[Westheim]

1983 WORLD SERIES
Portland Raccoons (95-67) vs. Dallas Stars (96-66)

Game 6 – Christopher Powell vs. Justin Marshall

The newspapers in Portland were confident that the strong Powell could force a game 7 against Marshall. And Logan Evans had won all his starts so far, so …

The Raccoons pushed in a run in the first inning, while Powell surrendered it again with a homer to Montalvo in the second. He also struggled with control early on, which was highly atypical for him and did not put the game under any good signs.

The game was tied 1-1 through four. The ‘Coons couldn’t even get out of the infield until White hit a 2-out double in the fifth. But Smith made an easy out to second, and the chance was gone.

Dawson and Workman had 1-out singles in the top 6th then. Sanchez grounded out, but advanced the runners, and Walker zinged a shot into rightfield that scored the go-ahead run, 2-1 Raccoons.

Now Powell entered the bottom 6th looking at the lefty battery again. Well, we’d pitch him to Doug Belding and see how it goes. Belding singled just past Bowling, but Powell assured me that he could get Cruz. And he made him ground into a double play and got through the inning. Still 2-1.

Powell followed this with a leadoff double in the seventh. But although the Raccoons filled the bases, they didn’t score. Powell got a stop sign when Smith lined out hard to left, and then missed the go sign when Dawson flew out to center. Workman grounded out to Marshall to end the inning.

That one came back to hurt us big time. Pancho Pacheco homered to lead off the seventh and the game was tied.

Top 8th. Walker and pinch hitter Green were on with one out. Borjón pinch hit for Powell to counter righty Hidekazu Oyama on the mound. He swung at a 3-0 pitch and made an unproductive out. Next: Alex White, 4-4 that day. He took an 0-2 pitch into shallow left and scored Walker. 3-2 Furballs! (He also set a record for CL batters in the playoffs with five hits)

We rolled out Cunningham for the bottom 8th. Andres Gutierrez took him deep with one out. As if it was not meant to be. Belding doubled and Cruz was put on intentionally, then Cunningham went after Montalvo, because the trust for my left-handed relievers was not there.

Montalvo drove in Belding, and it was the end. Up 4-3, the Stars broke out Miranda. Hall walked. Dawson singled, because he could not bunt for his life.

Then Workman was told to bunt them over, and twice bunted foul. Then go ahead, hit at it. He was struck out. This brought up Edgardo Gonzalez, who had entered after some earlier switches. Only Thompson was left on the bench and he had not had a hit in the playoffs at all.

So it was Edgardo Gonzalez. World Series. Game 6. Top of the 9th. And trailing 4-3. Two on. One out. He struck out. On three pitches.

Steve Walker now faced the dubious honor of making the record books as the final out of the 1983 World Series. He struck out as well.

The Raccoons out-hit the Stars 14-6 in this game.

It was over. All them Texans were going crazy. The Raccoons left the park with their heads hanging pretty low.