[Westheim]

1993 WORLD SERIES
Portland Raccoons (91-71) @ Washington Capitals (100-62)

The Capitals had won games 1, 3, and 5 of the series in a landslide. The Raccoons had stuttered to wins in games 2, 4, and 6. All uneven numbered games had gone very badly. Here comes game 7.

Game 7 – Miguel Lopez vs. Ramón Ortíz

The Capitals sent their ace for the third time. All we could do was to count on him getting tired. Quickly so.

Salazar – Quinn – Baldivía – O’Morrissey – A. Lopez – Hall – Moreno – Vinson – M. Lopez. Music suggestion: “Rock N Roll Dreams Come Through”. Here we go.

Top 1st, Ortíz pitching, and he allowed a single to Salazar, then walked Quinn. Baldivía almost did his thing, but only forced Quinn at second. Ortíz hit O-Mo to load them up. Lopez whiffed, bringing up Hall, who had two strikes on him in a hurry. Then he made contact, and his flyer soared over Diego Rodriguez in center for a 2-run double. DAN THE MAN!!! Ortíz was shaken badly at this point already, and now faced Moreno. 0-2 count. Then a pretty fat pitch down the middle. Moreno didn’t miss it. In left field, Freddy Gonzalez only looked sadly as it went 20 feet over the wall. 5-0 Coons.

HERE WE GO!!!

The Raccoons almost upped the score in the third, but Vinson struck out to leave two men on. Ortíz was still yanked from the game after that inning and Alejandro Pena replaced him to go deep into the game after not pitching at all in the playoffs. He put two on in the fourth, but O-Mo left them on.

And how were the Capitals against Lopez? Opponents had scored more than five runs in only eight games that Miguel Lopez had started all year, but three of those had been in his last four starts and he had not survived the fifth inning in his last two starts. Tell me, Miguel. Are you a future ace of the Raccoons’ staff?

He certainly got off well. After minor hiccups in the first and fourth, he appeared to be in a stellar position, 3-hitting the opposition so far. He came up with two on and two out in the fifth, and popped out. That made for two left on in three consecutive innings. Miguel. Miguel, listen. Don’t let them come back.

The Coons couldn’t get to Pena, but we held a 5-0 lead. For how much more could you ask in game 7 of the World Series?

Perhaps for your pitcher not to fold in the sixth. Ito singled, Brown walked, Cleveland singled and scored Ito, with nobody out. The quick hook got Lopez and Miller came in to keep the damage low, but the runners were in scoring position after an ill-advised throw home by Hall.

To the home team fans’ agony, Miller struck out Gonzalez, then struck out Andresen. Iwamoto next, and we’re out of the inning with only one run in. 2-2 on Iwamoto, the catcher knocked the pitch back, a liner over Miller’s head, and Moreno launched AND CAUGHT IT!!! Inning over, stunning disbelief in the park!!!

5-1, and three frames left. Lefty Marc Shaw led off the seventh for the Capitals. Miller remained in. Burnett was ailing, and I didn’t trust Proctor. Miller struck him out and did the same to left-handed pinch-hitter Manny Espinosa, and while Miller yielded a 2-out single in the inning, he ended it in time.

Bottom 8th, Lagarde, and trouble. He walked Jeffery Brown, and then surrendered a 1-out double to Gonzalez. Our options were limited. He would pitch to Andresen. Vela and West, we didn’t have much more. Andresen doubled to deep left, and both runs scored.

Grant West was brought in. Plus Adams for defense at first. I needed five outs from the “Demon” with the tying run at the plate. Iwamoto singled up the middle, but Andresen held at third. Rivera came up and grounded to O’Morrissey. 5-4-3, out of the inning.

An insurance run would be welcome. Rivera, who had just made the catastrophic outs, put Adams on second base with a throwing error leading off the ninth. O-Mo was put on intentionally, and Lopez grounded out, moving up the runners.

Hall to the plate against Andres Otero. No, the Capitals didn’t take the risk, they put him on with the base open. Moreno came up and hit a sac fly to left. Vinson, having a horribly series. Liner to left, Gonzalez MISSES IT!!! TWO-RUN DOUBLE!!!

West grounded out, making it a 8-3 lead into the bottom 9th. His most horrible of outings ever would probably barely match that gap. First up was pinch-hitter Jim Thompson. First pitch, fly ball to right, Quinn – had it.

We flipped up to the top of the lineup and to Diego Rodriguez. 12-34 in the playoffs, he flew to center – Lopez had it! That brought up Yoshihito Ito to make – hopefully – the final out.

West’s first pitch was a bit wide, and Ito didn’t bite. He bit the second pitch and sent a flyer to shallow center. Quinn hustled in, had time, positioned himself, and made the catch.

THE RACCOONS ARE BACK-TO-BACK WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!!! I DON’T BELIEVE IT!!!!!! ROCK N ROLL DREAMS COME THROUGH!!!!

Raccoons 8, Capitals 3 (Raccoons win 4-3); Salazar 2-4, BB; Hall 1-2, 3 BB, 2B, 2 RBI; Moreno 3-4, HR, 2B, 4 RBI; Vinson 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI; M. Lopez 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, W (1-1); Miller 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K; West 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, SV (1);

(sinks back and enjoys)