1992 AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES #1
| Mexico City Chihuahuas & Fort Worth Panthers | |
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| Series Preview: |  Ft. Worth hosts Mexico City for the first two games of the LDS no doubt remembering what happened in 1989 when a 80-80 puppy power Chihuahuas team swept a Panther club that won 112 games. |
| Game #1: | Mexico City Tony Gwynn leads off the game with a triple, but gets stranded after Lenny Dykstra pops out to first, Ozzie Smith lines out to the pitcher, and Don Mattingly grounds out to second base. The Chihuahuas had another chance in the third with runners on 2nd and 3rd , but Tony Gwynn pops a bunt into a 1-5 double play to kill that rally. The scoreless game is breeched in the top of the 6th when Mexico City executes the safety squeeze play as Ozzie Smith gets the bunt down allowing Stan Javier to score. On the very next play Lenny Dykstra steals home with two outs to give the Chihuahuas a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the 6th singles by Edgar Martinez and Fred McGriff tie the game at 2 for the Panthers before Gary Sheffield grounds into a double play to end the threat. Pudge Rodriguez gives Ft. Worth the lead in the 7th when he singles home a run. The Panther’s would add an insurance run in the 8th on a sac fly by Gary Sheffield. Rich Rodriguez and James Austin would close out the game as the Panthers take game one.
Final Score: Ft. Worth 4, Mexico City 2 |
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| Game #2: | Dave Winfield get the scoring started in game 2 as he hits a solo home run in the bottom of the 2nd to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead. After that the two southpaws pretty much shut down the hitters until a throwing error by Mexico City Sid Fernandez in the 5th increased the Panther lead to 2-0. Ft. Worth had a chance for more as they went on to load the bases with one out in the inning, but Roberto Kelly grounded out to first baseman Don Mattingly who got the runner at home and Edgar Martinez grounded out to short. After the first two hitters were retired to start the 6th the Chihuahuas had a little two out magic. First with two outs Ozzie Smith somehow makes contact on a pitch out allowing Lenny Dykstra to make it to third then Don Mattingly drives home Dykstra home with a single. The Panthers came right back in the bottom of the 6th when Tim Hulett doubles home two runs. Rod Brewer would extend Ft. Worth’s lead to 5 to 1 in the 8th with a single. Things got a little too interesting in the 9th for the home crowd as the Panthers allowed the first three batters to reach on two walks and a single. James Austin came on to get the final two outs allowing a run to score on a ground out, but then striking on Don Mattingly to end the game.
Final Score: Ft. Worth 5, Mexico City 2 |
| After 2 Games: | Ft. Worth takes the first two games as the serious moves down south to Mexico City |
| Game #3: | Dallas takes game 3 to win the series and move on. Mexico City looks forward to 1993 and the power house team it will field. |