[Bub13]

May 14-16 @ TEXAS
Winners of 5 of their last 6, and currently on top of the division at 24-15. Third in runs scored, tops in the AL in OPS, WAR, and wOBA. Nearly four times as many HR as we have too, but who's counting. Star William Swanson (.327/17/38) is the most recent player of the week winner. Their top four hitters have 45 HR, nearly double our entire team; but again, who's counting. Pitching has steadied, now 4th in runs against. Closer Garrett Slone and setup man Nick Scott have allowed zero runs in nearly 20 combined innings. Former Isles prospect Cory Graulich is in the pen, and has carved out an MLB career on the strength of his quality stuff. But he also doles out home runs like Halloween candy (56 and 48 as a starter back in '49 and '50); it sure would be nice of the Rangers to start him against us...

HAW pitchers: LH Shane Walker (2-0, 5.02) / RH Shamar Jackson (3-3, 6.24) / RH Josh Irvin (3-0 4.33)
TEX pitchers: RH Kevin Cahill (4-3, 3.32) / LH Bobby Daniel (3-2, 4.21) / LH Steve Means (5-2, 4.84)

#40: LOSS 2-3 ... Johnson gives up his first run of 2052, a solo HR in the 11th...nice game by Walker, but Pearse blows it in the 8th really
#41: WIN 6-3 ... 3 hits for Simmons, including his annual home run...Jackson has another MLB-level outing, two in a row now
#42: WIN 10-9 ... tied 5-5 after 9 innings...outhomered 4-2 but we do crack 21 total hits, including 7 doubles...mediocre pitching all around

Nearly a sweep! Super competitive division, with three tied for first and little ol' us just a game behind.... Five hits for Matson in that last game, including three doubles. Simmons went 8-for-18, and did blast out his sixth career HR.... The pen got pushed around a bit, and Johnson gave up his first run of the season, in 20 innings.... ELSEWHERE: Twelve game winning streak for the Astros, putting them into that three-way tie for first in the AL West.... The Indians, predicted by my smart-guy self to be "pretty damn bad" are now 26-16 and a game behind the Tigers. A third of their lineup and two SP are recent Islanders, and all are playing average-to-good.... The Angels are 11-31 and batting just .228, only slightly better than league-worst New Orleans, at .219. But the Zephs are 21-21, so....


May 17-19 @ TORONTO
Nobody foresaw the Jays sitting on top of the East, even this early into the season. At 24-18, they have the same record as we do, but are in first due to the slumpy starts by Miami and Tampa Bay. There isn't much happening at the plate--14th in runs--but that's at least partially the result of having three regulars on the DL. Rookie 1B Ian Logan is off to a nice start--.311/9/27--and 3B Ray Bruce (batting .301) is actually a rare leadoff batter in the league who's hitting for average, if you can believe that. Three pitchers are also injured, but the staff ranks 5th in runs against, with starters Jaden Buchanan and Alberto Reyes in particular getting it done. Former Isle Dennis Perry also has a 1.08 ERA, but he's been in the bullpen and isn't exactly thrilled with that. Manager Jose A Jimenez is in his sixth largely non-descript season with the club. Team budget is 26th, payroll 28th. They're cheap, making some money, and winning ballgames. The American Way! (Canadian version.)

HAW pitchers: RH Biff Skiff (5-3, 4.55) / RH Mike Bader (2-2, 4.73) / LH Shane Walker (2-0, 3.43)
TOR pitchers: RH Alberto Reyes (5-1, 2.79) / RH Nick Palmer (3-3, 6.43) / RH Gary Stamp (0-4, 4.91)

#43: WIN 16-0 ... skunked 'em by the third inning...7 hit shutout for Biff...5 hits from Daley, 2 HR from Grace, 21 hits overall
#44: WIN 4-1 ... Bader surrenders just 6 hits in 8 IP, and we ride HR from Frederick and Goodloe to the win
#45: LOSS 0-7 ... an all-around stinker: just 2 hits, both Walkers pitch poorly, and Shane gives up FIVE home runs...oof

I see we're back to the 2-1 series record. Ok, that's still pretty good by me. But man, these games: hammer or get hammered.... Team is batting .312, still first in the AL. Also, still 17th in HR despite knocking seven in this series.... AAA Santa Barbara is having a rare bad year: 12-20 and only missing last place because Reno is 9-21.... Two in back of Oakland now, and tied with Texas and Houston.... ELSEWHERE: Felix Reyes (OAK) now has 29 HR, which would give him a totally reasonable 105 if he keeps up this pace for the season.... Washington has won six in a row to lift themselves out of the NL East basement, but just lost their #2 SP and starting RF for the year. Three other SP are also injured.... Speaking of injuries, the Giants can't keep from self-harm apparently, now with nine players on the DL. Nevertheless, they're 26-19 and just two in back of the Padres.... Atlanta's Michael Rinehart is the last man standing in The Quest for Tedness, batting .406. He's also 1st in RBI (44) and 2nd in HR (18).


May 21-23 vs HOUSTON
A 12-4 month has surged them into the three-way tie for second with us and Texas. The offense isn't doing much, just 10th in runs (but 5th in HR), but overall their pitching ranks 3rd, the bullpen 2nd. No one is batting .300, but few are slumping either (besides leadoff man Jason Welch, at .222 and a .615 OPS. See also comment from last series: this is not uncommon in the league.). Budding superstar Jose Renteria is at .296/16/40, and solid 3B Ricky Silva is working on a 40-HR pace. The truly rare thing here is that no one--besides three scrubby minor leaguers hurt in camp--is on the DL. Former Isles RP Ramon Sanabria is in a setup role here (3.86 ERA), and flameout free agent stab (or did I trade for him? Uhhhh....) Tim Ciotta is also having a nice year. They took 2 out of 3 from us in April.

HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (4-3, 5.62) / RH Josh Irvin (3-0, 4.71) / RH Biff Skiff (6-3, 3.92)
HOU pitchers: LH Chris Harris (6-2, 3.43) / RH Tim Ciotta (5-2, 3.64) / RH Ron Mills (3-4, 5.88)

#46: LOSS 1-8 ... bang goes Jackson's better pitching of late...although to be fair, the pen did also allow 3 in the 9th...only six hits, one XBH
#47: WIN 4-3 ... Irvin yields a 3-run HR but little else...Johnson gets the win in the 10th after a Simmons bases loaded walk
#48: LOSS 2-5 ... more slack offense, although Matson does knock his 3rd HR of the year...Biff gives up all 5 runs in 6.1 IP

Flat this series, as Astros pitching kept our hitters in check.... We're in fourth place now, by ourselves, but still just 2 games out.... Groff has leveled out some, getting his average up to .258; but his .760 OPS and 97 OPS+ are by far the worst of his career. Getting old is no fun.... ELSEWHERE: Cincy's Cris Frias now has 128 K in 77.1 innings.... Padres closer-turned-starter Emanuel Vasquez has 31 K in his last two starts.... Atlanta and Detroit have the best records in MLB right now, both 32-16, and the Braves have opened up an eight-game lead over Richmond and Philly.


May 24-26 vs MINNESOTA
Middling along at 23-25, with 12th-ranked hitting and 5th-ranked pitching. The rotation is no longer just the Conor MacLeod Show, with only new addition Dustin Springer struggling among the five. The middle of the lineup is producing, with Josh Jacobson (.278/11/32), Jordan Foots (.274/15/38), and Josh Conley (.275/9/19) hitting well--although the two Joshes are hitting about 40 points below their career averages. Veterans Cortez Ortiz (.344) and Jonathan Klump (.380) are also hitting big. Manager Robert Woodard--our longtime nemesis from Oakland--is in his fourth year here; the wonderfully-named Joe Flattery is the pitching coach, his 10th season. Budget places 19th, payroll 13th. Owner Adam Thompson expects profit and .500 baseball. Seems reasonable.

HAW pitchers: RH Mike Bader (3-2, 4.25) / LH Shane Walker (2-1, 4.39) / RH Shamar Jackson (4-4, 5.83)
MIN pitchers: LH Bobby Reder (5-3, 3.49) / RH Jonathan Belmonte (3-1, 3.53) / RH Conor MacLeod (5-4 3.44)

#49: WIN 5-2 ... Mikey B goes 8 IP, walking four but getting away with it...3 hits for Lynn, 2 for Goodloe
#50: LOSS 4-6 ... we hit 2 HR! But Walker doesn't get out of the 4th, and we're held hitless over the final 3 innings...Simmons injured
#51: WIN 4-2 ... Jackson is back tonight, and we score early and late off MacLeod for the win...Groff is a busy boy for once: 2 H, SB, and a CS

Somehow we scratch out two wins despite still not hitting well. We're only sixth in runs, and our complete lack of power hitting is really telling on some nights.... Simmons' injury is minor, just dtd. He'll play until he drops.... Star-to-be Jules Medici has been okay off the bench, going 14-for-49 (.286) with a .362 OBP. No extra base hits, oddly.... Funny how free agents no one wants are suddenly hot property when I show up: we offered a minor league deal to guy, trying to beef up my AAA pitching, and he turns me down saying he has offers from two other clubs all of a sudden [EDIT: he ended up signing elsewhere for $20k more in bonus money than I had offered, after trying to get me to sign him to a big-league deal. Smdh.].... ELSEWHERE: Finally, Oakland's Felix Reyes doesn't homer in a series; he's still at 30, in just 61 games.... Atlanta's Michael Rinehart is triple-crownin'-it, at .394/23/50, and leads MLB with 4.2 WAR.... KC moved oldster Vinny Vargas back into the lineup as he was still hitting .367. Sadly he's now out for six weeks with a strained ham.... And say goodbye (likely) to even older Eddy Llamas, who tore his UCL and is done until Xmas. Although he's signed for next year, you gotta think the 41-year-old is probably done. He did recently pass 4000 K, so good for him.


May 27-29 @ CALIFORNIA
They just won a series against equally-wretched KC, but are still in last place, 16-35. Pitching and hitting place 17th: only one qualified regular is batting over .251, and only one SP has an ERA below 4.5. Closer Scott Mahala is in his second full season of not-getting-it-done, and setup man Adrian Meza (11.05 ERA) has been even worse. Looking for any bright spots...I guess you could point to #1 prospect Mauricio Marquez batting .295 over the last month since being put into the lineup, and young SP Josh Pomerantz still looks good. I feel like I say this nearly every year for these guys, but there are a few really solid blocks to build on here. But they never seem to do it. Former Isles? None. Well, unless you count two-way guy Phil Lasky, who spent the last few seasons with the Mets after we traded him. He batted .143 and made 5 so-so relief appearances before getting sent back to Salt Lake City a few weeks ago.

HAW pitchers: RH Josh Irvin (3-0, 4.62) / RH Biff Skiff (6-4, 4.20) / RH Mike Bader (4-2, 4.01)
CAL pitchers: RH Nate Elder (1-5, 4.48) / RH Josh Pomerantz (5-3 3.71) / RH Mike Hosey (1-7, 5.05)

#52: LOSS 3-5 ... two HR from Frederick, but only five other hits, and Irvin is touched early and suffers his first official MLB loss
#53: WIN 7-6 ... Skiff allows six runs on six hits, but we explode for 16 of our own, including 3 HR (Grace, Groff, Daley)
#54: LOSS 2-9 ... two solo HR, but a 6-run sixth is our undoing...Bader looks every bit the rookie, and Mahoney gets bashed around for kicks too

Nothing much to see here. Continued mediocre hitting, although we did knock 7 home runs, which I can hardly believe is worth reporting.... Something's probably gonna give here soon, especially on the pitching front. I still have confidence that our offense will find more consistency, even if we're not a power team. We just can't continue to hit over .300 and not score runs. That, or we'll just stop hitting.... ELSEWHERE: Everyone else in the AL West has been so-so as well, so there's been no change in the standings: Oakland (32 wins), Texas and Houston (31), Hawaii (30).... San Diego has 36 wins and the best pitching in baseball. It seems like twice a week or so BNN is reporting another shutout or 15+ strikeout game for one of their starters. And they're doing it with three MLB-quality starters on the DL, including former Isle Mike Garfield.... Everyone but the Cubs are slumping in the NL Central, allowing them to open a six game lead over Pittsburgh.


May 31 vs NY YANKEES
I really thought these guys were back for good a few years ago, coming off of 102 and 94 win seasons. But they've squandered the good years of a strong lineup and let too many decent pitchers walk for free. And despite having a monster budget (they're the Dodgers of the East), they don't spend like the Yankees of old. This year they're 26-28, and while the pitching has come back (4th in runs), the lineup is not producing (12th in runs, 15th in AVG). LF Chris Mitchell (.278/14/35) has been strong, as has old man Aaron Harrison (.310/8/35), but both are injury-prone and likely to bust apart at the seams any day now. The guys they did sign in the off-season haven't hit either: RF Aaron Blocker (.227), 1B Erik Morgan (.226), and SS Victor Provencio (.236). But ace SP Elijah Bragg has been excellent; the rest of the rotation at least okay; the bullpen largely stout. Lack of hitting did them in last year, when they fell to 84 wins and missed the playoffs. They'll have to get in gear to keep up with the Marlins and Rays, the current powers in the East (yes, I did type that and it's true). Manager Nathan Eovaldi was an A ball pitching coach for 18 years before getting the call (first as Reds PC, then here as bench coach, now a first-year manager). Budget sits 6th, payroll 3rd. Newish owner Justin Dielman is meddling and wants "extreme winning." Sound familiar, Yankees fans?

HAW pitchers: LH Shane Walker (2-2, 5.64)
NYY pitchers: RH Tim Mitchell (3-2, 4.85)

#55: WIN 6-5 ... always a fun game when you score more runs than you had hits...we also add 7 walks to the mix, and Groff and Matson homer

Nice to end the month on a high note.... Johnson gives up his second run of the season: 25 GP, 22 IP, 19 saves, 30 K. (Fun fact: Ben Germann has a 3.80 ERA, 27 K in 23.2 IP. Guess who leads the league in RP all-star votes? Hint: it's not Johnson.).... We've been on quite a home run tear of late, averaging over one a game for nearly TEN games now. Mirabile dictu!.... Also: Mike Bader may have struggled a bit of late, but he's still the AL Rookie of the Month! He went 4-1 with a 3.70 ERA in May.... ELSEWHERE: What's to report after one additional game? Probably only that Baltimore put three of its more 'useful' pitchers on the DL this month, and has seen last month's sort-of-promising 12-15 fall to this month's back-to-reality-peoples 8-20.

......

TL;DR Version: A much, much better month, despite my constant carping about home runs and some iffy batting late in the month. We went 18-10 during this frame, bringing the overall record up to 31-24; we're still tied for third in our super-competitive division. June should be a crucial month for us: in the past, it's been the month where the pretenders start falling away. I think our competition is real this time, and will be surprised if--barring major injuries--any of Oakland/Texas/Houston drops out of the picture. On an individual performer front...Groff has rebounded somewhat, but does appear to be in decline; Willie Alonzo came back to earth somewhat, but his catcher-mate Wakabayashi is still hot so I've moved them into a full-time platoon setup; the roller-coaster ride of our starting pitching is starting to give me motion sickness; last year's all-star surprise YJ Yi has pitched just once since April 16th--probably not surprising given his 9.00 ERA--but give the man some innings, coach!