Carolina Panthers (17-17, .500, 6th AL East) @ Los Angeles Lakers (22-13, .629, 1st NL West)
The Panthers try really hard – they’re a good effort club – but they just don’t have the arms to be competitive in the MLB… Starters, Bullpen, Outfielders that can catch a guy at 3rd – doesn’t matter, they ain’t got it. 11th in Runs Against, 11th in Starters ERA, 11th in Bullpen ERA, 11th in FIP, 12th in pWAR, 11th in Defensive Efficiency – they are, without a doubt, scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to anything that includes throwing a baseball. So, how are they 17-17 then? Hard to say, really, but my guess is that the gap between the haves and the have nots is so wide in the AL that a team like Carolina can make a comfortable living smack dab in the middle. Their star, 1B Pablo Madera, is likely gone at the end of the season – he’ll be a free agent, is known to keep an even keel (nothing phases this cat), and is widely considered the best first baseman in the league – Carolina has him on a $545K bargain right now, but whoever has him next will be paying for it through the nose. After Madera, they don’t really have anything of note – the most interesting thing about them then is their powder blue home kit adorned in white pinstripes, and, well, that’s just not enough to inspire the masses. 6 straight losing seasons, sitting at .500 in 2076, and no end to the misery in sight – the Carolina Panthers are an also-ran… and given the state of their franchise that isn’t going to change any time soon.
36 of 162: Evan Church (2-2, 4.33) @ Nat Millard (2-1, 2.53)
Loss, 6-3… We get some OG Otto in this one – 3 for 4 with a HR and 2 RBI – and Nat is solid – 7 innings of work, 3 earned runs, and 7 K’s. It’s the bullpen that does us in – Merl allowed two runs in the 8th and Barbaccia let one slip by in the final frame when Madera hit an RBI double to extend Carolina’s lead. With the loss, and another poor bullpen performance, we find ourselves ranked dead last in Bullpen ERA in the NL – something will have to change there if we are to realize our championship potential… if that is, we even actually have championship potential.
37 of 162: Larry Ramirez (1-5, 6.03) @ Dejuan Burns (4-2, 3.10)
Loss, 5-4… Another stellar day for Otto – 4 for 5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R – and another loss for the La La’s. We just can’t get on the same page with that guy. Dejaun leaves early with an undisclosed injury (ruh-roh) and the Panthers happily charged five to our Bullpen’s account… we got a trash bullpen you guys, I need to get on the phones and bring in some talent there… We’d get RBI’s from Zarate and Williams, Weaver finished 2 for 4, but out lone double-play is overshadowed by two errors and our 3rd consecutive loss.
Note: Burns has been diagnosed with a mild abdominal strain – he’s listed DtD with an expectation that 2 days rest should do the trick… but, listen, our trainers don’t know **** – they said the same thing about Pepper and where’s he at? Still out of the lineup that’s where…
38 of 162: Cosmo Puente (0-0, 0.00) @ Michael Brisk (4-2, 3.04)
Win, 6-1. Otto goes 1 for 2 with a couple of walks and the La La’s win… why not? Larry Williams finished 3 for 4 with a run, Weaver went 3 for 3 with an RBI and a run, and Marshburn, Gay, Newman, Cooke, and Zarate all drive in a run – a total team effort here as we save some face in front of our home crowd and avoid the sweep at the hands of the lowly Queen City Panthers. We’ll take it – Brisk was locked in, Kyle gets a clutch AB, we turn a tasty little DP – I mean, what’s not to like? This wasn’t great baseball, but it was winning baseball. We’ll take winning baseball any day.
