[Westheim]

Raccoons (18-19) @ Loggers (12-24)

Four games with the worst team in the league – every reason to feel worried. The Loggers ranked last in offense and second-to-last in pitching in the CL, with their bullpen especially bad (6.14 ERA, 12th).

Scott Wade and Judd Montgomery dueled effectively in the opener. The Raccoons were puzzled completely by Montgomery’s arsenal and had one hit through six, in the bottom of which inning Wade gave up a run on two doubles. Hall led off the seventh with a single just between the middle infielders Pepe Martinez and Jim Stein. Osanai was clipped and erased on a fielder’s choice when Dawson grounded. Next was Gonzalez. He launched a huge shot to deep center, and while it missed the wall, it still fell in. Hall scored and Dawson was sent home from first. The Loggers tried to make the play at home, couldn’t, and Gonzalez went to third. He was still there with Quintanilla on first and two out when Wade’s turn came up, and he was pinch hit for with Bobby Quinn. Montgomery was shaken, threw a wild pitch to score Gonzalez, and Quinn then singled in Quintanilla for a 4-run seventh. Gonzalez brought in Hall in back-to-back innings with an eighth inning RBI single and when Dadswell hit a 3-run homer, the rout was on. 8-1 Furballs! Gonzalez 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI; Dadswell 2-3, BB, HR, 3 RBI; Quinn (PH) 1-1, RBI; Wade 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, W (8-0); Bentley 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

So, Scotty remains perfect with that late burst of offense. Of course, Gonzalez had the key hits here. Reader had more playing time recently, but is cold recently and Gonzalez will now start most games at short.

Game 2 was contested among lefties with Logan Evans and Neil Stewart going. The Coons led 1-0 after the top 1st, and the first batter Evans faced, CF Emilio Román, doubled down the line – then stretched it and was thrown out at third by Quinn. Neither pitcher had good control, Evans wasn’t getting ahead in the count, and Stewart deflated in the third, where he walked four and the Coons added three singles for another 4-run inning that removed Stewart and gave Evans a 6-1 lead. The longtime Coon pitched into the seventh with two runs across (but a few Gold Glove plays all over the field helped big time), before giving way to the pen. The Raccoons again won handily, 9-2 on 17 hits, including eight for extra bases. Higgins 3-5, BB, 2 2B; Stevens 3-6, 2B, RBI; Osanai 3-4, 2 BB, 2B, RBI; Vinson 3-4, BB, 2 2B, 2 RBI; Gonzalez 3-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI; Suto 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K;

The Coons again got an (unearned) run in the top 1st in game 3. From there, Carlos Reyes kept the Loggers from making hard contact very well. Anibal Guerra did the same for the Coons, until a seventh inning homer by Antonio Gonzalez (who thus homered in back-to-back games) made it 2-0, and the Coons scored two unearned runs after that when the defense couldn’t get Reyes at first with two already down. Reyes fell to a homer by C Santiago Rodriguez in the seventh, but was still on a great pace. Through six, he held a 10 pitches per inning rate and with the Coons scoring two in the top 9th to move the game out of save range, Reyes went back out for the ninth – and completed the game. 6-1 Raccoons. Higgins 3-5, 2B, RBI; Johnston 3-5, HR, 3 RBI; Osanai 3-4; Reyes 9.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, W (2-2);

We made a roster move prior to game 4: Carlos Miranda was demoted and Ben O’Morrissey recalled. O’Morrissey played third for the not-hitting Dawson (and Stevens left for the not-hitting Hall).

Game 4. The second inning already saw the Loggers fall apart. With two out, the Coons had a runner on second and pitcher Jason Turner batting – and from there they STILL scored five runs. Turner hit an infield single, then they added a walk, a single, and another walk, and then scored two on an error, when CF Adam Woodward dropped Osanai’s blooper, and then another run on a single, sending ten men to the plate. Turner struggled a bit to complete 2-strike at-bats early on, and surrendered two runs in the bottom 2nd, which the Coons got back in the fourth. Two singles up the middle and a double into the left corner scored two for the Loggers again as Turner was reeling in the fifth, but the Coons again managed to mirror that right away in the top 6th – and added another run to make it 10-4. While Turner’s line of six frames and four runs didn’t look too good, he still struck out nine, so he has all the tools he needs. They added a few more late for a 13-4 thumping of the Loggers. Higgins 3-5, BB, RBI; Johnston 3-5, BB, 2 RBI; Osanai 3-5, BB, RBI; Reader (PH) 1-1, RBI; Dadswell 4-6, RBI;

That 4-game sweep suddenly vaulted the Raccoons into contention for the CL North crown (not that I will get fooled here, the Loggers are a miserable bunch), and the aggregate score of 36-8 is – I’m sure without checking – the most severe bashing the Coons have ever dealt to an opponent in a 4-game set. And all of that without production from Hall and Dawson, who each had just one hit in the entire series!

Raccoons (22-19) vs. Thunder (20-22)

The Oklahoma rotation was not the best, and carried a 4.89 ERA, but with Kevin Williams and Domingo León, their two best starters would be up in the first two games in the series.

Kisho Saito, who had been unfortunate enough not to pitch in Milwaukee, struck out the side in the top 1st in the opener and still surrendered a run, but a 3-run second with lots of small ball turned the game around. Matt Higgins had a big 2-out, 2-run double in the sixth to make it 5-1. Saito went seven without surrendering any more ugly stuff. The Coons crumbled in the ninth, as Martinez put the first two men on. Goodman got an out, but a run scored, and West then came in. He struck out two, but in between Jeff Wagner (one of those guys that kill you time and again) hit an RBI triple. 5-3 Coons. Vinson 3-4, RBI; Stevens 2-4, 2B, RBI; Saito 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, W (4-1);

If the Coons win the middle game, they will have painted a whole week green! They are also only half a game out of the division lead.

The Coons stormed out of the gate, 3-0 after two innings against León. Wade was not unhittable, though, and a few grounders through the seams cost a run in the fourth, but it could as well have cost O’Morrissey, who collided with Marc Shaw at third base. Both were knocked over, but instead, Shaw was hurt and left the game. The Thunder scored one run in the inning. Things collapsed in the fifth. Alfonso Torres led off with a single just past Higgins. León bunted and Wade tried to get the out at second, but didn’t. Jeff Wagner bunted and Wade tried to get the out at third – and didn’t! Bases loaded, nobody out. This time, Wade was toast. Tom Nicks took a 2-2 pitch into the stands in left for a grand slam. But the Furballs came right back in the bottom 5th with hits by Johnston and Hall. Osanai doubled to center and then O’Morrissey and Stevens made productive outs to first tie the game and then get ahead again. Jeff Wagner led off the seventh with a single and moved to second when Nicks grounded out. With left-handers up, Nate Goodman relieved Wade. The Thunder countered with righty Hector Román to pinch hit. He lined hard into left, Hall came on AND CAUGHT IT!! The next batter flew out to Stevens in center and Wade remained in line for a W. There were three more lefties up for the eighth and Goodman remained in there, getting two out, but Sandro Delgado then singled up the middle. Lagarde came on and got the final out (but not without walking Torres). Lagarde remained in the game for the ninth. Wagner grounded to Osanai. Nicks popped out to Higgins. Joseph Day pinch hit and hit one to right center – caught by Johnston! COONS WIN IT!! 6-5 Raccoons!! Johnston 2-4, RBI; Osanai 2-4, 2B, RBI; Gonzalez 3-4, 2B, RBI; Goodman 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K; Lagarde 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, SV (1);

The Raccoons have not lost in a week! Isn’t life beautiful!?

Steven Berry came off the DL for the last game in the series. He would pitch out of the pen for a bit. Gustavo Quintanilla was demoted until we would decide whom to move out of the bullpen.

The Thunder scored first in the last game, with Wagner starting it with a bunt base hit. He was brought around to score, 1-0, and Logan Evans was too out of whack to get through a nasty fourth. With two on and nobody out (bad enough), pitcher Vicente Torres bunted and Evans couldn’t make a play. Next, Wagner drew a bases loaded walk for the first of three more runs. Torres in turn was perfect against the Coons through three, through four, through five. The Thunder put the rout on in the sixth, knocking out Evans by putting two on with one out, then raping Martinez, who failed to retire a batter in the four he faced. A pinch-hit double by Bill Stevens broke up the perfect game of Torres in the sixth, but the winning streak was over, the Thunder lit up Berry and Goodman in the eighth for five more and won 14-1. Stevens (PH) 2-2, 2B; Torres went the distance with a 5-hitter.

Way to ruin a week. To hell with enthusiasm!

And with life.

In other news

May 15 – The Aces’ ace Claudio Garcia (.310, 2 HR, 12 RBI) is hurt in the weight room and will miss about two weeks with a strained achilles tendon.
May 20 – The Condors lose 6-5 to the Loggers. Hector Atilano hits an eighth inning single off Judd Montgomery for his 2,000th career hit! The 38-year old is only the fourth player to reach this mark.
May 20 – TOP SP Jorge Ramos (3-2, 3.54 ERA) will be out for up to a year. The 23-year old talent has a stretched elbow ligament.
May 21 – LVA Miguel Sanchez (4-3, 3.98 ERA) tosses a 3-hitter against the Indians. It is the 38-year old’s 16th shutout, breaking a tie with Joe Ellis for fourth place all time. David Burke (35), Juan Correa (19), and Alex Miranda (18) lead the category. Chris Powell’s 10 SHO still tie for 9th.

Complaints and stuff

Logan Evans has completely lost it. Tetsu Osanai has an 11-game hitting streak. Who else has anything? The Coons had a half game deficit to first, but now have fallen back.

Oh yeah, Antonio Gonzalez went 11-24 with 3 HR and 9 RBI this week and was CL Player of the Week. Yay!

I will probably next look at the draft pool and analyze that.