Although they never got an opportunity to play Major League Baseball, the 1931 Homestead Grays showed what they could do in MLB Dream Bracket 2: Dream Seasons, defeating the 1985 Blue Jays in five games and advancing to the second round.

MLB Dream Bracket 2 consists of two of the best squads from all 30 clubs, as well as the 1994 Expos and three Negro Leagues teams, including the 1931 Grays. 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).

• Box score and game summary

Let’s make one thing clear: The Grays’ win in this series was not an upset -- not when they have right-hander Satchel Paige and catcher Josh Gibson on their roster. Paige was dominant in the first round and threw a two-hitter to put Homestead back in the series after a loss in the opening game. Gibson was nearly unstoppable at the plate, batting an incredible .435/.500/.739 with two homers and seven RBIs in the series.

• Full bracket and info

The Blue Jays played the Grays tough, but after winning the first game, Toronto couldn’t do anything at the plate, and none of its starters could match Paige or George Britt, who also tossed a complete game in the series.

The Grays will advance to face the 1961 Yankees, a team that hit a then-MLB-record 240 home runs and featured a powerful hitting duo -- Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris -- who will never be forgotten. Maris hit a then-record 61 home runs and helped the Yankees defeat the Reds in the World Series.

• Complete Dream Bracket 2 rosters

Game 1: Blue Jays 10, Grays 3
The Blue Jays started quick, and this one appeared to be over by the second inning as Toronto had a 7-0 lead. The Jays scored five runs in the first inning against Grays right-hander Joe Williams, who lasted only an inning-plus. Rance Mulliniks highlighted the scoring with a three-run homer. The following inning, Williams faced three batters and did not retire any of them. Jeff Burroughs and Damaso Garcia scored on a triple by Tony Fernandez. Grays right-hander Ted Radcliffe retired the next three hitters, but the damage was done. Right-hander Dave Stieb started for the Blue Jays and allowed a run on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings. That run was scored in the third, when Oscar Owens scored on a triple by Oscar Charleston.

Game 2: Grays, 7, Blue Jays 0
Paige tossed a two-hitter and helped the Grays tie the series at 1. He retired the first nine batters he faced before allowing a single to Fernandez to start the fourth. By the time the game ended, Paige had thrown 117 pitches and struck out six batters. The Blue Jays’ only threat came in the fifth, when they had runners on first and second. But Garcia grounded out to end the inning. Blue Jays left-hander Jimmy Key battled through the first five innings, but he was out of the game an inning later when he lost control of his pitches. After walking Gibson, Key hit Jud Wilson with a pitch before walking George Scales to load the bases. Key left the game in favor of Gary LaVelle, who allowed a two-run single to Benny Jones.

Game 3: Grays 11, Blue Jays 4
Back home in Pittsburgh, the Grays took a 2-1 series lead with a win in Game 3. Homestead didn’t waste time, scoring three runs in the first inning off Blue Jays right-hander Doyle Alexander. Gibson highlighted the scoring by hitting a three-run home run. By the eighth, the game was out of reach as the Grays took an 11-1 lead. The Blue Jays’ biggest highlight came in the ninth, when Bell hit a three-run homer off Lefty Williams.

Game 4: Grays 6, Blue Jays 1
The Grays put themselves a game away from advancing in Game 4, thanks once again to Gibson. He went 4-for-4 and drove in his only run of the game in the third inning, when he hit a 360-foot homer off Blue Jays right-hander Jim Clancy. Britt showed that he was just as good as Paige, pitching a one-hitter and striking out nine. His only blemish was a first-inning home run to Bell.

Game 5: Grays 7, Blue Jays 6 (10 innings)
The Jays forced the Grays to earn their way to the second round in Game 5, but Homestead did just that, walking it off in 10 innings. With the game tied at 6, the Grays had runners on first and second with one out against closer Tom Henke, when Scales scored on a single by Jones to advance to the next round.