Worst All-Time Twins Tournament, Nolasco Round, Day 3: Four scores and seven more scores ago

Selig Sectional (played)

(5) 1981 Twins 4
(9) 1956 Senators 16
‘81 trails 3-0

For half an inning, ‘81 had the momentum to prevent a further skid in the Selig Sectional. Unfortunately, it was not the final half-inning.

Even less fortunately, it was the first half-inning.

After scoring a pair in the top of the first, ‘81 gave up nine runs in the bottom half as ‘56 rolled easily to a 16-4 romp.

Spotted a 2-0 lead thanks to Mickey Hatcher’s two-run double, Fernando Arroyo came to the mound and was lucky to last long enough to record a real-number ERA. Singles by Eddie Yost and Pete Runnels surrounded a walk to Herb Plews, and then the scoring started, Roy Sievers and Jim Lemon cracking consecutive two-run doubles to give ‘56 a 4-2 lead. Clint Courtney’s single put men on the corners, but Arroyo retired Lou Berberet on a shallow line drive and struck out Karl Olson to come within one out of escaping the inning. But Jose Valdivielso singled in Lemon, summoning the hook for Arroyo as Pete Redfern took the mound. Yost immediately took Redfern deep for a three-run blast, and Plews followed with a solo shot, leaving a 9 on the scoreboard before the third out was recorded.

Three innings later, Redfern’s day ended as it began, this time Courtney launching the three-run homer.

While ‘81’s batters did not bring any more runs across the board, both scoring on wild pitches, ‘56’s little-used bench players contributed to the rout. With two on in the bottom of the eighth, Whitey Herzog pinch-hit for Olson and doubled to the wall in left-center, scoring Sievers; Tony Roig followed as a substitute batter and delivered a two-run single.

Manfred Regional

(6) 1948 Senators 3
(10) 1982 Twins 9
‘48 trails 2-1

With ‘48 and ‘82 looking to take a one-game edge in the semifinal, ‘82 jumped out to an early lead and never ceded it.

Six ‘82 batters combined for a dozen hits, a Ron Washington triple and Gary Ward homer the major blows, as ’82 toppled ’48 9-3.

‘82 started the scoring in the second with a bases-loaded walk and hit by pitch, before the RBI base hits started coming in the fourth. Bobby Mitchell’s RBI double extended the lead to 3-0, a wild pitch brought in another run, and Kent Hrbek doubled in Mitchell to end Mickey Haefner’s day on the mound.

With ‘48’s bullpen now in the game, Ramón García relieving Haefner, ’82 kept hitting. A single and walk set up Washington, who tripled in both runners to extend ‘82’s lead to a more-than-comfortable margin. Washington came across on Mitchell’s groundout.

‘48 scored their runs on a groundout, double play, and passed ball, while Ward’s solo homer put a cap on the offense for the day.

Nolasco Round, Day 2 | Nolasco Round, Day 3 | Nolasco Round, Day 4