Editor’s note: The 1980 Tournament games are being played with Strat-o-Matic cards and dice. The designated hitter will be used for any games involving American League teams. Injuries will only be used during the game when they occur. For this tournament, the rules include a three-man pitching rotation using the best lineups available.
Anything can happen in a single elimination tourney.
The top seed in the 1980s Diamond Gems Tournament found that out as the 1986 Houston Astros beat the 1986 New York Mets in the opener of the first round.
Houston shortstop Craig Reynolds was an unlikely hero as he delivered the decisive blow by drilling a three-run homer in the top of the eighth inning at Shea Stadium.
The Astros advance to face the winner of the 1985 St. Louis Cardinals at 1987 Minnesota Twins contest in the second round.
With one out and the Astros trailing 3-2, Jose Cruz coaxed a walk from Mets starter Dwight Gooden before Alan Ashby singled to set the stage for Reynolds.
Astros starting pitcher Mike Scott closed things out over the final two frames to earn the complete game victory. He fanned eight and allowed four hits with two of them being homers.
Gooden was tagged with the loss as he tossed eight innings giving up seven hits with six strikeouts. Jesse Orosco was perfect in the ninth for the Mets with a pair of strikeouts, but his teammates couldn’t solve the effort of Scott.
Darryl Strawberry gave the Mets an early advantage with a solo homer in the second off Scott.
The Astros picked up a run in the fourth and another in the fifth to take the lead. Bill Doran singled and stole second before scoring on an error that tied the game at 1-1. Doran drove in the next tally with a sacrifice fly.
In the sixth, the Mets answered with two runs to go on top by one as Keith Hernandez smashed a homer that scored Lenny Dykstra.
Later in the affair, Mets fans would be silenced and their team would be ousted from the tournament.
First Round Schedule and Results
(16) 1986 Houston Astros 5, (1) 1986 New York Mets 3
(9) 1985 St. Louis Cardinals at (8) 1987 Minnesota Twins
(13) 1985 Toronto Blue Jays at (4) 1983 Baltimore Orioles
(12) 1981 New York Yankees at (5) 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers
(15) 1984 Chicago Cubs at (2) 1984 Detroit Tigers
(10) 1986 Boston Red Sox at (7) 1985 Kansas City Royals
(14) 1983 Chicago White Sox at (3) 1989 Oakland A’s
(11) 1982 Milwaukee Brewers at (6) 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers