Mets chased and fell short of the dynastic Braves. The '99 Amazings lost in six games to Atlanta in a memorable NLCS. New York broke through as a wild card in 2000, taking the NL pennant after the Braves were cleared from the bracket by St. Louis. From there, Atlanta's domination of the NL East went on for yet another half decade, as the Mets fell on hard times. While the Mets never could quite overcome the Bobby Cox Braves, Atlanta's 2002 group was one of six Cox teams to win at least 100 games without winning the World Series. After Atlanta swept three at Shea Stadium to polish off New York, it was more of the same for the Mets. The Braves' quest goes on.
Game 1: Mets 3, Braves 2, 12 innings. A past-his-expiration-date Bobby Bonilla homered in the 12th, making a winner of reliever Pat Mahomes, whose young son danced around his Shea Stadium seat like a quarterback escaping a blitz in the Super Bowl.
Game 2: Braves 4, Mets 1. Braves ace and future Met Tom Glavine zipped through six innings as Atlanta evened the series.
Game 3: Braves 3, Mets 2. Chipper Jones paced the Atlanta attack with three hits, backing six strong innings from Kevin Millwood.
Game 4: Braves 6, Mets 4. Jones homered twice, and Braves lefty Damian Moss held the Mets to one hit over five innings.
Game 5: Braves 3, Mets 2. Greg Maddux spun six scoreless innings, and John Smoltz struck out Roger Cedeno with the bases loaded to close out the series.
MVP: Gary Sheffield, Braves (.526, 10 hits, 5 RBIs)
Key stat: The Braves' four starters combined for a 1.55 ERA in the series.
Clinching box score:
Clinching-game details: Shea Stadium | Time 3:16
2B: Olerud (1)
HR: Lopez, J (1) off Benitez (1) in the 9th with bases empty, 382 feet
SB: Furcal (4), Cedeno (2)
Game MVP: Greg Maddux
(No. 15) 2009 Colorado Rockies beat (No. 2) 2017 Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3
Since the Rockies began play in 1993, the Dodgers have won the NL West 12 times. Colorado is still seeking its elusive first division crown. The 2009 Rox came close but finished three games out to the Dodgers. Of course. Meanwhile, the '17 Dodgers were one of the strongest teams in franchise history and advanced all the way to the seventh game of the World Series against the now-infamous Houston Astros. There are no signs to steal in simulated baseball, yet it appears things just weren't meant to be for the 2017 Dodgers. In a thrilling seven-game set, Colorado finally climbed over their Dodger-shaped hurdle. At least virtually.
Game 1: Dodgers 4, Rockies 2, 10 innings. Clayton Kershaw and Ubaldo Jimenez hooked up in a nice early duel, before Colorado's Ryan Spilborghs hit a two-run homer off Kenta Maeda in the eighth to tie it, and then Justin Turner won it for L.A. with a two-run shot in the 10th off Huston Street.
Game 2: Rockies 7, Dodgers 5. Yu Darvish was roughed up early, as Troy Tulowitzki homered twice and drove in five for the Rockies.
Game 3: Dodgers 8, Rockies 3. Corey Seager banged out four hits, and five L.A. relievers strung together five scoreless innings in relief of Rich Hill.
Game 4: Rockies 7, Dodgers 5, 12 innings. Colorado evened the series at Coors Field on Chris Iannetta's two-run homer off Maeda in extra innings.
Game 5: Rockies 4, Dodgers 3. After Kershaw carried a lead into the eighth, the Rockies rallied for two runs off L.A. closer Kenley Jansen, with Dexter Fowler's two-run single providing the winning margin.
Game 6: Dodgers 7, Rockies 6. Darvish pitched well into the eighth, and after the Rockies closed to within a run against the Dodgers' middle relief, Jansen set down Colorado in order in the ninth.
Game 7: Rockies 9, Dodgers 6. Colorado completed a stunning comeback from an early 6-2 deficit, going ahead on Carlos Gonzalez's grand slam the seventh and adding a pair of insurance runs after Turner misplayed a grounder in the ninth.
MVP: Gonzalez, Rockies (.345, 2 HRs, 6 RBIs, go-ahead grand slam in Game 7)
Key stat: Kershaw allowed just one earned run over 14⅓ innings, but Darvish and Hill combined to allow 13 runs in 19 innings.
Clinching box score:
Clinching-game details: Dodger Stadium | Time 3:35
E: Turner, J (1)
2B: Spilborghs (1), Stewart, I (1), Bellinger (1)
3B: Utley (1)
HR: Gonzalez, C (2) off Stripling (1) in the 7th with bases full, 348 feet; Puig (2) off Cook (1) in the 3rd with bases empty, 400 feet
SB: Gonzalez (2)
CS: Tulowitzki (1)
Game MVP: Carlos Gonzalez
Second-round matchups
(Second-round results will be revealed on Tuesday)
AMERICAN LEAGUE
(No. 1) 2001 Seattle Mariners vs. (No. 8) 1985 Toronto Blue Jays
(No. 4) 1946 Boston Red Sox vs. (No. 12) 2011 Texas Rangers
(No. 3) 1995 Cleveland Indians vs. (No. 11) 1983 Chicago White Sox
(No. 7) 1977 Kansas City Royals vs. (No. 15) 1997 Baltimore Orioles
NATIONAL LEAGUE
(No. 1) 1998 Houston Astros vs. (No. 9) 1998 San Diego Padres
(No. 12) 1993 Philadelphia Phillies vs. (No. 13) 1984 Chicago Cubs
(No. 3) 1994 Montreal Expos vs. (No. 6) 1962 San Francisco Giants
(No. 7) 2002 Atlanta Braves vs. (No. 15) 2009 Colorado Rockies
ALL-FIRST-ROUND TEAM
P: Kevin Brown, '98 Padres
C: Carlton Fisk, '83 White Sox
1B: Gordy Coleman, '62 Reds
2B: Carlos Baerga, '95 Indians
3B: Evan Longoria, '10 Rays
SS: Troy Tulowitzki, '09 Rockies
LF: Moises Alou, '98 Astros
CF: Willie Mays, '62 Giants
RF: Matt Joyce, '10 Rays
DH: Dan Johnson, '10 Rays
First round MVP: Mays