Dixie bracket: 2019 Cardinals defeat 1961 Cardinals in seven games

Game One: 61 Cardinals 9, 19 Cardinals 4

WP: Simmons (1-0)
LP: Brebbia (1-1)

HR: Musial 2 (2), Wieters (1)

Game Two: 19 Cardinals 5, 61 Cardinals 0

WP: Hudson (1-1)
LP: Sadecki (2-2)
Save: Wacha (1)

Game Three: 19 Cardinals 8, 61 Cardinals 2 (12 innings)

WP: Brebbia (2-1)
LP: McDaniel (1-1)

HR: Goldschmidt (3), White (6)

Game Four: 19 Cardinals 4, 61 Cardinals 1

WP: Gallegos (1-0)

LP: L Jackson (1-2)

Save: C Martinez (2)

Game Five: 61 Cardinals 8, 19 Cardinals 0

WP: Simmons (2-0)

LP: Flaherty (2-1)
HR: Cunningham (2), Sawatski (5)

Game Six: 61 Cardinals 4, 19 Cardinals 3

WP: Broglio (1-0)
LP: Webb (0-1)
Save: C Anderson (1)

HR: Schoendienst (1), J Martinez (1)

Game Seven: 19 Cardinals 6, 61 Cardinals 3

WP: Gallegos (2-0)
LP: Gibson (2-1)

Save: C Martinez (3)

HR: Fowler (2)

The 2019 Cardinals prevailed in this contest for St. Louis, a bullpen battle in which only two starting pitchers got credit for wins.

One of those two, Curt Simmons got two win, and the first came in the opener in 2019's Busch Stadium III. The 1961 team, helped by a Stan Musial homer, led 3-0 going into the bottom of the fourth, when Matt Wieters pinch-hit a three-run homer to tie it. Musial hit a two-run homer in the seventh to retake the lead, Bob L. Miller stranded three inherited runners in the bottom of the seventh, and the 61 team scored three in the eighth and another in the ninth to pull away.

Dakota Hudson and Michael Wacha combined for a six-hit shutout in Game Two. Hudson went five innings, allowing four hits and two walks; Wacha faced just 13 men in his four innings. The 2019 team scored three runs in the fifth on a hit batter, two walks, an error and a two-out two-run double by Yadier Molina.

For Game Three, the series moved to 1961 and Busch Stadium I, better known to history as Sportsman's Park. Bob Gibson allowed two runs in nine innings; he staggered through the first five innings, allowing six walks and seven hits, but yielded just a walk in the next four innings. Adam Wainrwright scattered eight hits in 5.1 iniings before handing the ball off to a realy of relievers who combined for 6.2 scoreless innings. Lindy McDaniel had two scoreless innings before the roof caved in on him and Mickey McDermott for six runs in the 12th in which Paul Goldschmidt clubbed a three-run homer.

Miles Mikolas walked the first four men he faced in Game Four, and that turned out to be the only run he allowed in six innings. It threatened to be enough to beat him: Larry Jackson carried that 1-0 into the ninth,. But he couldn't get an out in that inning, but the time Miller got the final out the 2019 team led 4-1. Ken Boyer committed a critical two-base error in the inning.

On the verge of elimination, the 1961 Cards turned again to Simmons, and the veteran lefty delivered a complete game four-hit shutout. Curt Flood led off with a triple and Musial singled him home for the first run, and Joe Cunningham hit a three-run homer in the third,

That sent the series back to 2019. Jose Martinez hit a three-run homer in the fourth off Ray Sadecki, and Hudson carried a 3-1 lead into the seventh. After Alex Grammas singled to open the inning, the 1961s sent up Red Schoendienst to hit for Sadecki. John Gant relieved for the 2019s, and Schoendiest tied it with a homer. The 2019 team took the lead in the eighth on a Tim McCarver base hit that plated Bill White. Craig Anderson threw two scoreless innings for the save.

And that set up a Gibson-Wainwright rematch for Game Seven. They matched zeros for four innings until Dexter Fowler hit a three-run homer in the fifth. Andrew Miller loaded the bases in the top of the sixth, and ater Gant gave up a sac fly, Gibson hit a triple to tie the score. The game stayed a 3-3 into the eighth, when Gibson walked three men and left with the bases loaded and one out. Anderson and McDermott combined to allow all three inherited runners to score, and Carlos Martinez breezed through the top of the ninth to secure the win and the series.

Player availability: The 2019 bullpen will be fully available for the opener of the fourth round.

Projected rotation: Flaherty-Mikolas-Hudson-Wainwright-(Flaherty)-(Mikolas)-(Hudson)