[Westheim]

Raccoons (3-6) @ Crusaders (3-6)

Since sweeping the Indians over three to open the season, the Crusaders had not won a game.

Enrique Sanchez had caught Christopher Powell often enough to know how to hit him. He did so with an RBI double in the first inning that got the Crusaders 1-0 ahead. While Powell was less than dominant, he didn’t surrender any more runs the next innings. A 3-piece by Gustavo Flores put the Coons in the lead in the fourth, in the bottom of which Powell barely escaped a bases loaded jam. Hall walked to lead off the top 6th and was still on first with two outs. Lucero was up and hit one deep to center, over two outfielders trying to get it and the ball hobbled to the wall. Well, that’s gonna score Hall. Lucero went for three, while the Crusaders scrambled to get the ball in – Lucero was waived on to go home and arrived miles ahead of the ball – INSIDE THE PARK HOME RUN!! The Coons now led 5-1. The lead melted to half the size in the seventh with a 2-run homer off Emerson McDonald, but once Wally Gaston entered, the Crusaders were quickly subdued. West pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to save the 6-3 win. Dadswell (PH) 1-1; Dawson 2-5; Flores 2-4, HR, 3 RBI; Lucero 2-4, HR, 2 RBI;

An error by Dadswell put the Crusaders ahead in the first of the middle game. Lucero homered again to tie it in the third, but Evans threw a wild pitch to get a runner into scoring position (and then allowed him to score on a double) in the bottom 3rd and trailed 2-1. That was already one mistake too much. The Raccoons never got their bats up and landed only four hits, losing by the score of 2-1.

Ready for a scorefest? Vicente Ruíz (0-1, 7.15 ERA) faced Gary Nixon (1-1, 8.18 ERA) in game 3. As it turned out, only one side would score enough for festivities, and that was the home side. Ruíz was beaten for five runs, then left with an injury. The Raccoons left two on in three of the first four innings and trailed 5-0. Top 8th, the Moles trailed 5-1. Osanai doubled to start the inning, and Hall was intentionally walked for whatever reason with already an impressive 0-3, 2 K record that day. Walker grounded to short, two away, Osanai on third. Dadswell then homered to right, and next Sanchez homered to right center. If only that double play would not have happened. But it had happened, and because of it, the Raccoons lost, 5-4. Osanai 3-5, 2B; Dadswell 2-4, HR, 2 RBI; Sanchez 3-4, HR, 2 RBI;

Two weeks completed, the Raccoons had lost every series, were 4-8, had lost six games by one run, already trailed by 5.5 games, and I was throwing daily tantrums.

At the start of the season, Dawson, Hall, and Osanai had combined for 377 home runs. They still do.

Ruíz was diagnosed with a sore shoulder and would not have to miss a start. We still elaborated whether that was actually good or bad news in the office.

Raccoons (4-8) @ Indians (3-10)

FINALLY. FINALLY a home run by one of the big three, Daniel Hall, for two, in the top 1st of the opener. The Coons led 4-1 after the third, then found ways to ground into inning-ending double plays twice in the next two innings. Kisho Saito took a long time to find his killer stuff, his first K didn’t come until out #15 of the game. He ended up going seven frames with only the one (unearned) run against him, and the score still 4-1. Another unearned run scored in the bottom 8th, but Wally Gaston had made the error himself there. West saved the 4-2 win, but was again wobbly and put two on. He hadn’t found his mojo yet. Barrios 2-4; Osanai 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Saito 7.0 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, W (1-2);

Poor offense was an understatement for the middle game of the series. The Raccoons were 1-hit through seven innings, the Indians did get four hits against Carlos Gonzalez, but were also held safely off the plate in a scoreless game. Gonzalez himself then had a 1-out single in the top 8th, only the team’s second hit of the game. Barrios, who was tried in leadoff for the struggling Walker and Thompson, hit a long liner into the left corner, scoring the (for a pitcher) speedy Gonzalez from first, 1-0! Sanchez pinch hit for Lucero, but struck out. Hall in turn copied Barrios’ performance and hit an RBI double into the left corner. That was enough with a quick eighth by Gonzalez and a still slightly wobbly ninth by West. The Coons won 2-0 on five hits. C. Gonzalez 8.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K, W (1-2);

WE TOOK A SERIES!! WOOT!!

Armando Sanchez finally stole a base as well – this feat took the Coons only 129 innings to achieve in the 1986 season. Piece of pie! The robbed bag also led to the first run of the game in the third inning. In another offensively poor game, the Raccoons were unable to follow up with things like f.e. a second run. The Indians tied the game in the bottom 6th with three straight hits off Powell (which still only made for six hits off Powell). Powell then hit Esteban Hernandez to lead off the seventh and was removed for David Jones, who got out of the inning. The Indians took advantage of a leadoff walk in the bottom 8th off Cunningham and scored the go-ahead run on a grounder with one out. Thompson drew a leadoff walk as well in the top 9th. Hall popped out, bringing up Osanai, who hit a 1-0 pitch by Dennis Columpton all the way over the diamond, over centerfield, over the wall, the scoreboard, and the outer fence into the parking lot. Wally Gaston closed out the game, 3-2 Coons on only five hits.

If nothing else, that sweep put the Raccoons at least a good distance away from last place.

Raccoons (7-8) vs. Knights (9-6)

Over seven innings, Logan Evans allowed all of three base hits against the Knights in game 1. Yet, his control was off, and two of those hits scored runners that had walked. One out, Gonzalez on second, Evans was pinch-hit for in the bottom 7th in a 2-2 game. Steve Walker singled to put runners on the corners. Barrios walked to load them up, and Thompson doubled between Michael Root and Tom McDonald – great hitters, but not so great fielders. These two and then three more runs broke the game wide open. But the Knights clawed back in, tagging Bentley for two runs before Cunningham retired the last batter. The Coons were now in scoring mood, crashing the Atlanta pen for a few more runs in the eighth. And then Cunningham was battered. Maybe the wind had shifted since the sixth … Mark Dawson threw a runner out at the plate (all the way from right) to end the game, 11-6 Raccoons. Thompson 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI; Hall 2-3, BB, 3B, 2B, 2 RBI; Walker (PH) 2-2, 2B, RBI;

Vicente Ruíz so far carried an impressive 8.22 ERA through three starts in 1986. He may want to get that down to under 8 by the All Star break or we’ll trade him for a broken broomstick.

Game 2 was Ruíz’ start. The first two Knights reached scoring position without problems. Michael Root then sent a high flyer to left, which Daniel Hall not only caught, but turned into a double play at the plate against Jeremiah Carrell. Hall doubled in Barrios for the go-ahead run in the bottom 1st, becoming the first Coon with double-digit RBI’s on the season. Osanai doubled in Hall to get to 10 RBI’s as well. While the Coons didn’t get another baserunner until the fifth, Ruíz struggled on all fronts. Three times up, he had walked Carrell three times by the fifth, and one run was in. Gonzalez then walked to start the bottom 5th, and Bill Stevens singled. Ruíz bunted along the left foul line, and a throw by Jesus Luna was hurried too much and went way past 1B Fred Rodgers. Gonzalez was in to score and two Coons in scoring position with nobody out. Barrios sacrificed Stevens in, but Ruíz was still on second with two down. Hall came up – another RBI double to left. Osanai drove him in again, 6-1. Ruíz went 6.2 without more damage, but was removed then with Carrell coming up again. Carlos Moran made him fly to Hall. Home runs by Osanai and Root were exchanged late, and the Coons prevailed, 8-2. Hall 2-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI; Osanai 3-4, HR, 2B, 4 RBI; Ruíz 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, W (1-2);

This fifth win in a row put the Raccoons over .500 for the first time since opening day.

For a 5-game winning streak I also fiddled considerably with the lineup before game 3. Mark Dawson was not hitting a lot yet, and was given a day off for Steve Walker, who otherwise found no place in the infield at the moment. Gonzalez also managed to get done very little. Bill Stevens was close to forcing a platoon role for himself on the team (although he also was sub-.200).

Kisho Saito continued a string of walks by Furballs starters to Carrell in game 3. He also hit Michael Root in the first, and both of those came in to score on a double by Sean Bergeron. The Coons scored one in the third, but then remained hitless until the sixth. Lucero singled to start the inning, but was caught stealing. Stevens and Miranda then both walked and pulled off a double steal (if I WANT a SB somewhere, I WANT it). Barrios’ 2-out single tied the game before Walker fouled out. Saito allowed a double to McDonald in the eighth, and the runner came in to score against Gaston, so the Coons trailed – and lost, 3-2. Walker 2-5; Hall 2-4; Miranda 1-1, BB;

The problem with too many infielders deserving to start took care of itself in this game, with Winston Thompson going down to shoulder tendinitis. He would miss at least four weeks. Orlando Lantán was brought up as replacement.

Raccoons (9-9) vs. Thunder (14-5)

Oklahoma City led the CL South on the strength of pumping 113 runs in 19 games. The Coons at this point had the least runs against at 63.

The series opener was already a highlight. Carlos Gonzalez and Domingo Leon kept hitters guessing at almost all times. Dadswell once guessed right in the fourth for a solo home run off Leon. The Coons added a second run in the sixth, but left the bags full. Gonzalez was utterly amazing through six innings, dipped his ERA below 1 shortly in the seventh, before the Thunder squeezed a run in. Gonzalez then struck out the ninth batter of the day with the tying run on third to end the inning. He was removed for a pinch hitter, being completely toast, to start the bottom 7th. After Jones walked the leadoff man in the top 8th, Wally Gaston got out of the inning quickly. West struck out Marc Shaw to save the 2-1 win. AMAZINGLY pitched game for the Furballs! Dadswell 2-4, HR, RBI; Sanchez 2-3, 3B; C. Gonzalez 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, W (2-2);

In what was easily among the best of Carlos Gonzalez’ performances to date, he made it to the Top 3 in the CL in K’s, ERA, and WAR.

The Thunder drove up seven left-handed batters against Christopher Powell. I feared the worst, but Powell was not that bad. The Thunder tagged one run on him in the first, but he was then solid, waiting for run support that never came, until the fifth derailed from him again. He pitched seven innings, trailing 3-1, then hit Guy King to lead off the eighth. Jones came in and made a mockery, surrendering three runs with a homer to Sandro Delgado. The Furballs scored one run in the bottom 8th with an RBI triple by Hall, but looked beaten into the ninth, with Thunder starter Wilson Cordova still in. Gonzalez drew a pinch walk, and Flores’ pinch hit single chased Cordova with two down. Lantán singled in a run, bringing the tying run to the plate in Steve Walker, but he grounded out to Dave Browne at second. 6-3 Thunder. Osanai 2-4, HR, RBI;

Oklahoma made Logan Evans pay for two walks in the first inning with one run driven in by Leonardo Costa, but Dadswell hit a 2-run double in the bottom 1st to get Portland atop. The lead went bust in the fourth. In the bottom of that inning, the Coons had Sam Dadswell on first with two out. Ricardo Gonzalez doubled to left center, but Dadswell was held at third – and Logan Evans came up to bat. But Evans shot one through the gap on the left side of the diamond and both runners scored! That still didn’t change the fact that Evans’ outing was sub par at best. He was wild to an unhealthy amount and needed 99 pitches through five frames. Hall reached on an error in the bottom 5th, then was caught stealing with Osanai at the plate. Osanai went on to go deep a few pitches later. That 5-2 lead held until the eighth, where the Raccoons jumped on reliever Jorge Mora for five runs, including a 3-bomb by pinch hitter Rodrigo Lucero. Bentley sat the Thunder down in the ninth and the Raccoons topped them, 10-2. Barrios 3-5, RBI; Lucero (PH) 1-1, HR, 3 RBI; Osanai 2-5, HR, RBI; Dadswell 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Stevens (PH) 1-2, RBI; Cunningham 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K;

In other news

April 19 – TIJ Carlos Castro (1-1, 1.57 ERA) tosses a 3-hitter, as the Condors beat the Bayhawks 6-0.
April 21 – Vancouvers’ Bill Smith (1-2, 6.32 ERA) 3-hits the Titans in a 7-0 win.
April 21 – A foot fracture will slow down Las Vegas’ hot shot youngster Claudio Garcia (.306, 0 HR, 6 RBI) for three weeks.
April 22 – SFW SP David Castillo (0-2, 4.34 ERA) will miss half the season with a badly strained hamstring.
April 22 – TIJ SS Cipriano Ortega (.309, 0 HR, 8 RBI) is forced out of a game early with an oblique strain, will miss six weeks, and has his 19-game hitting streak blow up because of the injury.
April 23 – Veteran starting pitcher Augusto Trujillo, 36, is out with a torn flexor tendon, which will sideline him for at least one year. He is the second Warriors rotation member to go down this week. Trujillo had a 3.00 ERA through four games without any decisions.
April 29 – ATL C Steve Wall (.299, 1 HR, 12 RBI) is sat down by a rib cage muscle strain and will miss most of May.
April 29 – Salem’s Carlos Reyes (2-3, 2.77 ERA) 1-hits the Capitals in a 4-0 win. Reyes carried a perfect game into the ninth inning, before Yoshihito Ito broke it up with a 1-out single, a liner to left. There has never been a perfect game in the ABL.

Complaints and stuff

In what amounts to some of the best notes around the franchise, minor leaguer 2B Dani Perez was named A level player of the week in mid-April after a .458, 2 HR, 8 RBI run, and just was named A level player of the month at a .398, 5 HR, 23 RBI clip. (Outside the franchise, Chris Smith at age 38 was FL player of the week, going .440 with 2 HR and 8 RBI for the Pacifics; Smith was of course a late season addition to our 1983 playoff run)

OSA has now a 12/12/16 potential line for Perez in place. Nathan Bruce is less optimistic, and of course Perez has never hit more than .230 in three full years in A ball. But that might be his time. He was promoted to AA ball.

Our own offense has picked up some, including long balls, although there’s still a frightening zero in Mark Dawson’s long ball column. But of course he’s always been very streaky. He could slug six next week. We now tie for 1st in homers in the CL and are only 8th in homers conceded, so things reversed here clearly over the last two weeks. We are close to the top in most other pitching categories.

What else? Scott Wade is 6-0 with a 2.55 ERA in AAA. With Ruíz wobbling, something might be on here. Ruíz has options but also has 10/5 rights. Catcher Andy Reed slugs a flat 1.000 in AAA. Outfielder Paul Blake is .333 with 7 HR, 27 RBI there.

Further down, top draft pick Joe Jackson is batting .172 in AA ball. Uh-oh.

Next: road trip to Boston, Vancouver, and then Salem for an Oregon Brawl. The home part of that interleague week puts as against the Cyclones. And then it will already be time again for the draft pool.