World Series

At the start of the 2005 World Series, Portland was a heavy favorite of Charlotte forseveral reasons. Here are a few:

1) Portland is the better team. They won 96 games to Charlotte's 92, and had a +129 run differential, as opposed to +91.
2) Front line pitching. Though Keith Langford is very good, the Hawks simply do not have pitchers who are as dominant as Roger Lewis and Lee Harvey Oswalt.
3) (small sample size warning:) History. Portland has been in a few World Series, and has won 5, most recently, last year with virtually the very same roster. Charlotte has been in two previous world series, they lost both.

That's not the way it worked out though, at least for the first 2 games. Game one was a 5-4 extra inning affair. Charlotte took the early lead on a Carlos Phillips homer, then Portland took a 3-1 lead during a 3 run 5th. Charlotte's defense, normally one of the best in the league, committed 4 errors during the game, one by the catcher and one by each outfielder. The errors were not too costly, however, as 2 occurred in scoreless innings, and the other 2 allowed runners to advance after a run scored, but those runners were stranded anyway.

After cuttin the lead to 3-2, Vernell Hightower greeted lefty specialist Adrian Glanville with a 2 run homer in the 8th, giving the Hawks a 4-3 lead. Heathcliff George got the first 2 out in the 9th, but couldn't finish it, as he allowed 3 singles in a row to George Kird, Sonic Russell, and Jimmy McGuinness. Jack Banks took over and tamed the Portland offense through the 10th. In the bottom 10th, Jacen Solo hustled his way to a one out double off Jet Storm, bringing up Brant Bowen, who had struck out his 1st 4 times up. Bowen went from goat to hero with a walkoff single.

Game 2 was a pitcher's duel, with Oswalt allowing only 2 runs in an 8 inning complete game. Solid baserunning by Brant Bowen and Vernell Hightower brought in the runs, though those 2 are not known as speedsters. Bobby Martinez pitched 6 innings, allowing only a Jimmy McGuinness solo homer. Javier Cavazos took over in the 7th, and George finished up with a 2 inning save. It was a nail-biter all the way, as Sonic Russell made the final out with George Kird on deck. Nobody would have been surprised to have seen Russell (batting champ at age 37) single followed by a George (MVP) Kird homer, but this time, it just didn't happen.

As the series moves to Portland, Roger Lewis will try to get his team back in the series.