QUARTERFINALS: Pittsburgh won a series by a 4-1 count for the second straight round, giving them a tournament-best .800 winning percentage at this point. Every other advancing team has had at least five losses through two rounds. The Reds won the first game in the series, but the Pirates came back with four straight victories, all by multiple runs.
Pre-Expansion Greats Tournament
Game 1: Cincinnati 7, Pittsburgh 4
Game 2: Pittsburgh 11, Cincinnati 4
Game 3: Pittsburgh 4, Cincinnati 2
Game 4: Pittsburgh 4, Cincinnati 1 (11 innings)
Game 5: Pittsburgh 8, Cincinnati 4
Series MVP: Ralph Kiner, Pittsburgh
Kiner earned his second straight MVP award by batting .474 (9-for-19) with four home runs, seven runs scored and seven RBI. Through 10 games in the tournament, he’s hitting .405 with nine home runs.
Batting Statistics
Pitching Statistics
Game 1: Cincinnati 7, Pittsburgh 4
Cincinnati struck first, battering around the Pirate pitchers for seven runs on nine hits and six walks. Each time the Reds scored in the top of an inning, the Pirates also scored in the bottom half of the frame. But the Reds scored more, including the first inning, when they took a 2-1 lead as Ted Kluszewski had a two-run homer. Both teams scored twice in the third inning, keeping the Reds’ one-run lead at 4-3. The Reds broke the game open with three runs in the top of the seventh as Wally Post had a solo homer and Frank Robinson had a two-run blast. The Pirates could only come up with one run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single by Johnny Gooch.
00 CINCINNATI REDS (7) AT 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES (4) 00 CINCINNATI REDS AB R H BI 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATE AB R H BI Edd Roush 4 1 2 1 Honus Wagner 5 2 3 1 Johnny Temple 5 0 0 0 Pie Traynor 3 0 0 1 Wally Post 5 2 2 1 Arky Vaughan 3 0 0 1 Ted Kluszewski 4 2 2 2 Ralph Kiner 4 1 2 0 Frank Robinson 3 1 1 2 Paul Waner 4 0 0 0 Gus Bell 3 0 1 0 Lloyd Waner 4 0 1 0 Ernie Lombardi 3 0 0 0 Gus Suhr 2 0 0 0 Eddie Kasko 4 0 1 0 Johnny Gooch 4 0 1 1 Roy McMillan 2 1 0 0 Bill Mazeroski 4 1 1 0 TOTALS 33 7 9 6 TOTALS 33 4 8 4 00 CINCINNATI REDS 202 000 030 -- 7 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES 102 000 010 -- 4 LOB--00 CINCINNATI REDS 6, 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES 8. ERR--Roy McMillan, Honus Wagner. 2B--Gus Bell, Bill Mazeroski, Honus Wagner, Ralph Kiner. 3B--Edd Roush, Honus Wagner. HR--Wally Post, Ted Kluszewski, Frank Robinson. SACF--Pie Traynor, Arky Vaughan. SACB--Roy McMillan. SB--Honus Wagner. 00 CINCINNATI REDS IP H R ER BB SO HR Dolf Luque [W] 7.67 8 4 4 3 2 0 Hershell Freeman [S] 1.33 0 0 0 1 0 0 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES Rip Sewell [L] 7.00 7 5 4 3 2 2 Ray Kremer 1.33 2 2 2 3 0 1 Sam Leever 0.67 0 0 0 0 0 0 SO--Eddie Kasko, Roy McMillan, Pie Traynor, Lloyd Waner. BB--Edd Roush, Gus Bell, Ted Kluszewski, Roy McMillan, Frank Robinson, Ernie Lombardi, Pie Traynor, Arky Vaughan, Gus Suhr (2).
Game 2: Pittsburgh 11, Cincinnati 4
Ralph Kiner homered twice and the Pirates scored in every inning they batted except the first. Cincinnati actually scored first on a solo homer by Frank Robinson in the top of the second, but the Pirates scored five runs in the next four innings, including a solo homer by Kiner in the fifth, to go up 5-1. The Reds got their second run on a homer by Ted Kluszewski in the sixth, but the Pirates countered with one in the sixth, three in the seventh (Lloyd Waner had a two-run double) and a two-run homer by Kiner in the eighth. The Reds tacked on two runs in the ninth inning.
00 CINCINNATI REDS (4) AT 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES (11) 00 CINCINNATI REDS AB R H BI 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATE AB R H BI Edd Roush 4 0 0 0 Honus Wagner 4 1 1 1 Johnny Temple 4 0 1 0 Pie Traynor 5 1 1 1 Wally Post 4 1 1 0 Arky Vaughan 4 1 1 1 Ted Kluszewski 4 1 1 1 Ralph Kiner 2 4 2 3 Frank Robinson 4 2 2 2 Paul Waner 5 1 1 0 Gus Bell 3 0 0 1 Lloyd Waner 4 1 2 2 Ernie Lombardi 3 0 1 0 Gus Suhr 4 2 3 2 Eddie Kasko 3 0 0 0 Johnny Gooch 4 0 1 1 Roy McMillan 2 0 0 0 Bill Mazeroski 4 0 0 0 TOTALS 31 4 6 4 TOTALS 36 11 12 11 00 CINCINNATI REDS 010 001 002 -- 4 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES 012 111 32x -- 11 LOB--00 CINCINNATI REDS 3, 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES 6. ERR--Roy McMillan, Honus Wagner. 2B--Johnny Temple, Ernie Lombardi, Gus Suhr, Lloyd Waner (2). 3B--Frank Robinson, Pie Traynor. HR--Ted Kluszewski, Frank Robinson, Ralph Kiner (2). SACF--Gus Bell. SB--Paul Waner. 00 CINCINNATI REDS IP H R ER BB SO HR Ewell Blackwell [L] 6.33 9 8 7 4 4 1 Paul Derringer 1.67 3 3 3 1 1 1 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES Babe Adams [W] 9.00 6 4 4 2 3 2 SO--Wally Post, Eddie Kasko, Roy McMillan, Bill Mazeroski, Pie Traynor, Arky Vaughan, Honus Wagner, Lloyd Waner. BB--Roy McMillan, Ernie Lombardi, Arky Vaughan, Honus Wagner, Ralph Kiner (3).
Game 3: Pittsburgh 4, Cincinnati 2
Arky Vaughan drove in three runs and Howie Camnitz and Roy Face combined on a three-hitter to give the Pirates a 2-1 series lead. Both Cincinnati runs came in the bottom of the first on a two-run homer by Ted Kluszewski. The Pirates tied it on a two-run homer by Vaughan in the third inning, and his RBI double in the fifth inning made it 3-2. Pittsburgh’s final run came in the sixth inning on a two-out RBI single by Johnny Gooch. The Reds got runners to second and third base with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Face came in to get the final out.
00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES (4) AT 00 CINCINNATI REDS (2) 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATE AB R H BI 00 CINCINNATI REDS AB R H BI Honus Wagner 4 2 2 0 Edd Roush 4 0 1 0 Pie Traynor 4 0 0 0 Johnny Temple 3 0 0 0 Arky Vaughan 2 1 2 3 Wally Post 3 1 0 0 Ralph Kiner 4 0 1 0 Ted Kluszewski 4 1 1 2 Paul Waner 4 1 1 0 Frank Robinson 4 0 1 0 Lloyd Waner 4 0 2 0 Gus Bell 3 0 0 0 Gus Suhr 3 0 0 0 Ernie Lombardi 2 0 0 0 Johnny Gooch 4 0 1 1 Eddie Kasko 2 0 0 0 Bill Mazeroski 4 0 0 0 Roy McMillan 3 0 0 0 TOTALS 33 4 9 4 TOTALS 28 2 3 2 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES 002 011 000 -- 4 00 CINCINNATI REDS 200 000 000 -- 2 LOB--00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES 5, 00 CINCINNATI REDS 4. ERR--Roy McMillan. 2B--Arky Vaughan, Honus Wagner, Edd Roush. HR--Arky Vaughan, Ted Kluszewski. SB--Honus Wagner, Ralph Kiner, Frank Robinson. 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES IP H R ER BB SO HR Howie Camnitz [W] 8.67 3 2 2 5 5 1 Roy Face [S] 0.33 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 CINCINNATI REDS Johnny Vander Meer [L] 8.00 9 4 2 2 3 1 Noodles Hahn 1.00 0 0 0 1 0 0 SO--Bill Mazeroski, Gus Suhr, Ralph Kiner, Johnny Temple, Wally Post, Eddie Kasko, Roy McMillan, Frank Robinson. BB--Arky Vaughan (2), Gus Suhr, Johnny Temple, Wally Post, Gus Bell, Eddie Kasko, Ernie Lombardi.
Game 4: Pittsburgh 4, Cincinnati 1 (11 innings)
The game had been 1-1 since the fifth inning, and the Pirates finally broke through in the top of the 11th inning to claim a 3-1 series lead. Honus Wagner led off with a double, and went to third on a single by Pie Traynor. Wagner scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Arky Vaughan, and Ralph Kiner followed with a two-run homer. The Reds scored their single run in the first inning on back-to-back doubles by Edd Roush and Johnny Temple. Cincinnati got a runner to third base in the fifth inning, and to second base in the eighth, ninth and 10th innings, but no further as Rip Sewell (9 1/3 innings, seven hits) and Ray Kremer (perfect 1 1/3 innings) shut them down. The Pirates’ first run came on a two-out RBI double by Johnny Gooch in the fifth inning.
00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES (4) AT 00 CINCINNATI REDS (1) 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATE AB R H BI 00 CINCINNATI REDS AB R H BI Honus Wagner 5 1 1 0 Edd Roush 5 1 3 0 Pie Traynor 5 1 2 0 Johnny Temple 5 0 1 1 Arky Vaughan 4 0 0 1 Wally Post 4 0 1 0 Ralph Kiner 4 1 1 2 Ted Kluszewski 5 0 0 0 Paul Waner 5 1 2 0 Frank Robinson 4 0 0 0 Lloyd Waner 5 0 1 0 Gus Bell 4 0 0 0 Gus Suhr 4 0 1 0 Ernie Lombardi 4 0 1 0 Johnny Gooch 3 0 1 1 Eddie Kasko 4 0 1 0 Bill Mazeroski 4 0 0 0 Roy McMillan 3 0 0 0 TOTALS 39 4 9 4 TOTALS 38 1 7 1 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES 000 010 000 03 -- 4 00 CINCINNATI REDS 100 000 000 00 -- 1 LOB--00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES 5, 00 CINCINNATI REDS 8. ERR--Roy McMillan. 2B--Johnny Gooch, Honus Wagner, Johnny Temple, Edd Roush (3). HR--Ralph Kiner. HBP--Johnny Gooch. SACF--Arky Vaughan. SACB--Gus Bell, Roy McMillan. 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES IP H R ER BB SO HR Rip Sewell 9.33 7 1 1 2 2 0 Ray Kremer [W] 1.67 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 CINCINNATI REDS Dolf Luque 10.00 6 1 1 1 3 0 Bucky Walters [L] 1.00 3 3 3 0 0 1 SO--Bill Mazeroski (2), Johnny Gooch, Johnny Temple, Ernie Lombardi. BB--Ralph Kiner, Wally Post, Frank Robinson.
Game 5: Pittsburgh 8, Cincinnati 4
The Pirates scored four runs in the first three innings, then blew the game open with a four-run seventh inning, to close out the series. Paul Waner had an RBI single in the first inning, Bill Mazeroski hit a two-run homer in the second and Pie Traynor followed with a solo shot in the third. Pittsburgh led 4-2 after three innings. It stayed that way until the seventh, when Johnny Gooch tripled and Mazeroski followed with an RBI single. After the first two outs, Arky Vaughan drove home a run with a single, and Ralph Kiner slugged a two-run homer. Cincinnati got a two-run home run from Wally Post in the eighth, and put runners on first and second with one out in the ninth, but Pittsburgh closer Roy Face came in to get a game-ending double play.
00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES (8) AT 00 CINCINNATI REDS (4) 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATE AB R H BI 00 CINCINNATI REDS AB R H BI Honus Wagner 4 0 0 0 Edd Roush 4 2 2 0 Pie Traynor 5 2 3 1 Johnny Temple 3 0 1 1 Arky Vaughan 4 1 2 1 Wally Post 4 1 1 2 Ralph Kiner 5 1 3 2 Ted Kluszewski 4 0 0 0 Paul Waner 4 0 1 1 Frank Robinson 3 1 1 0 Lloyd Waner 3 0 0 0 Gus Bell 4 0 0 0 Gus Suhr 4 1 1 0 Ernie Lombardi 3 0 2 1 Johnny Gooch 4 1 2 0 Eddie Kasko 4 0 1 0 Bill Mazeroski 4 2 2 3 Roy McMillan 4 0 0 0 TOTALS 37 8 14 8 TOTALS 33 4 8 4 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES 121 000 400 -- 8 00 CINCINNATI REDS 011 000 020 -- 4 LOB--00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES 6, 00 CINCINNATI REDS 5. 2B--Pie Traynor, Gus Suhr, Johnny Temple, Edd Roush, Ernie Lombardi. 3B--Johnny Gooch, Edd Roush. HR--Bill Mazeroski, Pie Traynor, Ralph Kiner, Wally Post. HBP--Frank Robinson. SACF--Johnny Temple. 00 PITTSBURGH PIRATES IP H R ER BB SO HR Babe Adams [W] 8.33 8 4 4 1 4 1 Roy Face [S] 0.67 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 CINCINNATI REDS Ewell Blackwell [L] 6.67 12 7 7 2 2 2 Paul Derringer 2.33 2 1 1 2 1 1 SO--Paul Waner, Gus Suhr, Honus Wagner, Wally Post, Gus Bell, Eddie Kasko (2). BB--Paul Waner, Arky Vaughan, Honus Wagner, Lloyd Waner, Ernie Lombardi.
ROGER SPORTS & GAMES 