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The Kernels limited the Jack's leadoff hitter 2b Rich Dares to a .130 batting average (3 for 23) and kept Mynorli 'Old Man' Gaajlimitz to 5 for 21 (.238) at the plate. "Our strategy was not allow Gaajlimitz to defeat us," DM manager Mel Jenkins said. And that explains why Alonso gave him an intentional walk in the 4th inning of Game 4 after Sammy McNeill singled and stole second. Gaajlimitz grounded into four double plays in the series.
That's not the only time DM has stopped the "Old Man' in his tracks. Fans will recall that the Kernels kept the Portland DH hitless in six at bats in June last year to stop his hitting streak.
DM right fielder Júlio Pérez #14 led all batters with 10 hits; his first-inning three-run homer in Game 5 was the series-winning hit. Ricardo Norman was next with nine hits, and it seems like a good time for Norman to get hot. Guest, Thistle, Gongora, Matsunaga all hit well for Des Moines, and although CF Dan Morris had only three hits in the series, two if them cleared the fences. Arnold Cantrell appeared in three games in relief and did well. Scott Everard got a save in Game 4. Akers pitched six innings in Game 1 and 7.1 in Game 5, to collect his two wins. Veteran Adrian Kraft closed out the deciding game.
Des Moines prevailed without the bat or boots of 3B Felix 'Matchbox' Parreno (.269-36-82, 41 steals), who is laid up with a long-term knee injury. They also did it without the bat of 2B Miguel 'Thrillseeker' Martinez, who was left off the playoff roster because he refuses to talk shop with Des Moines. "He wants to try free agency, let him try," GM Jessie Ramirez said. "Only thing is that we are a team, and if you wanna play in the playoffs, hell, at least pretend you're interested in signing an extension." Asked if Martinez would be on the roster for the next round of the playoffs, the Doubleday, against Nashville (115-47), "Ramirez said '¿Un jaguar tiene branquias?'"
For Portland, the 40-year-old Alaric Wullenweber took two losses in the Akers' starts. Frampton and Pruitt both had six runs batted in.
After the initial 3-2 loss in Game 1 to Akers/Cantrell, in which Morris's other hit in the series, a double, scored the game-winning run, in Game 2, the Jacks exploded for 15 runs and 19 hits, scoring 7 runs off Steven Clayton and 5 off of Brick Pollitt. The Lumberjacks outscored the Kernels 26 to 21 in the series, but were outhit 51 to 46, despite the 19 hits in the second game. "They scored 15 runs in one game, and 11 runs in the other four," Jenkins said. "That's why we play a series, although a short one."
After the 15-4 blowout, Parreno, who traveled with the team to Portland, kept up team spirit with a rousing pep talk after the game. "After a score like that, it could be easy to get down, but we were headed home for the next two. And even with the close loss in Game 3, spirits were still high for a series win."
"We knew we had a good chance to win the Geoghagen," newly-hired assistant GM Esteban Costa added. I'd say the odds were even, even with Matchbox on the Injured list." League sentiment pointed to a Lumberjack series victory.
Garth Dobbs also watched the series, or maybe he didn't, from home. He is also not expected to be added to the playoff roster for the upcoming best-of-seven versus Nashville. Des Moines and the Bluebirds split the last series they played.