'54 Tribe bests KC, moves on in Bracket 2, Rd. 2

CLEVELAND -- Winning is something the 1954 Indians became quite used to during their 111-victory season. It’s a pattern that the squad has started to continue over 60 years later in the MLB Dream Bracket 2: Dream Seasons simulation.

It was a roster so lethal -- consisting of future Hall of Famers like Bob Feller, Bob Lemon, Early Wynn, Larry Doby and Hal Newhouser -- that the Yankees, who finished the year with 103 wins, were still eight games out of first place in the American League. The Tribe rolled through the regular season before getting stymied by the New York Giants in the World Series. Now they’ll look for redemption in simulation form as they attempt to find their storybook ending.

After sweeping the 2005 Astros in the first round of Dream Bracket 2, the Indians defeated the 1985 Royals in five games, thanks in part to big offensive performances from Bobby Avila, who went 9-for-24 (.375), and Al Rosen, who knocked in a third of the club’s runs (six) in the series.

• Box scores and game summaries | Full bracket and info | Complete Dream Bracket 2 rosters

What started as a 64-team, best-of-seven simulation tournament will now be whittled down to 16 teams on Wednesday, with the Tribe set for a Round 3 matchup with the 1970 Orioles, who held off the '83 White Sox in seven games. The tournament began with two of the best post-World War II teams from each of the 30 Major League franchises, as well as three Negro Leagues teams and the '94 Montreal Expos.

The simulated competition, featuring many of the greatest teams in baseball history, is being produced by Out of the Park Baseball 21, MLB‘s most realistic strategy game (PC and Mac).

Here's how Cleveland handled Kansas City in five games:

Game 1: Royals 4, Indians 1 (13 innings)
The score was tied at 1 heading into the top of the 13th inning until Bob Chakales gave up a three-run homer to Frank White, propelling Kansas City to victory. The Tribe received a gem of a start from Wynn, who allowed one run in 7 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts, but the offense was only able to muster four hits and one run -- a Vic Wertz solo homer -- against Royals starter Bret Saberhagen.

Game 2: Indians 2, Royals 1
The Indians were trailing, 1-0, entering the bottom of the sixth inning, but a leadoff base knock by Al Smith followed by a double from Avila set up Doby for an RBI single. The deciding run crossed the plate on an error by White on a Rosen ground ball to second. Feller picked up his second win of the tournament thanks to his one-run, 7 2/3-innings performance and Newhouser recorded his second save, coming in for the final out of the game with the winning run on third.

Game 3: Indians 4, Royals 0
The Tribe was able to breathe more in Game 3 than it had all series. Cleveland jumped out to an early lead on a two-run homer by Rosen in the first and a George Strickland solo shot in the second. With a comfortable three-run cushion, Lemon had no reason to fret as he scattered 10 hits through six frames. Combined with two innings of relief from Don Mossi and an inning from Newhouser, the Indians were able to complete the shutout.

Game 4: Indians 5, Royals 0
It started with a good old-fashioned pitchers' duel. Both clubs remained scoreless through the first six frames as Tribe starter Mike Garcia permitted just three hits in seven innings and Royals starter Buddy Black and Steve Farr combined for six scoreless innings. But a sacrifice fly from Smith and an RBI single from Doby put the Indians on the board in the seventh. Wally Westlake doubled in a run in the eighth and Rosen gave his team two more insurance runs in the ninth on a 419-foot blast to left.

Game 5: Indians 6, Royals 3
The Indians’ offense continued to pick up steam throughout the series and the momentum did not stop in Game 5. In a rematch of Wynn vs. Saberhagen, the Tribe was able to get ahead early on a two-run homer by Dave Philley in the second. After three more runs in the third, the pitching staff held off the Royals’ offense just enough to clinch the series victory. Wynn allowed two runs (one earned) through 6 2/3 innings, while Mossi and Newhouser combined for 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Chakales gave up one run in the ninth.