[Westheim]

Raccoons (17-28) @ Bayhawks (27-18) – May 25-27, 1999

Here was a team that didn’t score too many runs (but still eight more than the Coons), but instead had the single best rotation in the league with a 2.78 ERA. Never mind their messy bullpen. First you have to get one of their guys out of the game…

Projected matchups:
Jose Rivera (4-3, 3.20 ERA) vs. Miguel Diaz (3-2, 3.81 ERA)
Randy Farley (4-3, 2.84 ERA) vs. Tony Hamlyn (5-5, 2.60 ERA)
Anthony Mosher (0-1, 11.57 ERA) vs. Jorge Chapa (4-1, 2.07 ERA)

Ya, good luck with that…

Game 1
POR: SS Guerin – RF Brady – CF Reece – 1B Gonzalez – C Branch – 2B Ingall – LF Parker – 3B Caddock – P Rivera
SFB: RF Javier – 2B H. Ramirez – 1B Carroll – LF W. Jackson – CF Marquez – C G. Ortíz – 3B J. Martinez – SS T. Smith – P M. Diaz

Lance Branch singled home Guerin with two out in the top 1st to take an early lead, but Rivera wasn’t able to hang on to it. Alfredo Marquez’ 2-out, 2-run single in the bottom 3rd turned the game around in favor of the Bayhawks, and after Branch’s single in the first the Raccoons would not get another hit in until the sixth inning. Then it was Cesar Gonzalez, who came up with a game-tying home run, but the joy was short-lived as the Bayhawks put that run right back on the board in the bottom of the inning. Rivera needed help from Parker, Brady, and Donis to not be crushed in the seventh (with in order: catching Carroll’s deep fly right at the wall; beaming out Hector Ramirez going first-to-third; and popping up Marquez), but it didn’t matter in the bigger context of winning and losing. The Raccoons were unable to get men on base in a sufficient number to pose any threat, even against the beleaguered bullpen they faced in the final two innings. 3-2 Bayhawks. Gonzalez 2-4, HR, RBI;

Game 2
POR: SS Guerin – 2B Ingall – CF Reece – 1B Gonzalez – C Branch – 3B Crowe – RF Newton – LF Parker – P Farley
SFB: RF Javier – 2B H. Ramirez – 1B Carroll – LF W. Jackson – CF Marquez – C G. Ortíz – 3B J. Martinez – SS T. Smith – P Hamlyn

Both pitchers came in with quite similar numbers, roughly around 70 IP (Hamlyn a bit over, Farley a bit under), just barely under 1 H/9, 18 walks and some 50 K on the year. The Coons jumped out first again with two runs in the opening frame, on a throwing error and another 2-out single by Branch. Farley put two on with one out, but struck out Jackson and Marquez to get out. The tide would turn, though. The Bayhawks left runners on the corners once more in the fourth, but chopped a run (so, half) off our lead in the fifth. Will Jackson homered to tie the game in the sixth (similar to Gonzalez’ exploits the day before), and the Bayhawks had two in scoring position with two down and Tom Smith up. He was put on intentionally so Farley, who had not struck out anybody since the first inning and had lost his touch by now, could face Hamlyn. In a 2-2 count, Hamlyn made contact and shot a racer to right, but Ingall was able to intercept it and nab Hamlyn at first to keep the score tied, 2-2. Hamlyn, who had struck out nine Inepticoons through six innings, was in a comfortable position now, facing the bottom of the order in the top 7th, starting with the hopeless Luke Newton. One strike, two strikes, oh, contact. Didn’t see that com- … oh, this one is deep, and high, and GONE!! Newton gave the lead right back to Farley, 3-2, but when leadoff man Paco Javier singled in the bottom 7th, he was coming out. Fortunately for Farley, with Juan Martinez pitching, Javier tried to swipe a base and was lasered out by Branch. Unfortunately, that still didn’t mean anything. Donis put Marquez on with a 1-out single in the eighth, and Miller came in for relief, but served up the game-winner to Gabriel Ortíz. The Coons had the tying run on second base with one out in the ninth, but Parker and Brady both whiffed against Ryosei Kato. 4-3 Bayhawks. Ingall 2-4, 2B; Reece 2-3, BB, 2B;

(stares into the darkness after another dispiriting loss)

Game 3
POR: SS Guerin – 2B Ingall – CF Reece – RF Gonzalez – C Branch – 1B Michel – 3B Crowe – LF Parker – P Mosher
SFB: LF Walls – C G. Ortíz – 1B Carroll – CF Marquez – 3B J. Martinez – RF Rivas – 2B J. Gomez – SS T. Smith – P Chapa

The game got off just as I had feared. Mosher was besieged and required frequent rescue by the defense, but they couldn’t defend against Dave Carroll’s first-inning no-doubt homer, and some other stuff, and Mosher trailed 2-0 after three, while Chapa was mowing down woodland creatures like a wildfire. Top 5th then, Crowe on third base with one out and Mosher batting. Could he possibly get him in? Mosher took a pitch to deep left, and oh dear lord, it was gone…! Game-tying homer by Mosher, nobody in attendance could believe it, the least so Chapa. The bird would actually be gone from the game before Mosher, leaving in the top 7th with two in scoring position and two down. Jose Matos got Guerin to pop out to left to keep the score tied, and Mosher pitched a quick seventh, however, only fairytales come true (and sometimes rock and roll dreams). Mosher’s bid for a win didn’t, as he walked Jorge Gomez to start the eighth, and with one out the Bayhawks brought left-hander Hector Ramirez as a pinch-hitter, who matched Mosher, so he remained in – and the resulting fly ball beat Neil Reece by a fraction of a hair, fell in for a double, the Bayhawks took the lead, Mosher was removed, Tamburrino loaded the bags, and then Chubby Martinez was dumb lucky enough to get a grounder to Guerin before the game could blow out completely, but this one was in the loss column. 4-2 Bayhawks. Crowe 2-3, BB;

Gonzalez has no RF rating. I figured, Mosher’d get blown up anyway, so why not put him there for a game, get Michel in, and not have two struggling left-handed corner outfielders (or Newton…) in this game against the left-hander Chapa. Gonzalez did very well defensively, even getting an outfield assist. Maybe he’s the reborn Mark Dawson after all?

Never mind that we were just humiliated again and I am slowly losing my will to live ‘round here…

Raccoons (17-31) @ Knights (26-20) – May 28-30, 1999

The Knights were more lucky than anything else, with zero run differential but six games over .500. But you know, the Raccoons weren’t lucky, or skilled, or fortunate, or even at least occasionally in the right place at the right time, so the Knights had a perfect chance to take full advantage of the Suckoons, who undoubtedly were receiving some kind of divine punishment for whatever … I don’t know? Not finishing their plates?

Projected matchups:
Esteban Flores (1-1, 5.93 ERA) vs. Greg Grams (2-5, 6.07 ERA)
Kisho Saito (2-6, 5.52 ERA) vs. Sammy Davis (2-3, 6.23 ERA)
Jose Rivera (4-4, 3.29 ERA) vs. Daniel Perez (1-0, 3.33 ERA)

Look at that rotation, they are even worse than our guys. And now for some actual gameplay.

Game 1
POR: SS Guerin – RF Brady – CF Reece – 1B Gonzalez – C Branch – LF Parker – 2B Caddock – 3B Crowe – P Flores
ATL: RF Árias – C J. Johnson – 2B Palacios – LF Kinnear – 1B Tinker – CF A. Ramos – 3B J. Munoz – SS Torres – P Grams

Esteban Flores was obliterated in the first inning, with a leadoff homer by Jesus Árias, and then a 3-run job off the bat of Bill Tinker. Although Flores gave up another run in the second inning, he was not removed. If you saw the Coons failing miserably against Greg Grams in their halves of the innings, you knew this game was out of the window already, and that it was better to leave Flores in there to absorb as many innings as possible without emptying the pen into this pointless endeavor. Flores actually made it into the sixth without allowing another run and then left at 90 pitches with an (unearned after a Crowe error) runner on second and one out. Miguel Martinez ended that frame. The Coons trailed 5-2 after sac flies by Reece and Crowe, but they never raised their bats in anger against Grams, who was the luckiest bastard on earth that day. Fairchild was sliced into pieces in the eighth, before the Coons – not that it mattered – took a chunk out of venerable Craig Hansen in the top 9th, but this mass had been read in the first. 8-4 Knights. Guerin 2-5, 2B; Parker 2-4; Crowe 2-2, BB, 2B, 2 RBI;

And that’s how you build a 5-game losing streak! Our record for the year is a 7-game rut, so let’s go.

We finally got Stephen Buell back for the middle game. Will he make a difference? (chuckles)

Game 2
POR: 2B Ingall – SS Guerin – CF Reece – 1B Gonzalez – LF Buell – C Castillo – 3B Crowe – RF Brady – P Saito
ATL: CF Árias – C J. Johnson – 2B Palacios – 1B Tinker – LF Taylor – 3B J. Munoz – SS Torres – RF G. Hall – P S. Davis

Saito was on the brink of getting anal-probed by the Knights in the first two innings, but Jose Munoz popped out with the bags full in the first, and Buell and Reece picked balls off the wall in the second, before the Coons put their leadoff men Ingall and Guerin on the corners with one out in the top 3rd. Reece ran a full count against Davis, then put a slow grounder in play. Munoz raced in, but Ingall beat him down the line and Munoz’ hesitation cost him any play. Reece was safe, and another hit could break this up, but we didn’t get one, of course. When Brady made a head-long play on a Bill Tinker liner bound for an RBI double in the bottom 3rd, I sent for some more St. Bernards, because this couldn’t work for nine innings… A Brady sac fly in the top 6th gave us a second run, while Saito continued to tumble. Bottom 6th, Tony Torres doubled over Reece for the first non-routine play that wasn’t made all day. An intentional walk would bring up the pitcher with two outs, but Kinnear was looming on the bench, and – no. Saito pitched to Gerald Hall, Hall homered, and that was that.

(hammers head against the wall)

When I was done with self-mutilation, the Coons had two on and no out in the top 7th. Guerin had doubled and Reece had gotten the open base without fuss for the second time in this series. Although he was in a terrible slump, the Knights were fearing him to break out of it. Gonzalez got Reece forced with a grounder, but the go-ahead run was at third, but Buell struck out and Gonzalez got picked off first base. Saito left after seven with a no-decision. In the eighth, Tamburrino, Donis, and Miller shared responsibility for a bases-loaded jam, but Miller struck out Hall and Jesus Zamora to escape. The top 9th was started with an Ingall single off Kenny Richert. Guerin grounded hard to short, but the Knights failed to turn two, which backfired badly once Gonzalez doubled to center and the racer Guerin easily reached home. Bottom 9th, Wade in, Árias led off with a single, and Palacios added another one with one out. Ramos grounded out, moving the runners into scoring position and by now Kinnear was batting fifth. No-ho-ho. Not today, Vern. Wade was to go after Munoz. First pitch, high fly to deep center, and no chance, not even for Reece… 4-3 Knights. Ingall 2-5; Guerin 3-5, 2 2B;

That night, I failed to go to sleep, pacing up and down the hotel room much to the annoyance of the lovely Belorussian gentleman in the room beneath mine. When he knocked on my door to shout at me at 3:25am, I think I got a death threat.

Hum, would solve some problems.

Game 3
POR: 2B Ingall – SS Guerin – CF Reece – 1B Gonzalez – LF Buell – C Branch – 3B Crowe – RF Brady – P Rivera
ATL: RF Árias – C J. Johnson – 2B Palacios – LF Kinnear – CF A. Ramos – 3B J. Munoz – 1B J. Zamora – SS Torres – P D. Perez

Daniel Perez was dismantled uncharacteristically quickly, five runs in the first two innings, including a 2-run bomb by Gonzalez in the first inning. Before Rivera could even finish his second inning, rains soaked the place and forced a 1-hour delay. While Rivera came back to pitch afterwards, he immediately gave up a run, and now we were facing the dire forecast of having to cover many innings with THIS bullpen. In the top 3rd of this 5-1 game the Coons loaded them up, but lost Mike Crowe to some sort of leg injury, before Ingall struck out to leave three men on. Rivera looked rusty when he pitched in the bottom 3rd and was not going to cover five. Fairchild appeared for the fourth, but he was well out of whack, balked and hit a batter the same inning and only got out because of defense. So, which pen would collapse faster? For starters, we had Michel on first base in the top 5th with Kenny Richert trying to get the third out. On a hit-and-run, Brady lined to deep left, out of Kinnear’s spacious reach and Michel made it home on the RBI double. That brought up Fairchild, who grounded past Munoz and the ball made it all the way into the corner for another double. An Ingall single scored Fairchild, and we were up by seven. Messy pitching by Fairchild and a 2-out, bases-loaded, 2-run double by Alejandro Ramos cut the lead back to five the same inning. The Knights had a threat going in the seventh when Miguel Martinez failed to retire people but then ran themselves out of it, and Reece brought home an extra run with an RBI double off Hansen in the eighth, 9-3. By now, we had reached the shallow end of our bullpen, having to give Tamburrino another appearance. This bottom 8th was possibly his first 1-2-3 inning on the year… And then came the bottom 9th, Chubby Martinez came in to pitch, Árias singled, Johnson singled, Palacios walked, bases loaded, no outs, Kinnear next, and oh boy, we’re in the ****s. The remaining pitchers were Donis and Wade, both had pitched the last two days already, and Wade had already blown a game. But here we faced Kinnear, and our left-hander was available, so we sent for him. Kinnear popped out, but Ramos plated two with the bags full for the second time in the game. 9-5, two in scoring position, one out, and how could we possibly not lose this one. Only if the Knights themselves hacked out of it. Munoz popped to left, enough for a sac fly, but then Zamora also popped out and Ingall grabbed that one. 9-6 Raccoons. Guerin 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI; Reece 3-5, 2B, RBI; Crowe 1-1, BB, 2B; Brady 2-3, 2 BB, 2 2B, 2 RBI;

Crowe has a sore calf that should hobble him the next week. We might want to give Gonzalez a few starts at third to safe Crowe for later.

In other news

May 25 – OCT Vaughn Higgins (3-2, 2.86 ERA) dominates the Indians in a 3-hit shutout. Thunder win, 2-0.
May 26 – MIL OF/1B Jerry Fletcher (.387, 1 HR, 21 RBI) connects for a single in the Loggers’ 6-3 win over the Falcons, bringing a hitting streak to 20 games.
May 26 – Another year, another injury for TIJ LF/RF Dale Wales (.304, 3 HR, 21 RBI), who will be looking from the sidelines for a month with a sprained ankle.
May 28 – Jerry Fletcher is stopped dead in his tracks by the Thunder and goes 0-3 in a 3-2 loss, ending his hitting streak at 21 games.

Complaints and stuff

In good news, Dan Nordahl rejoined the AAA team starting this week. Let’s see what he has got.

And… You know, I WAS going to play two weeks here, but … no. One’s more than enough. There must be some gypsy curse on this team. Only reasonable explanation that remains viable.