[Westheim]

Raccoons (72-51) vs. Bayhawks (65-56) – August 21, 2045

We had only a single game with the Bayhawks, making up a rainout from the prior month. Victor Merino (7-4, 2.94 ERA) would oppose Chris “Tuba” Turner (7-9, 4.48 ERA) in a matchup of southpaws and try to keep an average defense under control. The Bayhawks conceded the third-fewest runs in the CL. We had already taken the season series at 5-3.

SFB: 1B S. Diaz – CF McGuigan – SS B. Nelson – LF C. Cortes – 2B Quiroz – C J. Hill – RF Hennessy – 3B Harroun – P C. Turner
POR: SS Waters – CF Herrera – 1B Maldonado – RF Toohey – C Kilmer – LF Dustal – 3B Coen – 2B Carreno – P Merino

Carlos Cortes still liked hitting in Portland, knocking an RBI double to plate Bob Nelson in a 2-run first inning, coming around on a single by Sergio Quiroz immediately afterwards. Portland countered immediately – Bryce Toohey homered to left in the bottom of the inning, retying Maldonado with 21 homers and 84 RBI. The bomb counted for three, collecting Herrera (walk) and Maldo himself, who was brushed by a pitch. After that, misery broke out for the Raccoons on the field. Carreno in the second and Herrera in the third hit leadoff singles, but both were caught stealing. The latter committed an additional offense when he hit into a double play with Matt Waters on base in the fifth. At least Merino held up nicely after the early knocking, pitching another six innings without allowing a run, and giving up only three hits. Hope was blossoming; Carreno hit a 1-out single in the bottom 7th, and Manny singled as well in Merino’s spot. However, Waters struck out, and Herrera flew out to Cortes… Moreno followed Merino, walked Nelson with two outs, but got out of the inning with a grounder to first. “Tuba” Turner went eight, potentially the distance, if Josh Rella would hold up. Once we survived a long Quiroz drive that Herrera snagged in deep center, two strikeouts sealed the deal – nobody had scored after the first inning. 3-2 Coons. Maldonado 2-3; Toohey 1-4, HR, 3 RBI; Carreno 2-3; Fernandez (PH) 1-1; Merino 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, W (8-4);

Raccoons (73-51) @ Indians (49-75) – August 22-24, 2045

The lowly Indians had won four in a row and were potentially dangerous, especially with the Coons not doing much winning lately. They were bottoms in runs scored, tenth in runs allowed, and were up in the season series, 8-4. They were also bottoms in homers, but led the CL in stolen bases with a whopping 147 in 124 games. Their only DL case was catcher Sean Ebner.

Projected matchups:
Jason Wheatley (12-7, 2.73 ERA) vs. Luis Anzaldo (3-3, 3.56 ERA)
Corey Mathers (14-8, 4.46 ERA) vs. Chris Volk (7-10, 4.66 ERA)
Adam Capone (1-2, 2.28 ERA) vs. Bill Nichol (12-10, 4.54 ERA)

They had only righty pitchers to offer. *Pitchers*. Not even a lefty reliever in the team right now…!?

Everybody would get a day off at some point this week (Manny had already been off on Monday). Herrera would make the start in the series opener.

Game 1
POR: SS Waters – 1B Gurney – 3B Maldonado – RF Toohey – LF Fernandez – 2B Martell – CF Dustal – C Zarate – P Wheatley
IND: SS Russ – LF D. Rivera – RF B. Quinteros – CF N. Galvan – 2B D. Diaz – 3B Jon Ramos – 1B S. Jennings – C Julian Diaz – P Anzaldo

First time through, the teams wasted a leadoff double each by Nelson Galvan and Jose Zarate, respectively. Andrew Russ, the chief speed demon on the Indians, with 36 sacks in the bag, would reach on a single off Wheats in the bottom 3rd, but was caught stealing by Zarate. He didn’t catch Danny Rivera with another leadoff single in the fourth, though; Rivera swiped second, and was maneuvered around to score on Galvan’s sac fly for the first run on the board. I moaned and wished myself to better days – the offseason if necessary.

Wheats pitched neatly – he didn’t strike out scores (or even more than a pair through seven), but he allowed only four hits for that dismal run in seven innings, then came up with Jonathan Dustal on second and one out in the top 8th. He still had gas, but we also needed that run home. Oh well, he hits the ball from time to time, he shall bat – he didn’t hit the ball all too well, grounded out, and moved Dustal to third with two outs. That proved enough when Matt Waters legged out an infield single to get the tying run home. Wheats was pumped, striking out the 8-9-1 batters in the bottom of the eighth! Tommy Gardner responded with nicking Toohey, walking Manny, and then striking out Martell and Dustal in the top 9th to escape his own mess. Zack Kelly put down the 2-3-4 hitters in order to send the game to extra innings.

The 10th was uneventful, with Preston Porter holding the Indians back from winning in sudden and unwelcome fashion. The 11th began for Portland with leadoff walks issued by Cesar Suarez to Pat Gurney and Jesus Maldonado, but Bryce Toohey couldn’t resist a meaty 3-1 pitch – he hit it to the next county over in left-center, a 3-run homer to take a lead…! The Critters didn’t go to Rella with the 4-1 lead, who had been out for 28 pitches on Sunday already. Bob Ibold was sent instead. Julian Diaz grounded out to third. Adam Huber flew out to Manny. And Russ, the little pest, singled to right. The Raccoons reacted right away and sent for Chuck Jones against Rivera and Quinteros… or only Rivera, who struck out in a full count to end the game. 4-1 Raccoons! Toohey 1-4, BB, HR, 3 RBI; Wheatley 8.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K;

I could get used to Bryce Toohey’s timely 3-run homers.

Game 2
POR: SS Waters – CF Herrera – 1B Gurney – RF Toohey – LF Fernandez – C Kilmer – 3B Martell – 2B Carreno – P Mathers
IND: SS Russ – LF D. Rivera – RF B. Quinteros – CF N. Galvan – 2B D. Diaz – 3B Jon Ramos – 1B S. Jennings – C Julian Diaz – P Volk

Mathers, the wickedly inefficient almost-CL-leader-in-wins, got scorched in the first with a Russ double, a Rivera homer, and then two more hits for Jon Ramos to drive home Bill Quinteros to put the Indians up 3-0. Corey Mathers – he can look every offense look great! For five innings it also didn’t look like he’d get a W for his honest, yet dismal efforts; the Raccoons scattered three hits in the first two innings, with Herrera hitting into a double play right away, but couldn’t get anything on the board, or soon enough, on base, until the sixth began with a Waters double and a Herrera single, bringing up the tying run … with nobody out. The Indians thought they had spotted the way out – they nicked Gurney to load the bases, which with nobody out immediately spelled doom for the Raccoons. They scored a run on Toohey’s 6-4-3 grounder, and Manny grounded out harmlessly.

Mathers’ last chance for the win was the seventh after he erred through two walks to strike out Volk to end the bottom 6th, but the Coons did not get on base at all in the top 7th. Dustal reached with a leadoff single to center in the eighth, though, hitting for Jon Craig. Waters grounded to the short side of second base, and narrowly got the ball past Russ to reach as the tying run. Herrera singled over Russ – three on and nobody out AGAIN. This time, they at least tied the game on a Gurney RBI single, and another one by Manny after Toohey fanned against Orlando Altreche. Herrera was sent from second base on the Manny single, but thrown out by Quinteros at home plate. After Kilmer was walked intentionally, Al Martell flew out to Quinteros to strand three anyway. Preston Porter held up in the bottom 8th, and Gardner was back out for the ninth, facing Carreno, who grounded to Russ, and Russ threw the ball past Steven Jennings for a 2-base error. Golden opportunity! …and it was squandered on a strikeout, a flyout, and a groundout…

This game, too, went to overtime. Neither team reached in the 10th, Kelly pitching for Portland. Carreno reached with a 2-out single in the 11th, but was caught stealing. Jon Ramos hit a 1-out single off Bob Ibold in the bottom 11th, stole second with two outs, but was stranded anyway. Then the weather got involved. The rain that had loomed in the area had politely waited for a nine-inning game to be played, and then some, but broke finally in the 12th, bringing about an hourlong rain delay the merciless umpires were all too eager to sit out to get overtime pay. When play resumed, Justin Johns, who had tossed three pitches before the delay, tossed three more until he gave up a homer to Matt Waters to leftfield, breaking the 3-3 tie. Herrera singled after that, but nothing would come of it. Not that it mattered – Josh Rella retired Vince Lutch, Russ, and Rivera on six pitches. 4-3 Coons. Waters 3-5, BB, HR, 2B, RBI; Herrera 3-6; Gurney 2-5, RBI; Carreno 2-5; Dustal (PH) 1-1; Porter 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K;

Not pretty, but at least they’re winning. The Crusaders had slipped two games since the start of the week, so we were again ahead by a pawful (and half a game more). But, hey, boys? How about winning one in nine?

Game 3
POR: SS Waters – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – LF Fernandez – 1B Gurney – C Kilmer – RF Anderson – 2B Carreno – P Capone
IND: SS Russ – LF D. Rivera – RF B. Quinteros – CF N. Galvan – 3B Jon Ramos – 1B S. Jennings – 2B Huber – C Julian Diaz – P Nichol

Offense remained slow for both teams, neither of them scoring in five innings. The Coons scattered three singles as uselessly as procyonically possible, while the Indians had no hits, but three walks against Capone in the same distance. Two of the walks came in the bottom 5th to Ramos, who was caught stealing, and Diaz, who followed Adam Huber on base, who was nicked with a 2-out, 3-2 pitch. Nichol struck out to end the inning.

A breakthrough came in the sixth, with Herrera getting a 1-out single past Russ, and Maldonado getting a ball over the fence altogether for a 2-run homer. Manny singled, stole second, and Gurney walked after that, but Kilmer and Van Anderson made poor outs to prevent more scoring. Capone’s pitch count was rapidly exploding, the Indians being far from the H column or not. He walked Quinteros with two outs in the bottom 6th after a lengthy at-bat, but Quinteros was then struck down trying to nip second by the alert Jeff Kilmer. Capone reached 101 pitches by the time he walked Jennings in the bottom 7th, also with two outs, and it was no longer considered likely that he’d finish this deal. Jennings stole second, then scored on Huber’s single to center, and Capone was yoinked while the Indians were still high-fiving. Moreno and Jones would get two outs each from the Indians after that, stranding the tying run as far as Moreno was concerned, while the Raccoons’ offense had yet to tack on anything of value. When Jonathan Dykstra retired them in order in the ninth, the Coons went back to Rella for the fourth time in five days. Galvan popped out to first, and Ramos flew out to left, but Jennings singled up the middle to bring up the winning run. Rella blew his fluffy cheeks once more, reached back, struck out the evil batter, and completed the glacial sweep…! 2-1 Raccoons. Maldonado 1-4, HR, 2 RBI; Capone 6.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 6 K, W (2-2);

Raccoons (76-51) @ Falcons (68-60) – August 25-27, 2045

The Coons had won five in a row, but the Falcons also had a 4-game winning streak. They needed to continue that to have a whiff at the CL South, where they were ten games back with little season left. They sat eighth in runs scored, second in runs allowed, and were down 4-2 against the Critters in ’45.

Projected matchups:
Sadaharu Okuda (10-9, 4.24 ERA) vs. Oscar Flores (11-8, 3.58 ERA)
Victor Merino (8-4, 2.92 ERA) vs. Evan Henshaw (8-9, 4.36 ERA)
Jason Wheatley (12-7, 2.65 ERA) vs. Nick Myers (10-7, 3.63 ERA)

Another 3-game set with only right-handed opposition. They at least had southpaw relievers.

What they did not have were Tony Aparicio and Chris Kokoszka, regulars from their lineup. Aparicio was on the DL with back stiffness. And only the baseball gods so far knew what Kokoszka was plagued by.

Game 1
POR: SS Martell – CF Herrera – 1B Maldonado – RF Toohey – LF Fernandez – C Zarate – 3B Coen – 2B Carreno – P Okuda
CHA: 2B M. Martinez – 3B Watanabe – CF Besaw – RF Turley – LF Haertling – C Alicea – 1B Shay – SS E. Sandoval – P O. Flores

Maldo singled, Toohey doubled, and the Coons went up 1-0 in the first, which already had to count as a “quick start” at this point. A chance developed the next inning, too, with Carreno slapping a 1-out single. He could not get a steal off, but young Miguel Martinez threw away Okuda’s well-placed bunt, putting a pair of runners in scoring position for the top of the order, provisionally represented by Al Martell, who managed a sac fly. Flores lost Armando Herrera in a full count, and then Maldo cracked a liner into the rightfield corner for a 2-out, 2-run double, and Toohey hit another RBI single, the final contribution in a 4-run inning. For Martinez’ error, all the runs were unearned on Flores. The Coons then made sure to melt at once. Zarate conceded a runner on an uncaught third strike, putting Ed Haertling on base to begin the bottom 2nd, and Okuda got taken well deep to left by soft-slapping Esteban Sandoval to cut into the lead, 5-2. Bottom 3rd, Okuda walked the bases full, gave up a run on a single by Ramon Alicea, and then somehow struck out Adam Shay and Sandoval to elope that dismal inning. Good to know that at least the Opening Day starter curse on this team was alive and well…!

Okuda gave up a Haertling homer to whittle the lead down to 5-4 by the fifth, and was not seen afterwards. That reminded me – had anyone seen the offense? After shellacking Flores for five in the early going, the Raccoons had entirely laid down their weaponry and merely went through the motion, without success, at the plate. They could not even do something with another 2-base throwing error by Shintaro Watanabe in the eighth; that put Toohey on base with nobody out. Manny got the intentional bypass, Zarate hit into a double play, and Ben Coen grounded out meekly. And I had a bad vibe here… Jon Craig pitched the sixth and seventh to hold up the lead, but Miguel Martinez doubled home Sandoval with two outs in the bottom 8th off Kelly to tie the game at five. Bob Ibold struck out PH Seth Case to at least prevent the team from falling behind… The ninth brought only more misery for the Raccoons’ batters, while Chuck Jones walked Joe Besaw, Archie Turley singled, and the winning run was on third base with nobody out. Jones disposed of Haertling in an environmentally friendly way, but not of Alicea, who flew out to center, deep enough to send home Besaw for the win. 6-5 Falcons. Maldonado 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Toohey 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Fernandez 1-2, 2 BB; Craig 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K;

Sigh.

Game 2
POR: SS Waters – CF Herrera – 1B Maldonado – RF Toohey – LF Fernandez – 3B Martell – 2B Carreno – C Kilmer – P Merino
CHA: 2B M. Martinez – 3B Watanabe – CF Besaw – RF Turley – LF Haertling – C Alicea – 1B Shay – SS E. Sandoval – P Henshaw

We got another run in the first, Toohey singling home Waters… after Maldo had hit into a double play following the leadoff single by Waters and Herrera getting nicked by a pitch. Manny also singled, but the inning ended with a fly out by Martell. Carreno reached in the second and was stranded, but the third began with Herrera and Maldonado taking up the corners with nobody out. A pair of pops by our vaunted 4-5 hitters and Martell’s groundout stranded them right in ******* place.

After two walks in the first inning, Merino held up his end rather well, allowing two hits through five, and nothing that would crumble the tiny 1-0 lead his offense had divined to give him. Toohey opened the sixth with a double to left and the Falcons correctly deduced that Martell was no bueno and that they should put Manny on base. Martell promptly grounded out to first, but did advance the runners, both of which scored on a Carreno screamer down the leftfield line for a 2-run double. Kilmer singled, Merino hit a sac fly, and Waters grounded out, ending the inning up 4-0. That being on the board, the Raccoons promptly got the next hit in the neck when Bryce Toohey made a lunging grab on a Besaw liner to end the sixth, but tumbled and waved for assistance to get up and home. Van Anderson replaced him in the field (but certainly not in production).

Maldo hit a double in the seventh that went nowhere, but at least Martell and Carreno hit singles in the eighth and Kilmer got ONE of them home with a sac fly, 5-0. Preston Porter pitched the bottom 8th, allowing a single to PH Seth Case, who then collided with Waters at second base, requiring his own trainer’s assistance. The Coons stuck to Porter in the ninth, at least until Turley had homered, Haertling had singled, and Herrera had barely reached an Alicea drive. Jon Craig entered, gave up an RBI triple to Shay, then left for Rella. He conceded the runner on a sac fly, but got David Vasquez to ground out to Martell to end the game. 5-3 Critters. Herrera 2-5, 2B; Maldonado 2-5, 2B; Toohey 2-3, 2B, RBI; Carreno 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Merino 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K, W (9-4);

Dr. Padilla mumbled something in Spanish, then quickly disappeared into a room labeled “Authorized Medical Personnel Only”, when I asked him about Toohey.

That can’t be good.

Game 3
POR: SS Waters – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – RF Fernandez – 1B Gurney – LF Dustal – 2B Carreno – C Kilmer – P Wheatley
CHA: 2B M. Martinez – SS E. Sandoval – CF Besaw – RF Turley – LF Haertling – 3B Watanabe – LF D. Vasquez – C T. Morales – P N. Myers

Yup, that was Tony Morales, the longtime Raccoons catcher, who had slipped into obscurity in a real hurry after being let go in Portland. Nevertheless, he drove in the game’s first run, singling home Watanabe in the fifth inning… yes, it was one of those affairs again. The Falcons had nothing on Wheats, mostly, but the Raccoons had even less on Myers, who allowed only two hits through five innings. The top 6th offered the Coons’ best chance yet in the rubber game, with a leadoff walk to Herrera and a Maldo single right after that. Toohey would now be great to have in the #4 hole, but we had Manny, who popped out. Gurney flew out to Turley. Dustal flew out to Vasquez. I wish I could also fly out of here, and fly far, far, far away…

The bottom 7th unhorsed Wheats for good, with two errors by his teammates to help bury him. Waters flubbed the leadoff grounder by Watanabe, and Kilmer would throw away Justin Simmons’ grounder with two on and one out. That plated a runner with Vasquez, who had singled, to third base. Wheats lost Martinez on balls, then was lifted. Moreno replaced him, struck out Sandoval, and got a groundout from Besaw, but we were down 2-0 and hadn’t looked like we could handle 1-0.

The tying runs were on regardless in the eighth when Maldo singled off Kyle Conner, and Manny reached on an error by Shay at short. Gurney advanced them with a grounder. And Dustal stranded them with a grounder, both against lefty Jonathan Ramsey. Moreno and Kelly held the Falcons close in the bottom 8th, while righty Brad Blankenship with his 4.97 ERA was sent into the ninth. Carreno flew out to center, but Martell singled for Kilmer. Anderson hit for the pitcher, but grounded out, reducing us to Waters, who grounded out to third base on the first pitch he got. 2-0 Falcons. Herrera 1-2, 2 BB; Maldonado 2-4; Martell (PH) 1-1; Wheatley 6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, L (12-8);

In other news

August 21 – The Capitals end the hitting streak of CIN 3B Jesus Burgos (.347, 8 HR, 60 RBI) at 22 games, holding him to an 0-for-4 in a 4-3 Washington win.
August 23 – A diagnosis of shoulder inflammation means it’s season over for OCT SP Ignacio del Rio (12-8, 3.96 ERA).
August 23 – A home run by TIJ INF Sergio Barcia (..261, 16 HR, 59 RBI) puts the 1-0 game against the Aces away for the Condors.
August 24 – Back to the DL once again is LAP OF Juan Benavides (.327, 8 HR, 55 RBI), who might miss most of the remaining season with a broken rib.
August 24 – The Buffaloes lose SP Josh Long (5-10, 4.24 ERA) to a torn flexor tendon. He is questionable for Opening Day 2046.

FL Player of the Week: SFW LF Mario Villa (.374, 12 HR, 76 RBI), slashing .625 (15-24) with 7 RBI
CL Player of the Week: VAN RF/LF/1B Arnout van der Zanden (.315, 2 HR, 34 RBI), hitting .600 (12-20) with 5 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Up by six, but potentially down an irreplaceable Bryce Toohey – that was not a great trade. That aside, the offense kept slumping even with Toohey. Neither of our catchers could hit a lick, and the middle infielders all seemed struck dumb and deaf at the plate now. All of them, including makeshift leadoff batter Matt Waters.

With Derek Baskins still another three weeks off, this was all about surviving now. Next week we’d have to survive in Vegas for three games, and then would have the Crusaders at home in the first set in September. That one hadn’t gone so well last time… We were pounding four of the five other teams in the North (9-6 against the Loggers was the worst mark, and all other season series had already been taken with games to spare), but we were now 4-7 against New York.

With September approaching we’d probably add Brent Clark again for relief work, as well as Marucci and Brad Barnes, another righty reliever trying to push up from AAA. The way the catchers were hitting right now, Ruben Gonzalez had good chances for regular playing time (but was hitting only .263 in AAA either).

Fun Fact: Antonio Cordero had a 12-year career in the majors from 1980 to 1991, and is the only player in league history from Argentina.

His career also ended rather abruptly when he was released by the Raccoons, although back then the Raccoons were gearing up for back-to-back championships and had to ditch a millstone or two. Not that Cordero was *bad*. He was fantastic in 1990, pitching to a 1.34 ERA for the Critters! It was more than three times that in ’91 and the boot in September.

Before that he had been with the Loggers and Crusaders, making a total of 476 relief appearances in total. He pitched to a 20-20 record, 3.28 ERA, and 9 career saves.