[Westheim]

Raccoons (25-11) vs. Crusaders (24-12) – May 15-18, 2045

The Raccoons met the Crusaders for the first time in 2045, and they needed a split at least to stay in first place for this 4-game series. The last three seasons the Raccoons had always taken the season series from New York, winning 12 of 18 games in 2044. And now the Crusaders were second in runs scored, third in runs allowed, had a better run differential than the Coons (by four runs), and the Portlanders had not really played sound baseball in the month of May, going 5-7 after a 20-4 April.

Projected matchups:
Corey Mathers (4-3, 3.80 ERA) vs. Rich Willett (2-3, 3.80 ERA)
Jake Jackson (4-1, 3.18 ERA) vs. Carlos Malla (2-0, 3.93 ERA)
Brent Clark (4-2, 3.63 ERA) vs. Paul Paris (5-1, 3.39 ERA)
Jason Wheatley (3-3, 3.83 ERA) vs. Jeff Johnson (4-1, 4.13 ERA)

Malla was a 25-year-old Dominican left-hander the Crusaders’ scouting director had discovered in a holiday resort on Hispanola just this winter, throwing wayward beach balls back to tourists. It all sounded a bit too good to be true. All their other starters were righties.

Game 1
NYC: 3B Riario – LF Montes – SS Adame – RF Willie Ojeda – 1B Briones – C Alba – 2B Nash – CF Rico – P Willett
POR: LF Baskins – CF Herrera – SS Waters – RF Fernandez – C Kilmer – 1B Toohey – 2B Carreno – 3B Jimenez – P Mathers

Singles by Vittorio Riario and Andy Montes as well as a Willie Ojeda sac fly to center quickly put a New York run on the board, although Willett gifted the run right back to the Raccoons. Derek Baskins reached on a Mario Briones error, Armando Herrera singled, and Willett balked in the runner from third base. Willett then bobbled Matt Waters’ grounder for the second error of the inning. Manny Fernandez killed the inning partially with a 6-4-3 double play grounder; Herrera did score from third to take a 2-1 lead, but when Kilmer homered after that, nobody was left on base and he had to settle for a solo shot, 3-1. All the runs in the inning would be unearned. That lead in turn would run away from the Raccoons, also in unearned fashion, by the fifth inning. But first – Corey Mathers fooled absolutely nobody. Through five innings, the Crusaders tagged him for nine hits while striking out once. They made up a run in the third inning when Riario whacked a leadoff double to right and got moved around, while in the fifth the New Yorkers had 2-out singles from Willie Ojeda and Briones. Ojeda went to third base, Jimenez couldn’t come up with Manny Fernandez’ wayward throw, and Ojeda dashed for home plate to score the tying run. Fernando Alba grounded out, but Mathers allowed two more singles in the sixth to Randolph Nash, who was doubled up by Danny Rico’s grounder to short, and Willett, who ventured past first base and was tagged out on a precise throw by Manny. Mathers was yanked after that, conceding three runs (two earned) on 11 hits.

He left with the Raccoons loading the bags in the bottom 6th and nobody out, which certainly doomed him to a no-decision. Waters walked, Manny and Kilmer singled, and here came the struggling Toohey. He raked a high fly to left on Willett’s first pitch, but couldn’t get it outta here, or even past Andy Montes. It was a sac fly, though, good enough to take a 4-3 lead and thus better than nothing. Willett then bounced a ball under Alba’s leg for a passed ball that scored Manny from third base, then got taken into the gap for an RBI double by Arturo Carreno. Jimenez and Gurney made two outs after that, but the 6-3 lead was well defended by Nate Norris and Zack Kelly… at least until the latter walked Alba with two outs in the eighth. Josh Rella got an early entrance in a double switch with Jonathan Dustal, and got Randolph Nash to fly out to the same Dustal in center to end the top 8th. Rella retired the Crusaders in order in the ninth. 6-3 Critters. Kilmer 2-4, HR, RBI; Carreno 2-3, 2B, RBI;

Game 2
NYC: 3B Riario – LF Montes – SS Adame – RF Willie Ojeda – 1B Briones – C Alba – 2B Nash – CF Rico – P Malla
POR: SS Waters – CF Herrera – C Kilmer – 1B Maldonado – LF Fernandez – RF Toohey – 2B Carreno – 3B Jimenez – P Jackson

As soon as he arrived on the mound, Jake Jackson looked like trouble. First time through, he was behind basically every hitter except those that whacked at the first pitch, walked two, nailed one, and gave up a lone hit, a 2-out RBI single to the Dominican club gigolo in the second inning. Bryce Toohey wiped the resulting 1-0 deficit with a solo jack in the bottom of the inning, his first homer in May. That didn’t make Jackson any better, but was a bit more comforting for my state of mind, being in a 1-1 game. The Crusaders had lone singles in each of the next two innings, but each time ran themselves out of it, with Alex Adame doubled off on a line drive, 4-3, in the third, and Nash caught stealing in the fourth.

Nobody else scored until the fifth inning when another Critter on the struggle bus hit a solo homer to left; Ricky Jimenez was hitting .154 before adding 13 points with his fourth homer of the year, which also gave the team a 2-1 lead. Jackson settled down a little bit in the middle innings, but walked to begin the top 7th. Nash grounded out, Rico struck out, but when the Crusaders hit for Malla with left-hander Josh Garris, it ended both pitchers’ days. Chuck Jones came on and got a groundout from Garris, ending the top 7th. Jones would collect two more outs from Riario and Montes in the eighth, then yielded for Nelson Moreno, who came on in a double switch to facilitate a 4-out save with Rella having been out two days in a row, and three of four. Adame lined out to Herrera in center to end the inning. Portland didn’t tack on in their half of the eighth; Derek Baskins, who had entered with Moreno, reached base with two outs, stole second, but was stranded when Waters flew out to deep left. But Moreno remained on his post, getting three grounders to the right side for three outs in the ninth to keep the Raccoons in first place throughout this series. 2-1 Critters! Baskins 1-1;

Very good, boys! Very good!

Now make it better and win two more!

Game 3
NYC: 3B Nash – LF Montes – SS Adame – RF Willie Ojeda – 2B Briones – C Alba – 1B D. Hernandez – CF Rico – P Paris
POR: LF Baskins – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – RF Fernandez – SS Waters – 1B Toohey – C Zarate – 2B Martell – P Clark

Brent Clark had been pretty bad the last time out, but added a few shovels worth of coal to the suck train. The first seven Crusaders all reached base – the first four tagged him for singles on just eight pitches for a 1-0 score before he walked in a run against Briones. Alba doubled in two, Dave Hernandez singled home a run, and Rico hit a sac fly before Paris struck out and Nash grounded out to short – it was a 6-run massacre. It didn’t get any better in the second inning. Single, single, walk, sac fly, nailed batter – yoink! Jon Craig got the ball, gave up two runs on a Rico single, 9-0, and I gave up on the game and turned my attention towards Capt’n Coma and the spiked flail I hoped to use for penance to appease the baseball gods. I did not like to use it – not because of the pain or all the blood, but because Maud found my exposed furry old man back extremely unappealing.

The Coons scored a 4-spot in the bottom 2nd that didn’t exactly get them near contending again. Toohey hit a 2-out jack again, and then Paris was bopped around for five more singles, including one by Craig, and three runs. Then Manny was on in the bottom 3rd, and Toohey hit another homer to left-center, his 10th of the year. Suddenly it was a 9-6 game. Paris was yanked for a pinch-hitter in the fourth, but Joe Graf spanked into an inning-ending double play with Jon Craig pitching pretty badly, allowing five runners for five outs up to that point, but nothing that actually mattered on the scoreboard.

Clark pitched 3.1 innings in long relief, while the game calmed down noticeably in the middle innings. After the 15-run riot of the early innings, both teams saved themselves for better times, and nobody scored. Toohey hit a double in the sixth, but was stranded. When a team scored again, it was the one from New York, overcoming Preston Porter in his second inning of work for a Montes single, Adame double, and a well-placed groundout by Ojeda, 10-6 in the eighth. And for the Raccoons, only Bryce Toohey didn’t seem done – he hit another homer to left-center off Aaron Hickey in the bottom 8th, but again a solo deed. It was also his third in the game! Zarate then ended the inning with a groundout. After a scoreless Norris appearance in the ninth, Carreno hit for Martell and opened the bottom 9th with a double off lefty Mike Lynn. Kilmer grounded out for Norris, moving Carreno to third. Baskins popped out. Herrera flew out. The Coons went under. 10-7 Crusaders. Toohey 4-4, 3 HR, 2B, 4 RBI; Carreno (PH) 1-1, 2B; Craig 3.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 0 K and 1-2, RBI;

Well, Bryce. (pats on shoulder) You tried.

He *did* take over the lead in homers in the CL though.

Game 4
NYC: 3B Riario – LF Montes – SS Adame – RF Willie Ojeda – 1B Briones – C Alba – 2B Nash – CF Graf – P J. Johnson
POR: LF Baskins – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – RF Fernandez – C Kilmer – 2B Carreno – SS Martell – P Wheatley

Wheats and a depleted (sort of) pen against Jeff Johnson in the fourth game – I held on tight to Honeypaws from the start, but I was annoyed to find that Maud had hidden the spiked flail away. He allowed one runner in the first two innings, walking Alba, then descended into horror and madness again in the third. Joe Graf singled, which was just a thing. But Johnson bunted badly to get the runner forced out, which should steer the inning towards a good outcome, but then Riario singled to left, Baskins butchered the ball for an error, and a run scored on Montes’ groundout. Adame reached on an infield single, Ojeda was nailed, and somehow, anyhow, Mario Briones didn’t hit a slam, but grounded out to Carreno to strand three runners. The Raccoons at this point had two singles and as many double play grounders (Maldo, Manny), while Maldonado also hit a leadoff double in the bottom 4th, then was stranded right on second base by the next three pokers.

Nope, Wheatley didn’t pitch badly, going through seven innings of 1-run ball, and apart from that one damn inning pitched really, really well, but the rest of the litter seemed hellbent on making him a loser on that lone run he had given up. Johnson scattered five hits and a walk through six innings, and the Raccoons never even set paw on third base. Kilmer (forced out by Martell) and PH Matt Waters hit singles in the bottom 7th, but Ojeda snagged a harmless fly by Baskins to end that inning. Nelson Moreno held the fort in the eighth, with Johnson still out there in the bottom of that frame. Herrera singled softly. Maldo grounded hard to right, Briones couldn’t reach the ball, and it ran away for Ojeda for a bit, giving the Raccoons a double, some sod on third base, and the go-ahead run in scoring position, too, all with nobody out! They barely got Wheatley off the hook as Toohey popped out, Manny hit a sac fly to center, and Kilmer was rung up. At least the game was tied, and Chuck Jones kept it tied against the 6-7-8 batters in the ninth inning, surviving even two right-handed pinch-hitters. Johnson returned again for the bottom of the ninth, now with the Coons’ bottom of the order up. Carreno raked a leadoff single at 3-1, the ball ticking off Adame’s reaching glove. There was then a longer standoff with Johnson repeatedly stepping off the rubber against the stolen base threat. Carreno would still get the better off him, but only got to second as Al Martell struck out. He would reach third on Pat Gurney’s groundout, but Baskins’ groundout sent the game to extras.

The 10th brought in Josh Rella, who got two outs, conceded a single to Montes, and then rung up Adame to keep the Crusaders from taking the lead. Mike Lynn was sent by the Crusaders for the bottom 10th with the ball finally wrestled from Johnson’s tired paw. Herrera opened with a bloop single, and Malonado was brushed by a pitch, moving the winning run to second base with nobody out. Toohey hit into a double play, 5-4-3, Manny walked, and the suspense was unbearable. Kilmer struck out, and instead Willie Ojeda homered off Rella to open the 11th. With Lynn retiring Carreno, Dustal, and Jimenez in order in the bottom 11th, Rella was thus stuck with the loss. 2-1 Crusaders. Herrera 2-5; Maldonado 3-4, 2B; Kilmer 2-5, 2B; Waters (PH) 1-1; Wheatley 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K;

****.

Raccoons (27-13) vs. Falcons (22-19) – May 19-21, 2045

Final opponent on the homestand; the Falcons ranked ninth in runs scored but had allowed the fewest runs of all the teams in the CL, which might be a challenge for us right now. They had the best rotation by ERA, with a top 3 bullpen to boot. We had been up on them last year, 6-3.

Projected matchups:
Sadaharu Okuda (5-2, 3.51 ERA) vs. Adam Messer (5-2, 2.52 ERA)
Corey Mathers (5-3, 3.88 ERA) vs. Evan Henshaw (2-2, 2.88 ERA)
Jake Jackson (5-1, 2.94 ERA) vs. Oscar Flores (5-2, 2.87 ERA)

Certainly no weak spots here. Also no southpaws.

Game 1
CHA: C Kokoszka – 3B Watanabe – CF Besaw – SS Aparicio – 1B Haertling – RF Turley – 2B Sandoval – LF Case – P Messer
POR: LF Baskins – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – RF Fernandez – SS Waters – 2B Carreno – C Zarate – P Okuda

Base hits by Archie Turley and Seth Case gave Charlotte a 1-0 lead in the top 2nd, while I was with great concern glancing both at our lineup and at the skies above, which both looked pretty bleak. Messer glitched the bags full in the bottom 2nd though, walking Toohey and Carreno around a Waters single, and bringing up Zarate with one out. He was the perfect player for a 6-4-3, and hit into a 6-4-3. Case scored Turley with another 2-out single in the fourth inning, going up 2-0, as the Raccoons kept looking on intently. Zarate meanwhile got the single we would have needed in the second inning only in the fifth inning, then with nobody on base. He was bunted to second for the second out, and Baskins legged out an infield single. Herrera fell to 1-2 before hitting a grounder to left. Tony Aparicio intercepted the ball deep at short, but had no play – a run scored on the Coons’ second consecutive 2-out infield single. And then Maldo grounded out…

The Falcons answered with four hits and two runs off Okuda in the sixth, knocking him out of the inning, and again the bottom of the order was well involved. In another ****** loss, the Raccoons could find neither pitching, nor timely hitting, but at least got to waste more homers, like Waters’ solo shot in the bottom 6th that narrowed the score to 4-2. The tying run came to the plate with one out in the eighth only, then after Maldonado doubled off right-hander Kyle Conner, who threw a wild pitch, then gave up the run on a sac fly to Toohey, but that still kept the Falcons on top, 4-3. The Raccoons’ pen held up at least, and that gave the Raccoons a chance for a comeback in the bottom 9th against righty Emmanuel Lizarraga, who had 16 walks in 16.1 innings. Waters would lead off, raked at the 1-0 pitch to make me wail, but at least hit a double to center on it, promoting the winning run to the plate. Carreno had more patience, drawing the walk. Dustal hit for Zarate to stay out of the double play, and hit into a ******* double play. Kilmer would hit for Norris with Waters on third and nobody else on base anymore. He grounded out on the first pitch. 4-3 Falcons. Herrera 2-4, RBI; Waters 3-4, HR, 2B, RBI;

The Crusaders won against the Aces, tying up the division.

Honeypaws, Maud hid the rope, too. Help me find it.

Game 2
CHA: 2B M. Martinez – C Kokoszka – SS Aparicio – 1B Haertling – 3B Sandoval – CF Case – RF Farfan – LF D. Vasquez – P Henshaw
POR: SS Waters – CF Herrera – 1B Maldonado – RF Toohey – LF Fernandez – C Kilmer – 2B Carreno – 3B Jimenez – P Mathers

The Raccoons had another first inning from hell, with Mathers allowing singles to the first three batters he faced to load the bases, then surrendered runs on Ed Haertling’s sac fly, and singles by Seth Case and Jose Farfan with two outs, falling behind 3-0. In other words: Ballgame. The Raccoons had one runner the first time through. Bryce Toohey hit a single, then was picked off first by Henshaw.

The Raccoons went on to shed Carreno in the fourth inning with shoulder discomfort; Martell took over at second base. Waters opened the same inning with a double to right, which was the most offense in a while. Herrera flew out lazily, but Maldonado caught up with a hanging curveball and mashed it over the Columbia for a 2-run homer, cutting the gap to one run on his ninth homer of the year.

Mathers needed 80 pitches through five innings, then did his royal best to short-circuit the offense in the bottom 5th. Martell was nicked, Jimenez walked, and Mathers failed to get a bunt down, striking out eventually. Waters then singled to left, but that only filled the bags and didn’t tie the game now… I predicted doom to Honeypaws, Slappy, and whoever else would listen, especially with Herrera falling behind 1-2, but the rather expensive import then jabbed an RBI single over Aparicio to tie the game. Maldo ran a full count, held out on a pitch outside, and pushed home Jimenez with the go-ahead run, 4-3. Toohey struck out, but Manny came through, knocking a liner up the rightfield line for a bases-clearing double. That was the end of Henshaw’s game, with Kilmer getting pretty close to a 2-run homer off Felix Castano afterwards, but only flew out to the fence in left to end the inning. Castano was then the second player to leave the game accompanied by the trainer in the next inning, while Mathers pitched on until rain broke in the seventh inning and forced a rain delay just after PH Shintaro Watanabe had popped out to shallow center to open the inning.

After about 40 minutes of rain, the game resumed, Portland needing eight outs without blowing a 4-run lead. Norris got three in various ways, while Kelly struck out two to complete eight innings. Manny added a solo jack off Matt Schwartz to his earlier heroics in the bottom 8th. Jon Craig retired the side in order with two more strikeouts in the ninth then. 8-3 Coons. Waters 2-4, 2B; Fernandez 2-4, HR, 2B, 4 RBI; Gurney (PH) 1-1; Jimenez 1-2, BB; Mathers 6.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, W (6-3);

Now the bad news: Arturo Carreno will miss six weeks at least with a partially torn labrum.

I doubt that he’ll find his hitting swing while on the DL.

It was time for a debut: 2041’s #17 pick, 2B John Castner, who had been through his own grisly injuries in years past, was hitting .320/.374/.392 in AAA to win promotion. He was a typical singles, slapping, glove-first second baseman, but could also engage in the stealing game.

Game 3
CHA: 2B M. Martinez – 3B Watanabe – CF Besaw – 1B Haertling – RF Turley – C Kokoszka – SS Sandoval – LF D. Vasquez – P O. Flores
POR: SS Waters – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – RF Toohey – LF Fernandez – 1B Gurney – C Kilmer – 2B Martell – P Jackson

Martinez opened with a triple to right that got stuck in the corner, costing Toohey extra time, and scored on a Watanabe single. Well, the Raccoons get behind early. What else is ******* new? The Raccoons couldn’t score with Manny and Gurney on the corners in the bottom 2nd, which hardly was, while the Falcons whacked Jackson around for three more hits and two runs in the third inning. David Vasquez doubled, Martinez and Watanabe singled to score a run, and Joe Besaw hit a sac fly to go up 3-0. Bottom 4th, we opened with Maldo getting hit (like Manny earlier) and Toohey hit a single, bringing up the tying run. Two groundouts scored one run before Kilmer lined out to Miguel Martinez…

While Jackson bumbled on, laden with a 3-1 deficit, the Raccoons had leadoff singles in the sixth by Herrera, who was left in on-base desolation, and Gurney in the seventh. The runner advanced on a balk and a groundout by Martell after Kilmer popped out pathetically, after which Baskins hit for Jackson with the runner on third base. He grounded up the middle, through the defenders, and the Raccoons had an RBI single and a 3-2 deficit. Waters struck out, ending the seventh. Moreno got around a leadoff single in the eighth, before Armando Herrera became the next Raccoon to land a leadoff hit off Flores, this time a gapper in right-center for a leadoff triple, putting the tying run just 90 feet away. I was ready to sacrifice Cristiano and/or his wheelchair, but not quite Honeypaws yet for a clutch… heck, sac fly! And Maldonado popped out on the first pitch. *** ******* *******!!! Maud looked on concerned, but thankfully Toohey dropped a single into left to get Herrera home before I could throw something or somebody through the plastic glass window overlooking the field. Manny found a double play, 6-4-3, though…

Rella was out in the ninth, striking out the 8-9 before Martinez grounded out. That gave us a walkoff chance in regulation, with right-hander Kyle Conner back out for the 6-7-8. Gurney singled to right, but was forced out by Kilmer. Martell found a double play. Yay, extra innings. The 10th saw Haertling single off Rella, but that was with two outs and nobody else did anything for the Falcons. Rella’s spot led off the bottom 10th, John Castner making his major league debut as pinch-hitter against Conner. He grounded out on his first major league pitch, but Waters singled and stole second. Herrera popped out. Maldonado walked. We needed a hit …! Toohey struck out, and the game dragged on. Zack Kelly held the tie in the 11th while the Falcons hung with long man Conner. Manny opened with a single, the 58th leadoff hit the Raccoons got in this game, scoring negative eleven runs doing so. Gurney couldn’t get a bunt down. Despaired, we called a run-and-hit at 0-2, which saw Gurney chopping out, but at least Manny got to second base, which had been desired all along. Kilmer was walked with intent then, and Martell crashed into ANOTHER ******* DOUBLE PLAY.

At this point we ended up with Chuck Jones facing righty bats galore. He walked Seth Case in the #9 hole, got a grounder, then yielded a single to Watanabe that put runners on the corners. Besaw scalded a liner to right that Toohey snagged on the run – Case made for home anyway! The throw home – OUT!! Oh boy…! Bottom 12th, Brad Blankenship took over pitching for the Falcons. The righty got Zarate and Waters before Herrera singled to center with two outs. Maldo hit a double to center, but it was not enough to get Herrera around with Besaw making a nice play. Toohey was up with first base open, but the Falcons pitched to him, not having a lefty to face Manny with the bases loaded. It was the wrong move – Toohey pulverized a changeup to end this week’s worth of baseball, a 399-footer to right-center! 6-3 Furballs! Herrera 3-6, 3B; Toohey 3-6, HR, 4 RBI; Gurney 3-5, RBI; Baskins (PH) 1-1, RBI; Rella 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K;

In other news

May 15 – The Aces and Falcons play a two-in-one, with the Aces walking off for a 6-5 win in 18 innings. LVA 2B/SS Brandon Owen (.333, 1 HR, 13 RBI) hits his first home run of the year against CHA MR Luke Moses (0-2, 5.25 ERA) to end the game and send everybody home.
May 19 – SFB 2B/SS Sergio Quiroz (.314, 2 HR, 24 RBI) has five hits in the Bayhawks’ 12-6 win over the Loggers, including a double and a grand slam for his only four RBI in the game.

FL Player of the Week: SAC 1B/LF/RF Eddie Moreno (.353, 16 HR, 39 RBI), raking .464 (13-28) with 6 HR, 12 RBI
CL Player of the Week: POR RF/LF/1B Bryce Toohey (.243, 12 HR, 37 RBI), cracking .375 (9-24) with 5 HR, 11 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Thursday was our first extra-inning game this year. And right away a stinker! Yay.

At least we won the second one on Sunday, sponsored by Toohey, who after a 2-week slump had a real breakout this week, mashing a pawful of homers. And even then he still managed three oh-fers this week. He hit 9-for-24 with three walks, a double, five bombs, and drove in 11.

In turn, Baskins turned dull, so he no longer has the automatic #1 slot assigned. Waters is far from perfect in there, and we might go to Herrera after all. Waters can still hit second after him.

We also fell into a tie on Friday and stayed there through the rest of the weekend. With a difficult 4-city road trip up, I won’t guarantee that we won’t dip down to second at one point… Atlanta, Oklahoma, San Fran, and Boston are up on the trip, which includes at least two cities where nothing good ever happens to the Raccoons…

Fun Fact: Bryce Toohey became the first Raccoon to hit three home runs in a game in a losing effort.

The previous four all won their games – Ben Simon in 1977, Craig Bowen in 2007 (the league’s sole 4-homer game still!), Kevin Harenberg in 2026, and Troy Greenway in 2038. Three of them did the feat against the Loggers, only Greenway’s came against the Titans. No Raccoon has ever homered three times against a team out of their division.

There is another parallel to this game though, with another 10-7 loss in a Raccoons-Crusaders game on offer in which a player hit three bombs – Greg Ortiz of the New Yorkers on August 12, 2037, the third Crusader to go yard thrice against Portland (Gabriel Ortiz, Jesus Ramirez), and the only one to leave the field on the losing side.

Two of Ortiz’ homers in that 2037 game were off Bernie Chavez. The third came off Francisco Pena.