Minnesota North Stars (66-75, .468, 4th NL West) @ Los Angeles Kings (82-60, .577, 2nd NL West)
Upon our return to L.A. and fresh off our most successful series in recent memory, we’ll begin our steady diet of NL West opponents to close out the 2078 regular-season campaign starting with a set against the North Stars before quick jaunts to San Francisco & Houston. Things have really started to look up for our club – we’ve managed to navigate our injury woes with dignity and aplomb, are playing some really good baseball, and, as such, I find myself in the mood to celebrate… with a taco, as any card-carrying member of the Los Angelino Elite would, at Leo’s Tacos Truck on South La Brea where I will undoubtedly order a couple of carne cabeza tacos with a horchata fresca to wash it down. That we’ve managed to do more than just keep our head above water with Otto, Yeager, Dotson, and Kordell out is cause to celebrate – a legitimate cause to celebrate given that two of the four would have been considered the heart of our on-the-field operation before the rest of our club stepped up and performed so admirably in their absence. It’s hard to know if this version of my ball club is good enough to win it all, to dance amidst a steady stream of flowing Champaign and uncomfortable journalists who, in their alcohol-soaked pantsuits, are forced to attempt to do their jobs while a young(ish) group of grimy ballplayer’s dance around like youngsters in various states of undress. This time around, there are obstacles in our way, formidable obstacles, that won’t be easily dispatched by my rag-tag collection of highly paid, semi-professional ruffians… of course, before we concern ourselves too much with any of that, we’ll need to bring this thing home with one more tour of the NL West, starting with Shawna’s half-baked club for the last time in 2078.
143 of 162: Dejaun Burns (12-12, 4.86) @ Aiden Jensen (12-11, 3.86)
Win, 4-3. Aiden gave us 8 innings, strikes out 9, and keeps us in it despite letting three find their way home and Dom went 4 for 4 with a double and 2 timely runs to contribute to the win. Barbaccia picked up his 41st save, SAC BUNT for Goodwin, SAC FLY for Gay, and just enough from everyone else to secure our 5th straight victory. LF Joseph Zody was injured by being hit by a pitch – the bench, however, did not clear and there would be no brawl as most of those in our clubhouse agreed that he had it coming to him for crowding the plate like a soccer mom waiting to cross the breach at Target on Black Friday, hell-bent on getting another toaster oven that is priced to move. There will be toast, friends, lots and lots of toast!
Elsewhere: Franzone hit his 51st against the Philadelphia 76ers and is now only one dinger away from putting his name at the top of the single-season record books alongside former Orlando-lifer, and Panamanian National, Gabriel Saravia, who, if the rumors are true will be attending every Pittsburgh game from here on out with a voodoo doll in one hand and a chicken’s foot in the other. RF Smokie Sanchez (how’d I not know about this guy?), of the Cincinnati Bengals, went 4 for 5 with a two-bagger, a homer, 3 RBIs, and 3 runs in his clubs 11-10 loss against the Austin Grackles. Never fear, Kings fans, he’s been shortlisted, Zahur is on the case, and a memo from the VP of Baseball Operations has been penned and sent to Ms. Megan Appel.
144 of 162: Adrian Hollyfield (4-6, 5.46) @ Michael Brisk (7-7, 3.51)
Win, 5-4. Brisky, who’s looked pretty good during his recent resurgence after a spell in the bullpen, gave us 8 innings of work, let four make it all the way around, and put 7 down, humanely, on strikes, Barbaccia picked up his 42nd, and OH HONG brought two runs in to score in a tilt that will go down as our 6th win in a row… Doubles for OH HONG, Ethan, and Lloyd, another SAC BUNT for Goodwin, Mullens added bag #43 to his collection, and Barbaccia participated in a nifty double play in the bottom of the 9th. We’re playing with some real verve now, can do no wrong, and seem to be putting it all together at the time in the season when you need to do that if you are to find any gold at the end of the rainbow.
Elsewhere: LF Tony Voorhis, looking sickly in the burnt orange and eggplant purple, went 3 for 3 with a double, 2 homers, 4 RBIs, and 3 runs in the Suns’ 8-3 win over the San Diego Chargers. With the victory, the Phoenix Suns, much to the dismay of anyone with any taste in ballclubs, have become the first Major League squad to secure a spot in the 2078 playoffs and continue to maintain a 2 ˝ lead over us.
145 of 162: Octavio Cervera (7-16, 5.73) @ Riley Valentine (0-0, 2.05)
Win, 7-6. Another sweep, our second straight, and the first that I can recall where we won each game by a single run… Valentine managed to last for 5 innings before handing it off to the pen where we got holds from Kordell, Moeller, and Hudson before Barbaccia came in to seal the deal for the 43rd time this season on 4 pitches to 3 batters. Dick McTaggart led the offense, went 2 for 4, drove a couple in, and found his way home once, Ethan hit a 3-run homer, Rajkumar secured his 60th RBI of the season and hit a SAC FLY, and, unfortunately, Kordell, in his first game back from injury, was reinjured and will now be out for a least a couple of weeks.
Elsewhere: Golden State punched their ticket to the dance, Orlando’s been left out in the cold… we remain 2 ˝ games behind the Suns despite going 9-1 in our last ten, Tom Franzone, not content to only rewrite the HR record books is making a run at WAR too… he’s cracked the top ten in the single-season ranking… it’ll be tough for him to lift himself to the top of the heap before this thing is all said and done, but not impossible. For our part, our bags are packed, the plane is fueled up and ready to go, and we are all set to embark on our last regular-season road trip of the season… next stop: San Francisco, where the women all wear leggings, boots, and infinity scarves and where the fog is as pungent as it is foreboding. We’ve been on something of a run and are as tuned into the task at hand as can be when you are set to do battle with a solid ballclub, in their park, and against the marine layer that makes it difficult to lift balls out of the park.
Editors Note: I brine, therefore I am... the annual turkey, reflection, and candied yams inspired tomfoolery is in its earliest stages of preparation at mi casa... and, as such, before I put my favorite toy away for a bit - I'd like to wish you and yours a nice, relaxing, and politically-charged/alcohol-aided argument free holiday surrounded by all the people, things, and varieties of pie that you enjoy.