[Bub13]

September 15-17 vs HOUSTON
One of a handful of teams officially eliminated from the playoffs, making it 27 consecutive seasons without any postseason play. Their offense has faded to last in the AL, and pitching isn't much better at 16th. I don't know what else to add, except that the good feelings from last year's .500 record have pretty much evaporated: an angry owner whose entire set of team goals will go unmet; a feuding clubhouse, for some reason; precipitous drops in season ticket sales (-36%) and attendance (14K, or -29%); and a bottom-ranked payroll that will still struggle to come home in the black. At least their prospect pool is #1...except that six of their top seven players are already in the bigs, so that will drop way off next year. Good times.

HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (10-6, 5.03) / Mike Messinger (12-5, 3.36) / Ryan Ratliff (7-6, 4.44)
HOU pitchers: Ryan Crawley (7-17, 5.10) / Chris Harris (7-10, 5.99) / Mike Huddleston (1-3, 4.54)

#146: WIN 5-3 ... Jones puts 8 guys on through 5 IP but somehow only gives up 2 runs and takes the win...2 H and 3 RBI for Klein
#147: WIN 7-4 ... JHart is the 1st star with 3 walks and 3 runs, ok...Mess is pulled in the 4th after giving up 4 runs...Cannon gets drilled by a pitch, injured
#148: WIN 5-2 ... 5 in a row now, thanks to 8 strong IP from Ratliff, and HR from Stoneback and Masuda...Klump gets hurt, will be until the playoffs

Yay us! We're the first team to clinch a playoff spot, and thanks to this latest hot streak our Magic Number is now just 3 for the division.... Two more injuries: Cannon is awaiting his diagnosis, with fingers crossed; and Klump will be dtd (influences throwing only, not a bad thing to be without when you're a DH) for 1-2 weeks.... Taylor Barnett will probably miss his next start, so someone will get a surprise start from AAA. But who.... Joe Hart is batting .270 and has 16 HR, both noticeable dropoffs from last year. But he's walked 92 times, has 11 sacrifices, and cut his caught stealing from 11 to just 4 (vs 17 steals). Still productive, imo.... ELSEWHERE: LA (Dodgers) Magic # is also 3, and with upcoming series against the dregs of their division, they should clinch very soon.... No one in the NL East has been eliminated yet, the only remaining division with that distinction. Last place NY is two games over .500, although they are 9 games out of a wild card spot.... Injuries have cut short some good pitching seasons this year, so only one guy (ATL's Jose Gutierrez, with 19) is close to 20 wins, and no one is near 300 K.


September 18-20 @ TEXAS
Sitting at 69-79, and fourth in the division. The first year at the helm for former Isles skipper Pat Wilson hasn't been a disaster--they're already 7 wins over last year's results, and have a +6 Pythagorean--but there haven't been many high points either. Like Houston, neither side of the roster has shown much: hitting is bottom four, while pitching is bottom two. If they're smart, they'll build around the left side of their infield, where 3B Corey Turner (.294/26/73) and SS JJ Dean (.246/17/76) have been good; but Dean needs a new contract, and it's even odds that he'll end up in free agency. Their prospects rate poorly (31st), and top guy SP Greg Buchanan has been so-so in AAA, and has the odd combo of throwing 100 heat while having poorly-rated stuff. Rookie SP Phil Eckert has been their best pitcher, but the team really needs Buchanan and #3 prospect Ramon Saucedo (struggling in AA) to get it together for next year. Yeah, good luck.

HAW pitchers: Tim Pinksen (11-7, 5.14) / Shamar Jackson (DEBUT) / Eric Jones (11-6, 4.93)
TEX pitchers: Phil Eckert (10-10, 4.72) / Luis Otero (9-8, 5.22) / Lorenzo Rangel (5-11, 5.19)

#149: LOSS 4-5 ... pin this on the pen, which gives up 2 late runs for the loss...Pinksen throws a solid 7, and it's 3 hits apiece for Groff and Stoneback
#150: LOSS 4-9 ... blecch, nothing to see here...move along, move along
#151: WIN 11-6 ... six early runs, then nada, then 5 in the 11th for the win...Stoneback smacks his 40th in the 1st, and JHart hits a 2-run shot late...Jones gives up 13 hits

Two ugly games keeps our Magic# at 2.... Cannon gets his diagnosis: broken collarbone, out for a month. Unnnngh. Then replacement RF Glenn Heath hurts himself just throwing a damn ball, but at that's just dtd.... So maybe hotshot prospect Shamar Jackson needs juuuust a little bit more minor league seasoning, after giving up 8 runs in 4 innings. Sorry bud.... ELSEWHERE: No playoff clinch yet for the Dodgers, although they're just a game away now.... And no changes in division leads, either, and only Philly (5.5 over Brooklyn) has anything bigger than a 2 game lead.... If the playoffs started tomorrow, Detroit and Seattle would be your AL wild cards, while New Orleans and Brooklyn would be the NL reps. Atlanta is just a half game behind Brooklyn, tho, so that race is not over.... NY's Cortez Ahumada became the 2nd player (after LAA's Juan Rodriquez) to reach 200 hits. Ahumada's a speedy guy who hits a lot of singles, although he's bumped up his doubles game (49!) this year. The 27-year-old developed slowly, getting traded three times, and is only in his third MLB season. He hit .354 in 400 PA for Cleveland last year, and still they let him walk. Shrug.


September 21-24 vs SEATTLE
Another long plane flight home for a four-spot against the Mariners. Currently at 86-66, 9.5 games behind us but comfortably in a playoff spot--they're a game behind Detroit, but 5.5 up on Baltimore in the wild card standings. Despite having the 3rd best AVG in the AL, they're only 12th in runs. Still, the best rotation in the AL makes for the 3rd fewest runs against, giving them a +65 run diff. They lost all-time star Mike Wapner in free agency, but CF Aaron Harrison has stepped up in a huge way: .341/48/130, and will get MVP consideration. Likewise, ace SP Miguel Moreno (19-4, 2.14) should figure in the Cy Young race. Two-way player Steve Mellon was dropped out of the rotation (5.28 ERA), but still bats leadoff and is hitting a respectable .283, although with little power.

HAW pitchers: Taylor Barnett (4-3, 5.40) / Mike Messinger (12-5, 3.49) / Ryan Ratliff (8-6, 4.31) / Tim Pinksen (11-7, 5.03)
SEA pitchers: Dave Conner (1-0, 2.25) / Brett McGee (14-8, 3.85) / Greg Sowa (13-10, 4.84) / Carlos Zenon (10-4, 3.66)

#152: WIN 3-0 ... 8 hits (4 doubles) and NINE walks. Nice...Barnett is aces, giving up just 3 hits over 8 innings, with ZERO walks...division clinched!
#153: WIN 3-2 ... Mess sticks around for 7 IP this time, gives up just 4 hits...
#154: WIN 7-4 ... everyone gets a hit, and Masuda's 3-run shot in the 1st keys a 6-run inning...Ratliff goes 6 IP, yields 7 H and 3 R, and rides some stout hitting
#155: WIN 6-2 ... complete game for Pinksen, 5 H, 9 K...Groff, in a down year, hits his 25th HR, Stoneback his 41st

We're now 17-5 this month, and a combined 35-14 since August 1. Pretty nice comeback from a bad July, I'd say.... Messinger gets his 13th win, tying him for the (active) team lead with middle reliever Pat Stanley.... Groff's HR gives us four players with at least 25 HR this season.... Dan Brown reached 20 saves, and has been a reliable closer all summer, after our injury trouble early.... ELSEWHERE: Detroit has won 7 straight to pass Cleveland for first in the Central. Tampa leads Baltimore by 2.5 in the East, and Cleveland and Seattle are in the driver's seat for the wild cards.... In the NL, LA has clinched, and Cincy and Philly still lead their divisions. New Orleans and Atlanta are still keeping up with them, and Brooklyn is on the outside of the wild card, but the only other team still in the hunt.... Still no pitchers with 20 wins, and while several NL pitchers are having outstanding seasons, in the AL only Seattle's Miguel Moreno is having an awards-worthy year. Not counting our--injured--Rob Hart, that is.


September 25-28 vs OAKLAND
At 75-80, and in real danger of having their nine-year streak of winning seasons come to an end. We'll try to help. 1B Vinny Vargas is excellent--as usual for the guy who's 4th all-time in OPS--and RF Jordan Coronado and 3B Ryan Walton have combined for 71 HR and 184 RBI. But three regulars are on the DL, guys who combined for nearly 80 HR and 210 RBI this year, resulting in a team that's 11th in runs, after years of being near the top of the charts. They're also 11th in runs against, with much of the rotation having struggled much of the season. Not helping was the precipitous collapse of long-time SP Ricky Hose, who went from 240 IP and a 4.72 ERA and 15 wins last year, to 58 IP, an 8.18 ERA and a 0-5 record. No surprise he's retiring too. There are some good prospects on the horizon, but no one who looks to figure next season.

HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (11-6, 5.04) / Taylor Barnett (5-3, 4.76) / Mike Messinger (13-5, 3.46) / Ryan Ratliff (9-6, 4.32)
OAK pitchers: Francisco Pantaleon (15-4, 3.95) / Miguel Valencia (2-2, 2.73) / Jim Schwartz (8-15, 4.79) / Jesus Claros (6-13, 4.34)

#156: WIN 2-1 ... only 5 hits for us, but gives up just 2 hits...Rich goes 3-for-3 and drives in both runs...Klein scores those runs
#157: LOSS 5-6 ... Oakland has nearly as many errors (4) as we had hits (5), and all singles...Barnett gives up everything in just 5 IP
#158: LOSS 6-9 ... lots of bad pitching, but our hitting keeps up until we lose it in the 12th...3-run HR for Stoneback is our big highlight
#159: LOSS 8-10 ... Masuda gets his 50th double, and Heath hits two triples, but more terrible pitching dooms us again...HR and 4 RBI for McArthur, and 3 more hits for Rich

Not a great series, especially after making fun of Oakland, as I like to do. We have one more series for the staff to get things figured out, and get ready for the playoffs.... We reach 200 HR as a team, but we're ranked 13th in the AL, quite a ways down the list from where we usually live.... And I'm still waiting for JJ Simmons to hit his annual HR.... AA Lewiston wins their league title, their second consecutive crown. AAA Santa Barbara goes for their 5th, starting today.... ELSEWHERE: Cincy clinches their division, and Philly is a game away from theirs. Atlanta and New Orleans (89 wins) and Brooklyn (87) are also still in it.... AL races: Detroit has a 2.5 game lead over Cleveland, and Tampa is 1.5 up on Baltimore. Seattle has 88 wins, and is still in solid second in the wild card race.... Tony Flores hit a few HR in the last series, now has 54 on the season. Jose Tavares leads the NL with 52.


Sept 29-30, Oct 1 vs LA ANGELS
Do I have to talk about these guys again? Didn't we just play them? (Checks notes...) Ok, late August. Anyway...they're 69-89 and have won just 7 games this month. But take a look at the middle of the lineup: .352/41/128, then .275/43/123, then .283/43/116. Wow. Combine that with no pitching and a lineup that's produced only 99 other home runs, and you get a losing record. Not sure where these guys go from here, especially as star Juan Rodriquez (the .352 hitter) will be a highly-coveted free agent this fall.

HAW pitchers: Tim Pinksen (12-7, 4.87) / Eric Jones (12-6, 4.89) / Taylor Barnett (5-4, 5.18)
LAA pitchers: Bob Tranchida (11-7, 4.55) / Khalil Smith (11-13, 5.01) / Greg Langworthy (10-16, 5.46)

#160: WIN 20-10 ... just a missed extra point there...Heath goes 5-for-5, two 2B and two HR...4 hits for JHart, three hits for a raft of others...that pitching tho
#161: WIN 5-2 ... Klein's 2-run blast in the 4th extends our lead to 4-1, and we ride it out from there...2 doubles for Simmons, giving him 39
#162: WIN 5-4 ... Masuda's turn at a 2-run HR seals the sweep...he also finishes with 51 doubles

Ok, let's ride this sweep into a successful playoff run.... Six regulars finish over .300, with Rich at .319 and Klein at .317.... Pinksen gets bombed in that first game but improves his record with us to 6-0.... Closer Dan Brown was named AL Pitcher of the Month for September, with 11 saves in 15 apps, and 19 K over 18 IP, with ZERO runs given up. Nice.... We activate RP Rick Ramirez from the DL; he should be 100% by the start of our opening series.... ELSEWHERE: Baltimore sweeps Tampa to not only take the AL East, but knock the Rays right out of the playoffs. Detroit wins the Central, and Cleveland and Seattle take the wild cards.... In the NL, Philly, Cincy, and LAD take their divisions. New Orleans sweeps their final series to take one wild card, while Atlanta snags the other.... Detroit's Matt Anderson takes the AL batting crown, while Cincy's Jose Tavares wins the NL. Tavares also takes the HR title, and just misses a Triple Crown by 6 RBI. Oh, and he's a rookie, of all things. NYY's Tony Flores leads all MLB batters with 55 HR.

......

TL;DR Version: A 12-5 stretch to finish out the season with a 103-59 record. No injuries during this last run, and we get reliever Ramirez back from the DL. However, John Cannon (OF) and YT Yaung (CL) are still out for 2 weeks, so I decide not to activate either for the playoffs, choosing instead to have 25 active players on the roster. Let's hope we've got the horses, without Cannon's 25 HR and Yaung's experience closing big games.