[Westheim]

1996 WORLD SERIES
Portland Raccoons (108-54) vs. Richmond Rebels (96-66)

Game 1 – Kisho Saito (19-8, 3.59 ERA) vs. Edgar Rey (15-14, 3.51 ERA)

RIC: LF Encarnación – 2B Villa – RF R. Vázquez – 3B A. Diaz – CF Gorden – C Aguilar – 1B Rice – SS Duke – P Rey
POR: 2B Brewer – RF Newton – CF Reece – 1B Wedemeyer – 3B O’Morrissey – SS Ingall – C Vinson – LF Kinnear – P Saito

Encarnación hit an infield single to start the series, and Vázquez also singled against Saito, but he got through the first without damage. The Raccoons would also leave a pair on base in the bottom 2nd without scoring.

Signs that Saito would soon find trouble first occurred in the third. He hit Edgar Rey, the leadoff batter, in a 2-0 count. But the Rebels would not cash in on this chance, with Encarnación and Vázquez striking out, and Villa popped out.

Brewer was plunked with one out in the bottom 3rd, but was left on first base. Saito allowed a double to Antonio Diaz to lead off the top 4th, but the Rebels failed to move him along on the bases and we left Weeds on third base in the bottom 4th. Still scoreless.

Top 6th. Villa drew a walk from Saito to start the inning, and while the next two batters made outs, Rory Gorden hit a double over Kinnear. Villa held at third, and that brought up a particular situation with two in scoring position, two down, the righty Aguilar at the plate and the weaker left-hander Phil Rice behind him. Aguilar was put on, but by now Saito was messed up somehow, and walked not only Rice, but also Tommy Duke. 2-0 Rebels.

So far, the Raccoons had enjoyed all of three base runners against Rey. Newton made it four with a leadoff walk in the bottom 6th, but Wedemeyer grounded into a double play.

Santana came out for the seventh to face those left-handed beasts, but put both on, and Vázquez singled home Encarnación. Miller replaced him but failed to keep Vázquez on base, as the Rebels moved out to a 4-0 lead and had this game in the bag.

Rey put Ingall on in the bottom 7th. With two out, Higgins hit for Kinnear and hurled a double over Gorden in centerfield, scoring Ingall from first. Strong, hitting for Miller, singled Higgins home, but Brewer grounded out before we could get the tying run (him) on base. That De La Rosa allowed a home run to Phil Rice in the eighth only deepened the hole.

Bottom 9th, Steward came in. Ingall led off with a double into the gap in right center, yet Vinson and Salazar both grounded out. While that scored Ingall, it also killed any potential rally, and Steward struck out Strong to put this one away.

Rebels 5, Raccoons 3 (Rebels lead 1-0) – Ingall 3-4, 2B; Higgins (PH) 1-1, 2B, RBI; Strong (PH) 1-2, RBI;

Well, this one got away for a multitude of reasons, the primary two of which were the starting pitchers. Saito melted down in the sixth (after plunking Rey in the third, but not walking anybody until “The Sheriff” got the finger to first), and the Rebels’ starter Edgar Rey, who shut down the Raccoons through six before crumbling a little bit. The Rebels mixed and matched in the eighth, and Steward put it away.

Gotta hurt their starters, boys!

Game 2 – Jason Turner (14-9, 3.11 ERA) vs. Chris O’Keefe (11-12, 4.37 ERA)

RIC: CF Olvera – 2B Villa – RF R. Vázquez – LF Encarnación – 1B A. Diaz – C Aguilar – SS Gorden – 3B Duke – P O’Keefe
POR: 2B Brewer – SS Salazar – CF Reece – 1B Wedemeyer – 3B O’Morrissey – LF Kinnear – C Vinson – RF Lacombe – P Turner

Turner struggled with control from the start, walking Vázquez in the first, and then Aguilar in the second. Rory Gorden swung at 3-0 and grounded into an inning-ending double play to Salazar. A Kinnear double in the bottom 2nd led to nothing.

And then Turner issued a leadoff walk to Tommy Duke in the third. After O’Keefe bunted him to second, Alejandro Olvera doubled him in. Villa walked. Vázquez was eager to make it 4-0 and whiffed, and Encarnación lifted to Kinnear for – not the final out, since Kinnear dropped it, and that got the Rebels an extra run, 2-0.

Then Turner led off the bottom 3rd with a triple which Olvera did not look good on. Brewer grounded out, but scored Turner. With two out, Reece singled to left, Weeds singled to right, and Reece went aggressively to third and was safe. That brought up O-Mo, who was batting a fear-striking 2-18 in the playoffs, but that included a home run. He flew out to Vázquez.

And Turner issued another leadoff walk in the fourth, Brewer made an error on Gorden’s grounder, and the ship was sinking. Duke singled, and Turner walked O’Keefe, 3-1, and still nobody out.

For Turner, that was it, and a wild Antonio Donis appeared, walking in another run before he got out of the inning. Down 4-1, and not hitting in the clutch, the Raccoons were in trouble.

In the bottom 4th, they left Kinnear on second after his second double of the day. In the bottom 5th, Reece and Weeds were on the corners again with two down, and O-Mo again flew out, this time to Olvera in center.

Donis was broken up for good in the sixth. He collected only seven outs, but walked five, including forcing in one of Turner’s runs, and was himself charged with three as De La Rosa failed to clean up, and Lacombe made an error in right. Down 7-1.

We left on a pair in the seventh, and one runner in the eighth, while Martinez was put in to soak up the innings. There was no way we would come back from this. We had two on with one out in the bottom 9th against Norio Hayashi. Reece grounded out. Wedemeyer flew out to center.

Rebels 7, Raccoons 1 (Rebels lead 2-0) – Salazar 2-5; Reece 3-5, 3B; Kinnear 3-4, 2 2B; Martinez 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K;

Well, this is going horribly wrong. We out-hit the Rebels 10-6, but issued THIRTEEN walks in this game, and also made three errors.

Unless I can beat sense into this lot during the off day, the Rebels have another sweep on their plate.