1989 WORLD SERIES

Mexico City Chihuahuas vs. Steel City Sluggers

Preview:  The 1989 World Series Preview can be found here:

Game #1: Sid Fernandez (21-5  1.74) vs. Tim Belcher (18-7  2.56)

Top 3 – Kevin Mitchell takes a Tim Belcher fastball and hooks it down the line in left for a 1-0 Chihuahuas lead.
Bottom 3 – A Lloyd McClendon two RBI Double scores Nick Esasky & Carlton Fisk to give the lead to Steel City.
Top 4 – Nelson Santovenia‘s two RBI Double plates Tony Gwnn & Phil Bradley. Kelly Gruber follows with a RBI Single to make it 4-2 for the Chihuahuas.
Top 5 – Harold Reynolds scores on a Don Mattingly Single – 5-2 Chihuahuas.
Bottom 5 – Ryne Sandberg takes Sid Fernandez long distance to cut the lead to 5-3.
Bottom 6 – Gino Petralli’s Sacrafice Fly scores McClendon – 5-4 Chihuahuas holding on to a 1 run lead.
Top 7 – With Howard Johnson on 3rd, Gwynn goes the opposite way down the left field line for a run scoring Single.

Final Score: Mexico City 6 – Steel City 4
Win: Sid Fernandez (1-0 6.35)
Loss: Tim Belcher (0-1 9.00)
Save: Jeff Russell (1)
Home Runs:Ryne Sandberg (1) & Kevin Mitchell (1)

Game #2:  Brian Dubois (3-2  2.28) vs. Bruce Hurst (16-5  2.39)

Top 2 – Howard Johnson takes Bruce Hurst deep for a 1-0 lead for the Chihuahuas.
Top 3 – Kevin Mitchell puts one over the left field fence – 2-0 Chihuahuas.
Top 4 – Don Mattingly scores on a Double Play Ground out off the bat of Nelson Santovenia – 3-0 Chihuahuas.
Bottom 4 – Mark Grace scores on a Carlton Fisk Double to left – 3-1 Mexico City.

Final Score: Mexico City 3 – Steel City 1
Win: Brian Dubois (1-0  1.50)
Loss: Bruce Hurst (0-1  3.60)
Save: Jeff Russell (2)
Home Runs: Howard Johnson (1) & Kevin Mitchell (2)

Series Notes:  The Series shifts to Mexico City for games 3, 4 & 5 if necessary.

Game #3:  Bret Saberhagen (19-4  1.88) vs. Chris Bosio (14-5  2.79)

Top 1 – Tim Raines scores on a Fisk Double, followed by a  Esasky RBI Single 2-0 Steel City.
Top 5 – Mark Grace RBI Single plates Gary Pettis 3-0 Sluggers.
Bottom 8 –Kevin Mitchell‘s 2-Run Home Run plates Bill Schrorder 3-2 Steel City.

Final Score: Steel City 4 – Mexico City 2
Win: Bret Saberhagen (1-0  1.13)
Loss: Chris Bosio (0-1  4.50)
Save: Dan Plesac (1)
Home Runs: Kevin Mitchell (3)

Game #4: Joe Magrane (16-6  2.60) vs. Sid Fernandez (21-5  1.74)

Bottom 2 – Nelson Santovenia puts a charge into a Magrane fastball & takes him downtown Mexico City 1-0.

Bottom 3rd – Don Mattingly facing Joe Magrane, 1 Out, Harold Reynolds is the runner on 3rd.  Infield drawn in & … Reynolds into a little shuffle at third … Magrane brings it – drilled to right by Mattingly … it is high … it is far … it is… … caught by Raines.  Reynolds tags  – they’re waving him home … here comes the throw … and he’s … out!…just missed getting in – double play! … The Sluggers nip Reynolds trying to score with two outs.  Reynold’s not happy – he’s arguing with the ump … but the manager cools him down … no, wait … he’s gone!  they’re throwing Reynolds out of the game … he said something to the ump.

Reported later the conversation between Reynolds & the home plate umpire.

“I was safe by a fricken mile, how did you not see that”
“You were out by 5 feet, your slow & Raines had a great throw from right field”
“You wouldn’t know a great throw from your ass, how can you call me out on that”
“You should be out of baseball & become a broadcaster, no skills at all, just a second sacker who got lucky & made it to the bigs”
“Your an over weight fat S.O.B. & you shouldn’t have made it to the Majors either”
“Did you just call me a fat S.O.B.?”
“I sure did you fat S.O.B.”
“You can watch the rest of this one on a TV monitor, which I see a lot of in your future, since you won’t be playing ball here – your gone Reynolds, your gone”

With Reynolds tossed … coming in to play second base for the Chihuahuas is Nelson Liriano.

Bottom 5 – Lenny Dykstra & Kelly Gruber both score on Nelson Liriano 2 Run Single making the score 3-0 Chihuahuas.
Top 8 –Nick Esasky blasts a 2 Run Home Run off Danny Darwin to make is 3-2 Chihuahuas

Final Score: Mexico City 3 – Steel City 2
Win: Sid Fernandez (2-0  2.92)
Loss: Joe Magrane (0-1  6.23)
Save: Jeff Russell (3)
Home Runs: Nick Esasky (1) & Nelson Santovenia (1)

Game #5:Tim Belcher (18-7  2.56) vs. Dwight Gooden (11-7  4.42)

Top 4 – Carlton Fisk scores from 2nd on a Esasky single.
Bottom 4 – With the sacks full a dropped ground ball back to Belcher scores Mattingly from 3rd.  Gwynn & Jack Clark score on a Nelson Santovenia single 3-1  Chihuahuas.
Bottom 5 – Don Mattingly hits a Sacrifice fly scoring Harold Reynolds 4-1 Chihuahuas.
Bottom 7 – A Mattingly Double scores Mitchell & a Tony Gwynn Double then plates Mattingly 6-1 Chihuahuas.

Final Score: Mexico City 6 – Steel City 1
Win: Dwight Gooden (1-0  1.50)
Loss: Tim Belcher (0-2  7.88)
Save: None
Home Runs: None

Series Notes: 

Mexico City Chihuahuas win the Series 4 games to 1.

Jeff Russell is the 1989 World Series MVP
Russel went 3 for 3 in Save opportunities (4 IP, 5 K, 1 BB, 3 Saves & 0.00 ERA)

The Chihuahuas are a very loaded team, they’ll be a threat for a long time.
The Steel City Sluggers have plans for a rematch in 1990.