[Westheim]

1992 CONTINENTAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Portland Raccoons (99-63) vs. San Francisco Bayhawks (98-64)

Game 7 – Robert Vázquez vs. Wilbert Rodgers

As far as starters were concerned, we certainly had an advantage here with Rodgers’ 5.05 ERA (although that hadn’t hurt him a ton in game 2) and Vázquez always getting the most run support. The latter was probably key to the game. Run support. Plenty of that, please. Only once have the Raccoons played a game 7: we beat the Knights over the long run in the 1989 CLCS.

Vázquez, with no margin for error, quickly put two on in the top 1st, but then struck out both Espinosa and Powys.

The noisy crowd – the house was choking full – saw Osanai and Martin single their way on with two down in the bottom 2nd. Vázquez lobbed a single into shallow left, but there was no way for the immobile Osanai to score. Rodgers and Salazar went to a full count, before Salazar made contact and dinked a single into center. 1-0 Coons. Full count to Higgins, and a walk! 2-0 Coons. O’Morrissey grounded then out, much to the dismay of the attendees.

That was probably all that Vázquez would get here, but Rodgers was far from sharp and one wondered why he wasn’t removed. He allowed eight runners in the first three innings (shame on the Coons for scoring only two). With one out in the bottom 4th, Rodgers walked the bags full, and still was not removed. O-Mo then sent a perfect DP grounder to Powys, who was Gold Glove caliber shortstop. But that one got away from him. Everybody was safe, 3-0. When Rodgers walked Kinnear to push in a run, 4-0, the Bayhawks made the chance, presumably too late. With a Johnston single and a Vinson sac fly, the Coons moved 6-0 ahead after four.

Obviously, this was Vázquez’ to lose. He immediately embarked on that quest. When the Bayhawks sent Fernando Gallegos to pinch-hit for reliever Alex Ramos in the top 5th, it was Gallegos’ first appearance of the series. His 2-run homer moved the Bayhawks back into slam range. With two on in the bottom 6th, Vinson flew deep to center, but Burton made him the final out.

Still 6-2. Vázquez’ leash was certainly short into the seventh, and a leadoff walk to Powys ended his day. Lagarde took over, and barely managed to stall Powys at third base. Six outs left. For the eighth, Rodriguez and Brown replaced Vinson and Osanai for defense.

Miller retired the first two guys in the eighth. The next was Perez, but he was put on intentionally. Nelson then walked Espinosa. Pressure mounting. Martinez came in to face Powys – STRUCK HIM OUT!!

The crowd was chanting frantically by now, and the Coons were three outs away from the World Series. They went down quickly in the bottom 8th.

Martinez started the ninth with the right-hander Antonio Gonzalez up. He flew out to right. More noise. Grant West was warming up, but so far Martinez looked like he was man enough to do this. Granados was up next, batting .438 in the series, and left-handed so. Granados hurled a grounder to right, but Brown – useless at the plate, but great with the glove – cut it off and tossed it to the hustling Martinez IN TIME!!

Jorge Gonzalez was to be the final out in the game, if things were going according to the crowd. The noise was deafening. And then Martinez walked him. The manager immediately came out and signaled for West. His man was Pepe Padilla, and the pinch hitter lined into shallow left. Two on, two out. Didier Bourges up. Bourges grounded a 1-0 pitch up the diamond, past the mound, well into the range of Jorge Salazar, who made the play to Brown and Bourges was OUT BY A MILE!!

WORLD SERIES, BABY!!!

Raccoons 6, Bayhawks 2 (Raccoons win 4-3) – Johnston 2-5, RBI; Martin 2-3, BB; Vázquez 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, W (1-1); Martinez 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K;

For whatever reason, we will have home field advantage in the World Series (we were tied with 99-63 records). This will obviously be a rematch of last year's affair, the first time this will happen in ABL history.

Will the Continental League win it's first title in NINE years?

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Daniel Hall has an injury time of two days left (which makes for a WAY quicker recovery than initially stated), but won't be ready to be added to the roster between series. I asked over in the general boards as well, but is it possible to add him after the World Series starts if I leave a spot open for him? Since obviously I can't remove him from the DL before he is healed?