Editor’s note: Tournament games are played with Strat-o-Matic cards and dice. The designated hitter is also being used for all games.
Pittsburgh became the last team to reach the semifinals of the 1977 Tournament as the Pirates defeated the Montreal Expos 7-6.
The Pirates are set to travel to New York to meet the Yankees in the second semifinal affair.
Trailing 6-3, the Pirates rallied to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth.
Willie Stargell began the frame with a double off Montreal reliever Bill Atkinson, who got the final two outs of the fifth for starter Stan Bahnsen.
Al Oliver had an infield single that sent Stargell to third.
Bill Robinson ended Atkinson’s day with a RBI single to make it 6-4.
Will McEnaney was called from the Expos bullpen and he retired Ed Ott and Phil Garner.
Unfortunately for the Montreal lefty, Omar Moreno tied the contest with a triple that scored Oliver and Robinson.
Moreno scored what turned out to be the game-winning on a single by Frank Taveras.
Fast Start
The Expos jumped all over Pirates starter Jerry Reuss as they built a 6-0 advantage.
Andre Dawson smashed a three-run homer in the first inning, while Warren Cromartie added three more runs on a blast that sent Reuss to the showers with one out in the second.
Pittsburgh began the road back against Bahnsen with an unearned run in the fourth.
In the fifth, Moreno and Taveras added RBI hits to get the Pirates to within three runs.
Grant Jackson came on for Reuss and didn’t allow a run by the time he left the mound after the seventh.
Kent Tekulve worked a scoreless eighth to set up closer Rich Gossage.
Montreal was able to load the bases against the hard-throwing righty, but Gossage ended the game by fanning Gary Carter and Tony Perez.
1977 Tournament Results and Schedule
Semifinal Round
(9) Chicago White Sox at (5) Boston Red Sox
(7) Pittsburgh Pirates at (3) New York Yankees
George Brett Bracket
% (1) Kansas City Royals (102-60), bye
% (16) San Francisco Giants 4, (17) Detroit Tigers 3
% (9) Chicago White Sox 8, (24) Oakland Athletics 6
% (25) Atlanta Braves 4, (8) Texas Rangers 2
$ (16) San Francisco Giants 6, (1) Kansas City Royals 3
$ (9) Chicago White Sox 2, (25) Atlanta Braves 1 (10 innings)
(9) Chicago White Sox 6, (16) San Francisco Giants 4, final
Tom Lasorda Bracket
% (5) Boston Red Sox (97-64), bye
% (21) Milwaukee Brewers 8, (12) St. Louis Cardinals 4
% (13) Chicago Cubs 2, (20) San Diego Padres 1
% (4) Los Angeles Dodgers (98-64), bye
$ (5) Boston Red Sox 13, (21) Milwaukee Brewers 4
$ (13) Chicago Cubs 6, (4) Los Angeles Dodgers 5
(5) Boston Red Sox 7, (13) Chicago Cubs 5, final
Reggie Jackson Bracket
% (3) New York Yankees (100-62), bye
% (14) Houston Astros 7, (19) Cleveland Indians 5
% (22) New York Mets 3, (11) Minnesota Twins 0
% (6) Baltimore Orioles (97-64), bye
$ (3) New York Yankees 4, (14) Houston Astros 3
$ (6) Baltimore Orioles 5, (22) New York Mets 3
(3) New York Yankees 5, (6) Baltimore Orioles 3, final
Mike Schmidt Bracket
% (7) Pittsburgh Pirates 4, (26) Toronto Blue Jays 1
% (10) Cincinnati Reds 6, (23) Seattle Mariners 3
% (15) Montreal Expos 4, (18) California Angels 2
% (2) Philadelphia Phillies (101-61), bye
$ (7) Pittsburgh Pirates 6, (10) Cincinnati Reds 3
$ (15) Montreal Expos 5, (2) Philadelphia Phillies 2
(7) Pittsburgh Pirates 7, (15) Montreal Expos 6, final
% First Round
$ Second Round (Bracket Semifinals)