[Westheim]

As far as our rotation was concerned, I removed Scott Wade due to his high ERA, although I could have struck Turner just as well. Kisho Saito had had a horrible season, but he still started up front. Don’t ask. He has that sword and will do all possible things with it if he doesn’t start game 1.

I have Lopez, Beato, and Turner lined up behind Saito.

Batting wise, there weren’t many things to discuss. I put Baldivía over Adams at first, because Baldivía had a much better average, despite worse defense. Higgins was put over Allen, the King of K’s. The left side of the infield was not even in question.

Out there, we had four people for three spots, two lefties (Lopez, Kinnear) and two righties (Hall, Quinn) as long as Reece was out. Lopez was the only sensible option in center, so he was nailed down there, and I was inclined to play Bobby Quinn in all games, and Kinnear and Hall as things developed. Kinnear would most likely start the first two games in left, since the first two Condors up were right-handers.

1993 CONTINENTAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Portland Raccoons (91-71) @ Tijuana Condors (100-62)

Game 1 – Kisho Saito (10-15, 4.07 ERA) vs. John Douglas (13-14, 3.44 ERA)

How can two playoff teams start their series with TWO losing pitchers? I dunno. Anyway, Douglas posted a 1.55 WHIP during the season, issuing 123 walks. That was the way to get him.

In the bottom 1st, Saito allowed singles to Paul Theobald and Cesar Baéz. Two on, nobody out, way to go. But the next man made an out to Lopez, and while Theobald advanced, Baéz then tried to steal second base during the next at-bat, but was thrown out by Vinson, and Saito escaped the inning unharmed.

In the top 3rd, Vinson then had the first hit for the Raccoons, a shy single that barely made it to the grass behind second base. Saito tried to bunt him over, but stabbed himself into an 0-2 count, at which point he swung away, hitting a howling double to center. Salazar was up next and dealt damage with a 2-run double to the gap in left center, and he would eventually score on a groundout by Lopez. 3-0 Raccoons, now Saito had to hold it.

What Saito did, certainly didn’t look good. Baéz and Tadanobu Sakaguchi both came just short of hitting 2-run dingers in the bottom 3rd, but Quinn and Lopez got to them just in front of the fence and they made two outs. But it was just enough to keep the Condors in order here. They left another runner on third base after a leadoff double in the fifth, and the Raccoons seemed to be in a good position.

In the bottom 6th, Saito put the first two men on, bringing up Preston O’Day, who sent a mighty fly ball to dead center. Again, just short, and again, Lopez was there. But Saito would score a run in the inning with a wild pitch, and the lead was down to 3-1.

The Raccoons were not taking enough pitches from Douglas in the game, and only drew four walks in eight innings. And when they had chances to score, they hit into a double play (Baldivía) or flew out harmlessly. In the top 7th, Matt Higgins tripled with two out, but Lopez failed to drive him home with a fly out to Sakaguchi in left.

Bottom 7th. With two out, Douglas batted against Saito and flew to center, where Lopez caught, then dropped the ball. Saito remained in to face Theobald with Douglas on second base, and the rightfielder flew out to Lopez. This time, he caught it.

Leading off, Baéz hit an infield single to start the bottom 8th, which with the righty Sakaguchi next, ended Saito’s day. Lagarde struck out the guy from Japan, then yielded for Burnett to deal with the left-handers O’Day and Boyle. It didn’t work. O’Day doubled to dead center, and Baéz scored. The Condors then tied the game against Miller.

The Raccoons weren’t doing anything at this point. Miller remained in for the bottom 9th, got two outs, then loaded the bases. Grant West came in and had to retire O’Day to at least force extra innings. In a full count, O’Day swung and grounded to Higgins, who went to first for the out.

The Raccoons STILL couldn’t hit a lick. West was still pitching in the bottom 11th after we burned through most of our pen in the eighth. Sean Bergeron had a 1-out single as a pinch-hitter, and with two out, Baéz lifted a looper to shallow center that Lopez just barely did not get. Two on, two out, Sakaguchi up. In a highly tensioned 8-pitch at-bat, West walked him, and now once again faced O’Day with the sacks full. I had zero trust in Proctor to handle this situation and West had to pitch. O’Day drummed a high fly ball to deep left field on the second pitch of the at-bat. It was very high, but just short of the fence, and Kinnear caught it.

And the band played on.

The top 12th saw Mark Allen bat for West to lead off and he singled to left. Allen advanced on Salazar’s grounder, then advanced again on a wild pitch. Allen on third, one out, and Higgins in a 1-0 count. This had to work out. Higgins singled to right to break the tie.

Now we just needed someone to protect that lead. We had Vela, Proctor – and Wade! This was for him. Give all the juice you have! Wade came in, and Boyle singled as the first man up. Cipriano Ortega bunted, but badly and right to Wade, who hopped off the mound and started a double play. Jesus Jimenez was left to be dealt with. He flew to deep center, but Lopez got to it, and it was over.

Raccoons 4, Condors 3 (12); Salazar 2-6, 2B, 2 RBI; Higgins 3-6, 3B, RBI; Allen (PH) 1-1; Saito 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K and 1-3, 2B; West 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, W (1-0);

Game 1 of the FLCS also went past the ninth. Dallas’ Matt Sims hit Freddy Gonzalez with a pitch with the bases loaded in the 11th to walk off the Capitals, 5-4.

Game 2 – Miguel Lopez (17-8, 2.81 ERA) vs. Jose Macias (16-12, 3.61 ERA)

Grant West was not available for this game after throwing 43 pitches. Apart from that we had everybody available. Sans Reece of course. Contrary to my anticipation however, the Condors started lefty Jose Macias in this game, so Hall was in left in place of Kinnear.

Macias pitched only one inning, then left with an injury. However, that didn’t help Miguel Lopez a thing, as he was drubbed for three runs (two earned after a Higgins error) in the bottom 2nd.

Lopez did have little to no control over his stuff, pitched in 3-ball counts a lot and gave up plenty of contact to the Condors then. The Raccoons in turn had one hit through three innings, trailed 3-0, and looked done.

Top 4th. Alejandro Lopez got on with one out, and Hall came to bat with two outs after O-Mo had done nothing once again. Hall unleashed a shot to the gap in left center which caromed awkwardly off the wall and became an RBI triple for Hall. Salazar walked, bringing up Baldivía with runners on the corners. He pressed a grounder through 3B Jimenez, which eluded Sakaguchi in left as well and became a game-tying 2-run double.

All could have turned out well, but Lopez still sucked. Theobald and Baéz hit back-to-back doubles to start the bottom 4th, and the Condors led 4-3. The offense had to out-suck the pitching here, and the Condors were burning up relievers at quick speed now. In the top 5th, Charles Bywaters put two men on, then faced O’Morrissey, who doubled to left to tie the game. Hall and Salazar left the runners in scoring position.

Lopez somehow managed to go six innings, but the score remained tied at four. Neither team amounted to much after the fifth. The Condors left the go-ahead run on second base in the bottom 8th against Juan Martinez, that was about it.

This game went to extra innings, too. Proctor put on the winning run for the Condors in the bottom 10th, but was yanked for Lagarde, who ended the inning with a fly out by Boyle.

With two out in the top 11th, Higgins doubled to center. Quinn singled to shallow right, and Lopez walked, leaving it to O’Morrissey to finish off reliever Jerome Vogler. O-Mo sent a high line drive into deep center, which O’Day just barely missed. Two runs scored. Daniel Hall added two more runs with a single up the middle. Lagarde easily protected the 4-run lead in the bottom 11th.

Raccoons 8, Condors 4 (11); A. Lopez 2-4, 2 BB; O’Morrissey 2-6, 2B, 3 RBI; Hall 2-6, 3B, 3 RBI; Baldivía 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI; Martinez 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K; Lagarde 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, W (1-0);

The Capitals bowled over Dallas’ Tia Fa early in game 2 and romped to an 11-4 win to take a 2-0 lead in the FLCS heading to Dallas. A double-rematch of the last two World Series does not seem all too unlikely.