[Westheim]

Raccoons (81-57) @ Canadiens (60-76) – September 4-6, 2017

The Elks had long dropped out of any race in the North, but they could still play spoilers to the Raccoons, as there were six games left between these two teams, and the Critters had so far lost seven of the dozen contests played. The Elks ranked last in offense in the Continental League, and their pitching was more or less average.

Projected matchups:
Tadasu Abe (17-9, 2.92 ERA) vs. Samuel McMullen (11-10, 2.64 ERA)
Chris Munroe (2-3, 7.71 ERA) vs. TBD
Hector Santos (11-4, 2.67 ERA) vs. Steve Kreider (8-10, 4.92 ERA)

Tuesday would be Kevin Clayton’s (3-11, 5.49 ERA) spot, but he was serving a suspension and was ineligible to pitch in this series. We assumed they could find a pitcher, somewhere. Starting the series facing Sam McMullen was not ideal for sure, and he was also a left-hander, against whom the Raccoons tended to choke.

Can someone please open a window? It smells in here!

Game 1
POR: LF Carmona – RF Petracek – 3B Nunley – 1B Mendoza – C Denny – SS McKnight – CF Duarte – 2B Moya – P Abe
VAN: SS Lawrence – 1B Fellows – LF Cameron – RF K. Evans – C Little – CF Cowan – 2B P. Green – 3B Grooms – P S. McMullen

Sam McMullen had 182 K in 201 innings this season and hung three more on the Raccoons in the first inning, but not without causing major havoc to his team. Petracek hit a single and advanced on a wild pitch before the Tiger homered to right center, and Denny and McKnight also found their way into scoring position via a single, walk, and a balk by McMullen before Duarte flailed out. Abe allowed a few hard-hit balls to centerfield in the early innings, but Alex Duarte was on the other end of all of them, and didn’t allow an actual base hit until Pat Green doubled up the leftfield line in the fifth inning. Past the first inning, the Raccoons mainly served to raise McMullen’s K count, which reached eight through six innings, and they hardly made it to scoring position despite the occasional odd runner. That changed in the seventh inning when Cookie hit a 1-out double up the rightfield line, his first time on base in the game, and Petracek was walked intentionally, which was an odd choice, even with platoon splits being considered. Nunley did ground out, moving the runners to scoring position, which was a good place for them to be when the Tiger found the gap between Don Cameron and Joe Cowan for a 2-run double, and the score reached 4-0. While Denny doubled Mendoza in for the fifth run, which also knocked out McMullen, Abe lasted until the bottom of the eighth, departing after a 2-out walk to Chris Grooms. Nielson took over and whiffed PH Enrique Garcia to end the inning and keep Abe’s ledger clean. The top ninth saw Frank Yeager use 20 pitches to load the bases with nobody out thanks to singles hit by Petracek and Walter, while Mendoza walked. Waggoner hit for Denny and got a sac fly done, before Green loaded the bases mishandling McKnight’s grounder. Duarte struck out, and DeWeese hit for Moya and legged out a roller for an RBI infield single. Young grounded out to end the inning, but the lead was sufficiently big to send Nick Lester into the bottom 9th and survive it. 7-0 Coons. Petracek 2-4, BB; Walter (PH) 1-1; Mendoza 3-4, BB, HR, 2B, 4 RBI; Denny 2-4, 2B, RBI; DeWeese (PH) 1-1, RBI; Abe 7.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K, W (18-9);

The Elks never got another hit after the Green double, while Ricky Moya had his first major league hit, a single in his fourth attempt in the game and his seventh overall.

The Indians were idle this Monday, getting our lead to a full game, but we’d have Thursday off instead. No more 7-game weeks for the Raccoons in 2017, and all but one of the off days on Thursday.

Game 2
POR: CF Carmona – 2B Walter – RF Mendoza – LF DeWeese – 3B Nunley – SS McKnight – C Denny – 1B Young – P Munroe
VAN: 2B Rinehart – 1B Fellows – LF Cameron – C Little – SS Lawrence – RF E. Garcia – CF Rocha – 3B Grooms – P Kreider

On the way to his own personal oblivion, Chris Munroe allowed three extra-base hits in the first inning, which amounted to three runs thanks to Jaylin Lawrence’s closing homer, and two more hits in the second, including a 2-run shot by Grooms. He would only make it to the fourth inning, and didn’t retire anybody there, walking Garcia and drilling Mario Rocha, which was well enough.

The Coons didn’t get a hit off Kreider until Shane Walter came up with a leadoff double in the fourth inning. Thanks to some 2-out terror by Nunley, McKnight, and Denny, who all reached in full counts, the Raccoons would score two runs, but remained far behind, and they only got further behind in that bottom of the fourth. Alex Ramirez replaced Munroe with two on and no outs, and sucked like no wannabe-closer had sucked before. The Elks licked him for two hard hits and he also made a throwing error on a grounder to plate three more runs for the Elks, which put the Coons down half a dozen and for all intents and purposes ended this game. Or did it? Kreider loaded the bases immediately in the fifth inning, with singles by Ochoa and Carmona, and Walter getting hit. Mendoza struck out, but DeWeese hit a ball to deep right, well hit, hard hit, outta here! GRAAAAAAAAAND SLAAAAAAAAAMMMMM!!!!!

That set the Critters behind by only two runs, and also ended Kreider’s day that had begun on short rest and ended with a short start. Bottom 5th, Nick Lester came in with left-handed bats coming up. He walked both of them, Lawrence and Garcia, and at that point it was “**** it”. The sucker was gonna get out of this on his own, or it wasn’t worth the worries anyway. Rocha struck out in a full count, Grooms grounded out (both switch-hitters), and then the left-hander Kurt Evans hit for the pitcher and popped out to end the inning. The Raccoons stranded runners on the corners in the sixth, didn’t reach in the seventh, and as the Elks emptied their pen in the eighth had two on with two out for Cookie Carmona, who faced the left-hander Orlando Valdez, who had just walked Brian Petracek to become the tying run on base. Cookie grounded up the middle, Jeff Rinehart intercepted it and made the play for the third out. A Rinehart error would put Mendoza on base to pull up DeWeese as the tying run with one out in the ninth. He ripped a single to center on a 1-2 pitch by closer Pedro Alvarado, who then couldn’t make a play on a roller by Matt Nunley, which was assessed as an infield single and loaded the bases. Come on, Ronnie!! McKnight only hit a sac fly to left, and on a 3-1 pitch, Denny grounded out to end the game. 8-7 Canadiens. DeWeese 2-5, HR, 5 RBI; McKnight 2-4, RBI; Ochoa (PH) 1-1;

Game 2
POR: CF Carmona – 2B Walter – 1B Mendoza – LF DeWeese – 3B Nunley – RF Waggoner – SS McKnight – C Denny – P Santos
VAN: 2B Rinehart – 1B Fellows – LF Cameron – RF K. Evans – C Little – CF Cowan – SS Lawrence – 3B Grooms – P Bartels

A.J. Bartels was 11-13 with a 4.62 ERA (Morrison territory…) and walked Mendoza in the first before allowing a moonshot to DeWeese that went out of the park in a hurry. It was the big guy’s 20th shot of the season, and he seemed to be warming up for the stretch drive. He also made a tremendous grab on a Morgan Little liner that came not quite his way in the bottom 1st and if unchecked would have tied the game right away after Santos had walked Rinehart and allowed a single to Evans. Santos certainly allowed A LOT of HARD contact in the early innings, and conceded two quick singles in the bottom 2nd, allowing Bartels to hit a sac fly eventually. Santos remained wonky, and Little ALMOST hit a leadoff jack in the bottom of the fourth. DeWeese spoiled that one, too, right at the wall, and logged all three outs on fly balls of varying intensity in the fifth inning. The Critters could certainly use some more offense, but they were in a real lull until Matt Nunley hit a 2-out homer by surprise in the sixth inning, ever so slowly moving the score to 3-1. McKnight and Denny would then reach on a single (that turned into McKnight waiting on second base with no outs when Bartels balked) and a walk, respectively. Santos bunted them over, but Cookie fouled out behind home plate, and Walter grounded out to waste a perfect chance. Santos left after drilling Grooms with his 90th pitch in the bottom 7th, which brought up Enrique Garcia as the tying run and left-handed pinch-hitter with two outs. Thrasher got the call here, executed Garcia on three pitches, then issued three walks to three batters faced in the eighth. There was just no way for the Raccoons to get out of this one.

Jayden Reed entered the bases-loaded situation as we got ready for a meltdown of epic proportions. PH Russell Lewis hit a chopper on the infield that nobody managed to play and it became an RBI infield single. Little struck out before Reed ran a full count to the left-hander Joe Cowan, who drew the walk, tying the game. Lawrence struck out – except that he didn’t. His bat struck Denny’s glove, giving the ****ing Elks the lead on a bases-loaded catcher’s interference. Grooms struck out and Manlio Varone flew out to left center, but I successfully had all air sucked out of me back home in Portland and was tying a rope and looking for some place on the ceiling to affix it to. Alvarado allowed a 2-out single to Brandon Johnson in the ninth, but Cookie grounded out to Jeff Rinehart. 4-3 Canadiens. Mendoza 2-3, BB; Nunley 2-4, HR, 2B, RBI; Johnson (PH) 1-1; Santos 6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K;

This one is right up there with Glenn Johnston dropping Ed Parrell’s fly, and Juan Diaz’ three wild pitches, and with Keith Ayers being out at home. This one will live in my memory forever.

For. Ever.

Thankfully the Indians were just as inept, lost two of three to the Crusaders, and thus remained half a game behind by Thursday night. Now bring on those Crusaders…

Raccoons (82-59) vs. Crusaders (69-70) – September 8-10, 2017

The Coons had already wrapped up the season series with the Crusaders before this last meeting between the two teams in 2017, taking 11 of the 15 contests so far. The Crusaders were sixth in runs scored and second-to-last in runs allowed, with a -110 run differential, but they had just let the Indians stumble, so we should watch out…

Projected matchups:
Jonathan Toner (16-8, 1.94 ERA) vs. Jaylen Martin (14-12, 3.17 ERA)
Nick Brown (6-2, 4.30 ERA) vs. Colin Sabatino (7-13, 6.67 ERA)
Tadasu Abe (18-9, 2.81 ERA) vs. Bob King (14-10, 4.14 ERA)

Three right-handers in this set. Neither team had anybody on the DL except for left-handed relievers; Beaver for us, and Sugano and Albert Lorusso for them.

Game 1
NYC: LF M. Ortíz – CF J. Garcia – 1B Gilbert – RF W. Jones – C Roland – 3B M. Salinas – 2B C. Martinez – SS Casillas – P J. Martin
POR: CF Carmona – 2B Walter – 1B Mendoza – LF DeWeese – 3B Nunley – RF Waggoner – SS McKnight – C Denny – P Toner

While the Raccoons managed only one hit, a Denny single, the first time through the order, Jonny Toner ran a lot 2-strike counts in the first three innings, but hardly managed to retire anybody on strikes alone. His pitch count shot up like a rocket, and by the second time through the Crusaders were also getting on base. Cory Roland singled to center in the fourth inning, Miguel Salinas worked a walk, and then Carlos Martinez took a 2-2 pitch and hit a 2-run triple into the leftfield corner for the first runs in the game. The Coons took until the fifth to get on the board. Nunley and McKnight hit singles to get to the corners, and Denny hit a double to left to score Nunley. With one out, the tying and go-ahead runs were in scoring position, but “Midnight” called midnight for Toner with a K, and Cookie’s liner to left was scorched, but caught by Martin Ortíz. Toner allowed another run in the sixth after Winston Jones hit a leadoff double. The ****ing Martinez batted him in with a 2-out single to right. But there was a chance to still give him a W. Walter hit a leadoff single in the bottom 6th and Ortíz couldn’t catch up with Mendoza’s fly to deep left, which became a double and put the tying runs in scoring position. Yet all the Blighters could come up with was a DeWeese sac fly. “Midnight” whiffed Nunley, and Waggoner ****tily grounded out. For once, the bullpen held up – more or less. Korb, Mathis, and Chun pitched 2 2/3 without panic before Nielson came in against some left-handers, which immediately turned into two on the inning still continuing. Alex Ramirez got the third out from Stanton Martin, who hit for Jaime Garcia and grounded out. The Coons had one last chance to put this one into the correct column, with Helio Maggessi (1.96 ERA, 75 K in 59.2 IP) facing DeWeese to start the bottom 9th in the 3-2 game. DeWeese, predictably, struck out, and Nunley and Waggoner hit pathetic grounders to lose the team’s third straight game. 3-2 Crusaders. Denny 2-3, 2B, RBI;

The Indians beat the Loggers, 4-2, dropping the Raccoons into a well-deserved second place.

Game 2
NYC: LF M. Ortíz – 3B M. Salinas – 1B Gilbert – RF W. Jones – 2B C. Martinez – C Roland – SS Paull – CF J. Garcia – P Sabatino
POR: CF Carmona – 2B Walter – 1B Mendoza – LF DeWeese – 3B Nunley – RF Waggoner – SS McKnight – C Denny – P Brown

Brownie wouldn’t see a left-handed batter other than Martin Ortíz in this lineup, and he already struggled mightily in the first two innings, although the Crusaders had yet to push a run from third base to home plate. Cookie had hit a leadoff single in the first but had been caught stealing by Cory Roland, who normally didn’t throw out anybody, and in the second, DeWeese reached on an error to start the inning. Nunley flew hard to right, but right to Jones, but Waggoner got the ball in for a single. McKnight’s drive to center was also caught, moving DeWeese to third. Denny sent a liner up the leftfield line. DeWeese scored as it fell in, and against Ortíz’ weak, old arm Waggoner was sent around third base and was called out in a tremendous collision with Roland that left Waggoner on the ground as the inning ended. Denny and Brownie had to help Waggoner off the field as the rightfielder favored the right ankle – a task that was beneath DeWeese. Duarte replaced Waggoner.

McKnight turned a nifty double play on Ray Gilbert to end the top 3rd and spare Brownie some nasty damage, and the Coons had Cookie and Walter on with singles with one out the bottom of the inning. Mendoza grounded to Martinez – double play. The Crusaders broke through in the fourth inning. Jones drew a leadoff walk, and Martinez – the ****er – went deep immediately, flipping the score. Brown would go on to allow two more extra-base hits off the fence in addition to an Ortíz single, and was charged another two runs in what was swiftly turning into the Raccoons’ fourth straight loss. Brown was knocked out without retiring another batter in the fifth as Jones singled, Martinez got drilled (good job! Honestly!) and Roland also singled past McKnight. Jayden Reed came in to strike out Eric Paull, Marcos Mercado, and Sabatino in order, but the Raccoons had yet to put a serious dent into Sabatino, who had an ERA in Munroeland. They did open the bottom 5th with three straight singles by McKnight, Denny, and Young, which scored a run and put the tying runs on base for the top of the order. Cookie hit another single to center, with Martinez ALMOST getting his filthy hands on it. The bases were loaded for Shane Walter (both pitchers had now allowed ten hits in four+ innings), and the Crusaders completely missed the right point to change pitchers. Walter singled to right, 4-3, and Mendoza singled to left, flipping the score back in favor of the home team. Nunley hit another RBI single off Sabatino, but that was it, 6-4 after five. The Crusaders had the tying run on base instantly in the top 6th when Nick Lester drilled Ortíz, and left in favor of Alex Ramirez, who ran a full count on Miguel Salinas before striking him out with Martin Ortíz declaring it to be go time. Denny threw him out, and the Coons made it out of the inning, and McKnight turned a conventional 6-4-3 double play for Ramirez in the seventh. Chun got through the eighth in 1-2-3 fashion before the Raccoons got a chance to put this one away safely against Robert Parsons. Denny, Young, and Cookie hit straight 1-out singles in the bottom 8th, the latter two of the infield variety. Was that all the good luck they could find, or could somebody actually put on a real swing here? Parsons threw one more pitch, Walter grounded to Martinez, and the inning was over, 4-6-3. With only one run of cushioning, Ron Thrasher took care of Martin Ortíz to start the ninth. When Stanton Martin came out to pinch-hit, Mathis got the ball. Martin flew out to right, but ****ing Ray Gilbert singled to left. Ron Richards hit for Winston Jones, but we knew well that he was no clutch – and struck out. 6-4 Blighters. Carmona 5-5; Walter 2-5, RBI; Waggoner 1-1; Denny 2-3, BB, 2B, RBI; Young (PH) 2-3, RBI; Ramirez 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K;

The Raccoons had 16 hits, and only Denny’s double was for an extra base. The Crusaders had 11 hits, and four of those for extra bases. We hit into three double plays, they hit into four.

Also, the Furballs reclaimed first place (even if by accident) when the Indians lost a 7-6 game in Milwaukee in 13 innings, blowing leads in the eighth and eleventh innings, before succumbing to a walkoff single by Adam Redmond. Whoever the **** that was.

Gabriel Martinez tells me that Redmond is a 23-year old rookie who played in his second major league game. Then he went on to call somebody in Spanish, but giving his sucking and ass-licking voice, he was probably talking to the Mexican Prick and told him that I was a moron.

I would like nothing more than a stress-free Sunday game. Doesn’t have to be a win… just less nervetuckery.

Game 3
NYC: LF M. Ortíz – 2B C. Martinez – 1B Gilbert – RF W. Jones – C Roland – 3B M. Salinas – CF Brissett – SS Paull – P Bo. King
POR: CF Carmona – 2B Walter – RF Mendoza – LF DeWeese – 3B Nunley – SS McKnight – C Denny – 1B Young – P Abe

Abe had no strikeouts the first time through, and instead walked two in the second inning, which led to a 2-out RBI single by King Bobo. That was not exactly what I had meant… the Coons got the run back in the bottom 2nd although they once again could have done much more. Nunley singled, McKnight doubled, and with one out all they did was a Denny sac fly and Young whiffed altogether. Bottom 4th, Martinez made an error, which led to cheers erupting from the stands, which put DeWeese on with one out. Nunley walked, and then McKnight singled over the head of Martinez for the go-ahead run to score as DeWeese came home from second base. With 2-0 on Denny, King threw a wild pitch that advanced the runners, and Denny completed the walk to load the bases for Young, who didn’t dare fail again and singled to right, with two runs scoring. Abe chopped a single to center on a 2-2 pitch, reloading the bases for Cookie, and Cookie’s grounder to the right side went under Martinez’ glove and into rightfield, scoring two, the crowd went absolutely bonkers. 6-1 after four, this looked good for Abe to not only win #19 of the year, but also to pitch a bunch more innings to calm everything and everybody (and foremost the nerve-wrecked GM) down.

R.J. DeWeese upped the score in the bottom 5th with a leadoff jack off Curtis Tobitt, who was merely a shadow of former times and had a 10+ ERA. Sparingly used, he allowed singles to Nunley and McKnight. Denny grounded out, Young was walked intentionally, and then he threw a wild pitch to Abe – and walked him. A slam chance for slugger Carmona dissipated on a balk being called on Tobitt at 2-2, and Cookie scored a run with a groundout, which was all the Crusaders could bear to watch. Bobby Regan replaced Tobitt, but allowed the fifth run of the inning to score when Walter singled to center. So, of course, in an 11-1 game, Tadasu Abe stopped pitching immediately. The Crusaders raked him for five hits and three runs in the sixth before he was removed with two in scoring position and Ortíz up to bat. Nielson walked Ortíz, turning the ball over to Reed, who faced the ****head Martinez, who took a full count pitch to left center for a 2-run single. Gilbert grounded out, but now the Crusaders had their own 5-spot and it was only an 11-6 game.

And the madness was far from over. Bergquist hit a pinch-hit dinger in the bottom 7th, 12-6, but Will West got shredded in the top of the eighth. Can’t anybody on this ****ing team pitch anymore??? Three singles and a walk pushed a run in and had the bases loaded with one out for Mathis to dissect – with nobody else than Gilbert coming up. The count ran full, I was not far removed from losing my last pair of marbles, and then Gilbert hacked out. Two out, Winston Jones coming up and hitting a 1-0 HARD to DEEP center. Alex Duarte had replaced Cookie in a lopsided game and dashed after it, making the catch just in front of the warning track. That was the last act in a completely mad series. Finally. 12-7 Raccoons. Nunley 2-3, BB; Johnson (PH) 1-1; McKnight 3-5, 2B, RBI; Young 1-2, BB, 2 RBI; Bergquist (PH) 1-1, HR, RBI; Mathis 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, SV (4);

Ray Gilbert officially isn’t the biggest dickhead on the Crusaders anymore…

Nah, what am I talking about. He is. Of course he is.

In other news

September 4 – No-hitter! OCT SP Brian Furst (12-13, 3.78 ERA) allows only two walks and no hits in a 5-0 victory over the Aces, spinning the 36th no-hitter in ABL history. It is also the first no-hitter for a home team since Juan Garcia’s perfect game in 2008, and the second no-hitter in Thunder history after Alex Lindsey’s, which also happened in 2008.
September 4 – In the Loggers’ 10-7 win over the Titans, both teams combined for 13 runs in the sixth inning. The Loggers score seven to take an 8-0 lead, then concede six right away in the bottom of the inning.
September 4 – The Warriors pound on the Wolves, crushing them in an 18-7 victory. Jamie Wilson (.291, 16 HR, 62 RBI) has three hits and a walk, scores four times and also drives in four.
September 5 – CIN OF/1B/2B Chris Erskine (.435, 0 HR, 1 RBI in 10 AB) is 24 years old and has only appeared in five games for the Cyclones this season, but he now has a 20-game hitting streak after two hits in the Cyclones’ 6-2 win over the Miners. Erskine had base hits in the last 15 games of his stint with the Cyclones in 2016.
September 5 – Three CL games end with 8-2 scores; the Knights, Crusaders, and Bayhawks beat – in order – the Falcons, Indians, and Condors by the same tally.
September 6 – Cincy’s Chris Erskine (.370, 0 HR, 1 RBI) has his 15 minutes of fame end in a 4-3 defeat by the Miners, going hitless in the game, ending his 20-game hitting streak.
September 7 – MIL SP Luis Guerrero (8-13, 3.89 ERA) throws a 1-hitter in a 3-0 shutout against the Titans. Ezra Branch’s seventh-inning double is all that stands between him and a no-hitter.
September 7 – SAC SP Graham Wasserman (13-6, 3.90 ERA) is expected to be out nine months with a torn labrum.
September 8 – The Condors’ 24-year old phenom Luis Flores (10-8, 2.85 ERA) 2-hits the Falcons in a 12-0 rout.
September 8 – By the same 12-0 score the Bayhawks romp the Aces, with SFB SP Alex Maldonado (12-4, 3.16 ERA, 1 SV) throwing a 3-hit shutout against them.
September 8 – Not a shutout, but a rout nevertheless, as the Stars sweep the Scorpions aside, 14-1.
September 10 – The Aces walk off against the Bayhawks, 6-5, thanks to a passed ball charged to Dylan Alexander.

Complaints and stuff

Thrasher…

William Waggoner was diagnosed with a sprained ankle, which will put him out of action for the stretch drive. Should the unlikely happen and the Coons qualify for October ball, he could probably be available, but the Druid is not making any clear statements and also reminds me that it’s not a full moon yet, so the ceremony can’t be performed.

What ceremony?

Cookie had missed A LOT of time early in the season, but he is now back and qualifying for the batting title race – and he’s leading it. His .343 mark bests Adrian Quebell (…!!) by seven points. Only two guys are batting more in the FL, including Yoshi Nomura.

I miss Yoshi.

There was a trade this week that didn’t make many waves but was significant as the second-to-last piece of the Crusaders’ dynasty eternal left the team via Sacramento. 1B Francisco Caraballo had batted .284 with two homers in limited exposure this season. The Crusaders also sent cash to cover expenses and a lackluster prospect, and acquired OF Jaime Garcia, who was batting .262 with no home runs, also in limited exposure. The key here was that while neither of the big leaguers had much juice left in his body, Garcia’s contract was up after the season, while Caraballo was guaranteed another $1.7M in 2018, so those sneaky New Yorkers were already clearing the books to splash in free agency again.

We have Monday off ahead of a string of nine consecutive games, which means that we will get to skip the Morrison/Munroe/Your Grandma slot twice, while pitching one of the losers next Saturday. That is swell! Nothing much else is, but that one is swell…

Remaining games of the North contenders by opponent:
POR: ATL (3), BOS (3), IND (3), MIL (3), OCT (3), VAN (3)
IND: BOS (4), CHA (3), LVA (3), NYC (3), POR (3), VAN (3)