Ringo bracket: Giants (87) defeat Twins (87) in five games

Game One: 87 Twins 5, 87 Giants 2
WP: Viola (6-0)
LP: Reuschel (6-1)
Save: Reardon (8)
HR: Speier (1), Mitchell (2), Gaetti (5)

Game Two: 87 Giants 5, 87 Twins 4
WP: Garrelts (2-0)
LP: Blyleven (4-3)
HR: E, Milner 2 (3), Puckett (8), Lombardozzi (3)

Game Three: 87 Giants 3, 87 Twins 1
WP: Dravecky (3-1)
LP: Straker (0-1)
Save: D Robinson (2)
HR: C Davis (7), Aldrete (1)

Game Four: 87 Giants 6, 87 Twins 2
WP: LaCoss (2-0)
LP: J. Niekro (1-1)
HR: W, Clark (7), Hrbek (8)

Game Five: 87 Giants 1, 87 Twins 0
WP: Reuschel (7-1)
LP: Viola (6-1)
Save: D Robinson (3)

The 1987 San Francisco Giants held the real-life World Series champs to 12 runs in the five games and just three in the final three games to take the Ringo bracket title.

The opener in the Metrodome pitted two undefeated aces, Rick Reuschel for the visitors and Frank Viola for the Twins. Chris Speier's third-inning homer stacked Reuschel to a 1-0 lead, but a Jose Uribe error gave the Twins an opening in the fourth, and they took a 2-1 lead. That score held into the eighth, when Dan Gladden singled to lead off the inning, Reuschel struck out Kirby Puckett, then left for Joe Price, who gave up a single to Kent Hrbek and a homer to Gary Gaetti. Kevin Mitchell homered to lead off the ninth and chase Viola, but Jeff Reardon ended the game with a pair of strikeouts.

Bert Blyleven struggled early in Game Two, walking three, hitting another and committing a throwing error in the first inning as the Giants took a quick 2-0 lead. Puckett homered in the bottoms of the inning, The Giants made it 3-1 in the fourth on Eddie Milner's homer, but Puckett doubled home Steve Lombardozzi in the fifth, and Greg Gagne tied it with a homer in the sixth. In the top of the eighth, Jeffery Leonard singled and stole second; then, with two out, Milner homered again. Scott Garrelts threw three innings of one-hit ball (a Lombardozzi homer in the ninth) for the win.

The series moved to Candlestick, and Dave Dravecky allowed just four hits in seven innings for the home team. Chili Davis and Mike Aldrete each hit solo homers off Les Straker.

The Giants jumped on Joe Niekro early in Game Four, scoring one in the first and three more in the second, with Will Clark hitting a three run homer. The Giants also stole three bases in the two innings. But the Twins scored single runs in the first and third innings to stay close, and Niekro worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the third as he threw four scoreless frames. But the Twins failed to cash in a leadoff double in the fourth and never again got a man in scoring position against Mike LaCoss, and Uribe broke the game open with a two-run triple off Juan Berenguer in the eighth.

Reuschel got the better of Viola in Game Five. He twice worked out of two-on james in the first three innings and wound up allowing just five singles in eight innings. Viola allowed just two baserunners in the first six innings, but in the seventh Mitchell and Candy Maldonado each doubled. That one run was enough for Big Danny and reliever Don Robinson, and enough to clinch the series for the Giants.

Player of the series: Reuschel allowed one earned run over 15.3 innings, and that scored with a reliever on the hill.

Player availability: The Giants have no injuries, and are free to set up their rotation without restriction.

Projected rotation: Reuschel-Dravecky-Downs-LaCoss-(Reuschel)-(Dravecky)-(Downs)