[Westheim]

2010 WORLD SERIES
Portland Raccoons (96-66) @ Cincinnati Cyclones (96-66)

Game 6 – Jong-hoo Umberger (18-8, 3.28 ERA) vs. Tony Hamlyn (23-5, 2.00 ERA)

The Cyclones announced on the travel day that Georg Spinu had hurt his elbow on a defensive play in Game 5 and that he was unavailable for the rest of the series. Spinu at the keystone or rather not, the Cyclones declared Game 6 to be Go Time, and Tony Hamlyn would start on short rest to erase the Raccoons before they could make a mess of Cincinnati’s well groomed trash cans.

Adrian Quebell was batting .140 in the playoffs, and while Keith Ayers’ .056 was horrible as well, at least he was a right-hander. He wouldn’t bat cleanup, though. For the heck, why shouldn’t Alston and Pruitt bat back-to-back?

POR: 3B Merritt – CF White – LF Alston – 1B Pruitt – C Bowen – RF Ayers – SS Howell – 2B Nomura – P Umberger
CIN: LF D. Morris – CF P. Estrada – RF J. Silva – 1B C. Gonzalez – SS Hall – 2B D. Fletcher – 3B Banda – C F. Hernandez – P Hamlyn

Both teams had a deep drive in the first that ended up caught, Merritt for the Coons, and Estrada for the Cyclones.

Neither team had a runner until Nomura hit a 1-out single in the third inning, but after Umberger’s bunt Jon Merritt couldn’t come up with anything and Yoshi was left on second base. Pruitt had a single in the fourth, which didn’t lead to anything, either, but Umberger remained untouched through four frames.

This game developed into a really exciting pitching duel. The Cyclones remained turned down through five, and Hamlyn got Umberger and Merritt to start the top of the sixth before Pat White scratched out a walk, only the third runner in the entire game. Maybe this was it. Ron Alston had hit a ball pretty well, yet into an out, in his previous attempt. Maybe Alston … would strike out.

The Cyclones finally materialized on base in the bottom of the sixth. Alfredo Banda hit a leadoff single, but got forced out by Felix Hernandez, who in turn was thrown out by Umberger on a poor bunt by Hamlyn, and Dan Morris struck out to end the inning.

After Tony Hamlyn struck out Pruitt and Bowen in the top 7th, Ayers hit a liner to the right side, only for Dave Fletcher to lunge and grab it. Umberger removed Estrada to start the bottom of the inning before Jose Silva’s grounder was thrown away by Jon Merritt. Oh … craps…

The World Series-winning run was on second base with one out, and Umberger gave his all, striking out César Gonzalez before his count with Bob Hall ran full. Hall grounded a ball hard to left, Howell didn’t get it, and by the time Alston could throw home, Silva had already scored. Fletcher grounded out, but the damage had been done, and the writing was on the wall. Portland 0, Cincinnati 1. And there were only six outs left to mount something for the team that hadn’t reached third base against Hamlyn the entire game. And it wasn’t like Hamlyn’s pitch count was up. He entered the eighth on 84 pitches and faced the bottom of the order.

The unthinkable happened: the Raccoons stood up on their hind paws, showed their teeth and hissed as Rob Howell hit a leadoff double to left in the eighth. What now? Play for one run? Yoshi was a poor bunter, but Umberger was an even worse hitter, and it wasn’t like Jon Merritt (.250) was a hit waiting to fall in. Most singles would do to stave off elimination for now. No, Yoshi would bat like a man here. He drove a pitch to right, Silva caught it, but at least Howell moved to third base. We HAD to bat for Umberger. Walt Canning grabbed a bat, but his poor out kept Howell on third. Jon Merritt batted with two strikes on him virtually instantly, but the count ran full before Hamlyn surrendered a liner to shallow right. THAT’S IN!! THAT’S IN AND IT COUNTS!! Tied game!!

White flew out. For the bottom 8th, Ray Kelley was in for exactly one batter, Banda, before Ron Thrasher would see the switch-hitting Hernandez and the left-handers Blackburn and Morris. Preferably one less, though. Kelley through only one pitch, which Banda singled on, and we had a mess on our paws. Felix Hernandez bunted over the runner before Raúl Hernandez, a right-hander, hit for Blackburn, who had just entered in the double switch that removed Hamlyn. No, we really wanted Thrasher to face Morris. No, he’d face Hernandez. He’s a utility player for a reason, yet he singled real hard to left. TOO hard even: Banda had to hold at third base because the ball was already with Alston before he had made it to third base.

Thrasher struck out Morris before right-hander Salvadaro Lourine appeared to hit for Rin in the #2 hole.

(calmly shoves all chips into the middle of the table)

Angel Casas came in right now. That run must not score. That run must absolutely not score! Angel whiffed Lourine, and the game remained tied.

Top 9th, it was Johnson (…!) facing Alston, Pruitt, and Bowen. I’d give an arm and a leg for a homer right now. Once Alston was done wasting a 3-1 count with a grounder to first, Pruitt singled up the middle. Bowen was a living strikeout, but Ayers was batting .048! Whom were we even counting on to score a run here!? But Bowen chose a good strategy. Don’t look at strikes until you’re done! Rip right away! He ripped right away, a shot to center, ramming hard off the centerfield wall, and the Raccoons had runners on second and third with one out! We weren’t going to Quebell right now. At some point Keith Ayers had to hit a ball and somehow he had to find a way to be out at home. He was out at home, kinda, striking out, and Howell popped out on the first pitch. Nobody scored, the winning runs were left in scoring position.

César Gonzalez (…!!!) hit a 1-out double off Angel in the bottom of the ninth, and a groundout by Bob Hall later, the rookie Dave Fletcher was batting against Angel Casas with the title run at third base. Fletcher didn’t wait around forever, either, and raked after Angel’s first pitch, driving it to right. Ayers dashed after that ball, which kept growing longer and longer and longer, and finally vanished behind the wall.

3-1 Cyclones (CIN wins 4-2); Pruitt 2-4; Umberger 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K;