The 1969 Baltimore Orioles rode a 1st inning 2-out rally and the arm of Mike Cuellar to a 5-0 win over the 1968 Detroit Tigers to even the series between the teams 1-1. Tigers starter Earl Wilson allowed a base-hit to Paul Blair, but got two quick outs in the 1st. That’s when Baltimore put on 5 straight baserunners. Wilson walked Ellie Hendricks with the bases loaded, and Dave May followed with a 2-run single to put the Orioles up 4-0 before the final out of the inning. Wilson settled down, but exited in the 4th with a sore triceps. In the 8th, Fred Lasher walked in another run, giving Baltimore a 5-0 lead. Cuellar was stellar. He allowed just 5 hits, shutting out Detroit, who only had two runners in scoring position the entire game. The teams now head to Detroit with the series all tied up.

’68 Tigers @ ’69 Orioles – 9/9/25

Willie Mays hit two home runs, but a costly error by Orlando Cepeda yielded a 6-3 loss for the 1962 San Francisco Giants against the 1963 Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the series between the teams. Billy O’Dell allowed a pair of singles to lead off the 3rd inning before Willie Davis flew out and Maury Wills struck out. Jim Gilliam lined one sharply to Cepeda, who couldn’t hold onto it, loading the bases. Wally Moon followed with a bases-clearing double, and after two more base-hits, the Dodgers were out in front 5-0 with all 5 runs unearned. Sandy Koufax looked great in his debut, allowing just 5 hits in 8 innings while striking out 7. Two of those hits were solo homers by Mays. After Mays’ 2nd homer in the 9th, Ron Perranoski came in to close things out and pick up the save. The Dodgers only had one more hit after that 3rd inning. Things don’t get much easier for San Francisco, as they face Don Drysdale in Game 2.

’63 Dodgers @ ’62 Giants – 9/8/25

There wasn’t anything flashy about it, but in the end Denny McLain outlasted Dave McNally as the 1968 Detroit Tigers scored late to top the 1969 Baltimore Orioles 5-4 to take Game 1 of their best-of-five series. The teams traded runs early, but the Tigers carried a 3-2 lead into the 5th. That’s when Frank Robinson hit a 2-run home run to give Baltimore a 4-3 lead. That lead held until the 8th, when Willie Horton led off with a double, and Bill Freehan tied it with a single. The Tigers pulled ahead later in the inning when Freehan scored on a Don Wert sacrifice fly. McLain pitched three hitless innings to close things out for the win. Robinson finished 3 for 4 with the homer and 2 RBI. Five different Tigers had two hits. It was a great start to the Tournament for Detroit.

’68 Tigers @ ’69 Orioles – 9/8/25

The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates got off to a great start in the matchup with the 1968 St. Louis Cardinals as Bob Friend outduelled Bob Gibson to a 4-1 win in Game 1 between the teams. Friend allowed just 5 hits and struck out 11 in a complete game to improve to 2-0 in the Tournament. Friend had left his prior start in the 3rd inning after getting hit in the face by a line drive, but seemed no worse for the wear today. Gibson struggled to find his rhythm, and it caught up to him in the 3rd inning, where the Pirates scored 3 runs on 4 hits and a walk. Gibson struck out 8, but allowed 4 runs on 10 hits. Dick Groat led the Pittsburgh offense, going 4 for 5 and driving in a run. Tim McCarver was 2 for 4 with a triple for the Cardinals. St. Louis entered the series as the top-seeded team in the National League.

’60 Pirates @ ’68 Cardinals – 9/8/25

The 1961 New York Yankees started their Best of the Decades Tournament by showing just how dangerous their lineup can be, holding on to top the 1964 Chicago White Sox 7-5 in the 1st game between the teams. Juan Pizarro exited in the 2nd inning, and the Yankees feasted on White Sox relief. Moose Skowron hit a solo homer off Frank Kreutzer to get things started, and Mickey Mantle added a solo shot of his own in the 4th. In the 5th, Roger Maris got in on the action with a 2-run homer off Ray Herbert. In the 6th, Skowron added his 2nd homer of the game to put New York up 5-0. Clete Boyer added an RBI single later in the inning. Whitey Ford dominated on the mound, taking a one-hitter into the 8th. But Dave Nicholson led off with a solo homer to end the shutout. Four hits later, and Chicago had cut the Yankee lead to 6-4 and ended Ford’s day. Hal Reniff’s wild pitch made it a one-run game before New York escaped the inning. A Boyer single drove in an insurance run in the bottom of the inning, and Luis Arroyo pitched a scoreless 9th to get the same. Chicago looks to rebound in Game 2, but with some tired relievers. Pizarro is expected to miss a few games, but hopes to return later in the series.

’64 White Sox @ ’61 Yankees – 9/8/25

The 1965 Minnesota Twins came back from a 5-2 deficit, tying the game in the 9th, but lost anyway when Mike Hershberger hit a walk-off single in the 10th to win it for the 1964 Chicago White Sox 6-5. Harmon Killebrew hit his 2nd home run in as many days, as the teams traded runs early in the game. In the 6th, Tony Oliva misjudged a flyball, leading to three unearned runs to give the Sox the 5-2 lead against Jim Kaat. But Oliva would redeem himself. First, he hit an RBI double in the 7th, as the Twins cut the lead down to 5-4 against Chicago starter Gary Peters. Then, facing Hoyt Wilhelm in the 9th with one out, Oliva smashed a home run to tie the game. In the bottom of the 10th, Jerry Klippstein struck out the 1st two batters he faced before hitting Ron Hansen with a pitch. Dave Nicholson singled to put Hansen into scoring position. Hershberger drilled a base hit into the gap to walk it off. Hershberger finished 3 for 4 with a walk, Oliva was 3 for 5 with a homer and two doubles to lead the Twins. Minnesota turned the 1st triple play in Best of the Decades Tournament history when Jerry McNertney hit a sharp grounder to Rich Rollins, who stepped on 3rd and threw it around the horn. With the loss, the Twins become the 2nd team of the Tournament to be eliminated. Chicago advances to play the 1961 New York Yankees in the next round.

’65 Twins @ ’64 White Sox – 9/5/25

The 1969 New York Mets became the 1st team to be eliminated from the Best of the 1960s Tournament. The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates pitching staff combined to shutout the Mets, allowing just 3 hits. This was after starter Bob Friend exited the game in the 3rd inning after being struck by a line drive off the bat of Tommie Agee. Joe Gibbon earned the win with 3 scoreless innings of relief, and Clem Labine pitched a perfect 9th for the save. The Mets nearly scored off Gibbon in the 7th when Art Shamsky walked and Ken Boswell doubled. With the infield drawn in, Ed Kranepool dribbled the 1st out in front of the plate, and Ron Swaboda hit a sharp grounder to 3rd. Jerry Grote walked, but Bud Harrelson grounded out to end the inning. Roy Face was originally slated to pitch the 9th for Pittsburgh, but wasn’t able to enter after straining a rib warming up. Tom Seaver pitched nearly as good for New York, holding Pittsburgh hitless until a triple by Roberto Clemente in the 5th. Seaver escaped that time, striking out Smoky Burgess and getting Don Hoak to pop out. He wasn’t as lucky in the 7th when Dick Stuart led off with a triple and scored on Clemente’s sacrifice fly for the only run of the game. Seaver allowed just 4 hits in 8 innings. With the 1-0 win, the Pirates advance to face 1968 St. Louis Cardinals, while the ’69 Mets head home. The Pirates didn’t allow a home run in any of the 4 games.

’69 Mets @ ’60 Pirates – 9/5/25

The 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates took control of the best-of-5 series with the 1969 New York Mets, slugging 3 home runs and holding on to win 5-4. Bob Skinner led the way, hitting a 2-run home run in the 1st inning off Gary Gentry. Roberto Clemente added a solo home in the 2nd, and Don Hoak hit another solo shot in the 4th. The Mets traded runs in the early innings, giving Vinegar Bend Mizell trouble in multiple innings, but Mizell held New York down in the middle innings. Bill Virdon’s error in the 8th allowed the Mets to close to within a run. Bobby Pfeil doubled with 2 outs in the 9th against Pirates closer Roy Face. Tommie Agee followed with a sharp liner up the middle, but Face reached out and snagged it to end the game. The Pirates are now up 2 games to 1 and hope to close the series out tomorrow at home to send the Mets home.

’69 Mets @ ’60 Pirates – 9/4/25

The Minnesota Twins took advantage of Chicago White Sox starter Joe Horlen’s lack of control to win Game 3 5-3 and stay alive in the Best of the 1960s Tournament. Horlen walked the 1st two batters of the game, leading to the 1st Minnesota runs. In the 5th, Horlen walked in the 4th Twins run. Camilo Pascual scattered 8 hits, allowing 2 runs over 7 2/3 innings to keep the Twins on top. Harmon Killebrew hit a solo shot off reliever Don Mossi in the 9th to extend the Minnesota lead. Al Worthington hit JC Martin and then allowed a triple in the bottom of the inning to make things interesting, but then retired the next three hitters to hold on for the save. Minnesota will turn things over to ace Jim Kaat to try to force a Game 5 tomorrow.

’65 Twins @ ’64 White Sox – 9/4/25