1991 AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES #2

PortlandPortland Mavericks @ Fort Worth Panthers

Preview: The American League West Champion Portland Mavericks take on American League Wild Card #1 Seed Fort Worth Panthers in a 5 game Division Series Match up.

The Fort Worth Panthers are no stranger to the playoffs, or the world series for that matter. In seven trips to the division series, the Panthers have four times. Once they get to the league playoffs, they win 75% of the time. And the World Series? Unbeaten in three trips in a three-year span of domination from 1982 to 1984.

The Mavericks on the other hand, and new to all of this. Portland formed from the ashes of the Cedar Park Bears and the Traverse City Tigers, along with the Flossmoor Flying Squirrels. The Squirrels first pick in the dispersal draft, Greg Maddux, with haunt Portland for more than the next decade and a half.

Fort Worth finished the series with a 102-60 record, six games back of league’s best record owned by the California Quakes. Portland comes in a 95-67. With 3-5 games in Fort Worth due to their devastatingly good and league’s best home record of 66-15, Portland will have its hands full.

Fort Worth has the better pitching staff with a 3.18 ERA on the year. Portland has 3.42 ERA. Hitting wise, it is Portland with the advantage, sporting the league’s second base batting average at .270 with 122 home runs. Fort Worth is not far behind at .259, but with a whopping 162 home runs.

On the mound Fort Worth has 20 game winter J Abbott 20-10 2.43, 17-4 Bill Wegman 3.17, Bob Tewksbury 16-4 3.88, and Zane Smith 14-12 3.25. M Jackson anchors the bullpen with 44 saves and a 2.34 era, and both R Rodriguez and M Williams sport ERA’s south of 2.

Portland sports a more rag-tag group of pitchers, led by Greg Swindell 18-6 2.26. No other Portland starters have more than 13 wins. A Pena holds down the pen with 25 saves and a 2.07 ERA.

Fred McGriff leads the Panthers in hitting with a .273 average and 26 homeruns to go with 98 RBIs, but Wally Joyner and Willie McGee at support, along with a wealth of sluggers.

Will Clark leads Portland offensively, with a 3.07 average and 83 extra base hits (44 doubles, 12 triples and 27 homeruns). Louis Polonia sparks the offense with a .333 average and 48 steals.

Game #1: Mike Moore (12-10 4.08) vs. Bill Wegman (17-4 3.17)

Portland jumps out the lead in the first inning and a no out double by Will Clark scoring Chuck Knoblauch. Polonia would then score and a groundout to give Portland a 2-0 a lead and silencing the normally raucous Panther crowd.

In the bottom of the first, the Panther’s load the bases with one out. Wally Joyner crushes the ball to center, and Polonia misjudges the ball before making a desperate catch. McGee scores easily on the sac fly. Portland escapes only giving up one run.

In the top of the for a 2 out single by Lance Johnson scores Plantier. With Johnson on second after the throw home, Chuck Knoblauch gets a clutch single scoring Johnson. Portland leads 4-1.

Wegman gets pulled after six innings, losing his chance to get another win.

In the top of the 7th with two outs, Portland strikes again with Johnson scoring on a Will Clark single. Portland would add on more to win 6-1 stunning the home crowd.

Final Score: Portland Mavericks 6 – Fort Worth Panthers 1Game #2: Steve Avery (12-9 3.10) vs. Zane Smith (14-12 3.25)

Once again the Mavericks stun the home crowd with a 2-run blast by Pedro Munoz in the 2nd inning.

In the 5th inning the Panthers start to prowl, with McGee scoring on a 2 out hit and run double by Ivan Calderon. In the 6th, Panther first round pick Ivan Rodriguez blasts a solo shot to tie it up 2-2.

In the top of the 9th Joe Carter answers back for Portland with a solo shot of his own to give Portland the 3-2 lead.

Fort Worth is desperate for a rally in the 9th, but Pena comes in and shuts the Panthers down and Portland.

My oh my… Portland leaves Forth Worth heading home with a 2-0 lead.

Final Score: Portland Mavericks 3 – Fort Worth Panthers 2


Game #3: 
Jim Abbott (20-10 2.43) vs. Luis Aquino (9-4 2.73)

McGriff greats the Portland fans with a deep solo shot in the top of the second. But the Crime Dog saved his most devious crime (in the eyes of the Portland fans) with his THREE run blast in the 3rd.

Portland gets one back in the 6th with a two out Wehner single. 4-1 Fort Worth, but that would be the closest they could as Fort Worth extends the series with a win.

Final Score: Fort Worth Panthers 4 – Portland Mavericks 1

Game #4: Bob Tewksbury (16-4 3.88) vs. Ken Hill (13-9 3.90)

Fort Worth trying to get back home for a game five.

No score in the second when this happens: “A little delay in the action here … a fan is running around the field… must be one of those APBA fans on the juice … here comes security to hog tie him…they’re chasing him down … still chasing … oh, they got him … he’s gone! let’s play some baseball!”

A Lance Johnson single RBI starts the scoring for Portland as the crowd buzzes. Will Clark then blast a solo shot deep into the summer air. 2-0 Portland. Portland gets another in the bottom of the 4th to stretch the lead to 3-0.

In the 5th, Fort Worth loads the bases with one out. Martinez gets a clutch single scoring two.  3-2 Mavs.

In the 6th, Phil ‘The Other Thrill’ Plantier blasts a two run shot to give Portland a 5-2 lead. Could it be, Portland fans wonder?

The Panthers keep fighting though, and in the 7th with one out Lindeman gets an RBI single scoring Thompson, but Martinez misses a sign and is thrown out at third. (or did the manager accidentally flash the wrong sign?) The runner proved to be key because Wally Joyner then hits a double, moving Thompson to third (and it would have score Martinez from 2nd) 5-3 Mavs after 7.

In the 8th inning, the Panthers roar again with an RBI single by Thompson to bring the game to the slimmest of margins. 5-4 Mavs after 8.

Into the 9th, and the Panthers need a run or their season is over. Pena on to pitch for Portland. Winfield and Joyner go down, and then Calderon blast a double to center, and then Elster walks.

Ivan Rodriguez, first round pick for the Panthers, steps up if front of the hostile crowd to try to be the hero. But Rodriquez grounds out to Knoblauch to end the series as Portland advances.

Baseball is a game of inches. Oh wait, that is football… baseball is a game of signs… and what would have happening if Martinez would have held at second? We will never know, but rumor has it that the Panthers have fired a third base coach.

Final Score: Portland Mavericks 5  – Fort Worth Panthers 4

Summary:  Portland takes the series 3 games to 1.  American League West Champion the Portland Mavericks will now take on California Quakes in the  American League Championship Series.

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