Major League Championship Series Game 1

Portland at Denver, Roger Lewis vs. Kei Ijawa. Denver is playing this series without starting 2B Leopold "Butters" Stotch, and will be without starting RF Geoff Favre, unless the series goes to 7 games. In the 3rd, George Kird tries to score on a fly ball to RF, but Alex Maldonado guns him down at the plate. In the bottom of the inning Portland LF Hansel Wilson returns the favor by throwing out SS Ozzie Gaedell on a single by George Rivera. In the bottom of the 4th, Denver takes the 1-0 lead on a solo HR from Stan Marsh. In the top of the 5th, Portland immediately ties it back up on a solo HR from 3B Lance Dixon.

In the 6th, Portland scores twice (first on an RBI single from Dante Henderson, and then on a Shazeem Abdul Mustafa sacrifice fly. Ijawa leaves the game going 5.2-5-3-3-2-3. In the bottom of the 6th, Denver cuts the lead to 3-2 on a Joey Renseller solo HR. In the bottom of the 7th, Denver rallies for 2 runs to take the lead. With 2 outs, Roger Lewis issues 3 consecutive walks. Stan Marsh makes him pay with a 2 run single to RF.

After 7 innings, Denver leads 4-3. In the 8th, Portland shows some life. Hansel Wilson starts things off with a single. After Cedeno and Dukakis make outs, Dante Henderson works a walk. Needing 4 outs, Denver goes to ace closer Paul Williamson, perhaps one of the two or three greatest closers in league history. Portland pinch hits for Mustafa with the lefty Jason Durazo. Durazo works a walk to load the bases. Portland then pinch hits the lefty specialist Chris Burton for Lance Dixon. Burton delivers a 2 run single to RF, and Portland takes a 5-4 lead. George Kird then steps to the plate and hits a long fly ball to RF, Maldonado goes to the fence, runs out of room, leaps, and robs Kird of a 3-run HR. Maldonado keeps Denver in the game by robbing George Kird for the 2nd time in the game.

In the bottom of the 8th, Otto Tingley leads off with a double to chase Roger Lewis. Portland brings in the lefty Mike Tarbett to face Alex Hamilton, who works a walk. Portland then goes to Fernando Hernandez to face 2B Vinnie Jones, and gets the strikeout. Ozzie Gaedell then pops up to 2B for the 2nd out. Denny Berroa then pinch hits for Williamson and pops out to Shortstop.

Portland doesn't threaten in the 9th, and in the bottom half, goes to Jake Richardson to save the game, facing the top of the Denver lineup. Richardson gets George Rivera, Joey Renseller, and Stan Marsh to strike out, and Portland wins game 1 5-4. Roger Lewis gets the win, 7-8-4-4-4-5.