[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (5-2, .714, 1st NL West) @ Phoenix Coyotes (4-2, .667, t-2nd NL West)
Phoenix’s flashy offseason that saw them signing ageing stars like 34-year-old SP Ferdinand Loving (56/56) and 32-year-old 3B Gavin Nalley (62/62) was not as well received as they intended given the BNN preseason prediction that the Coyotes would finish outside the cake, a sub-.500, non-playoff club once the dust has settled on 2079. Of course, that’s why we play the games, and, given that this once proud franchise is likely looking to make it back to the playoffs after missing out for two straight seasons, I find it difficult to count these guys out no matter what the fine Americans over at BNN think.

8 of 162: Keith Baeza (0-1, 1.80) @ Max Harrington (0-1, 0.00)
Loss, 0-1. Our first road game of the 2079 campaign didn’t get off to the most glorious of starts as we were no hit until the top of the 8th and shutout overall as Phoenix’s Starter, Max Harrington, made mincemeat of our lineup over 8-innings of work before handing it off to former Leopard, and constant headache, Grumpy Losito, to close the show in the 9th – and, as is his style, he struggled with the door a bit, allowing 2 hits before recording three outs on 21 pitches to earn his 2nd save of the season. For our part, the club didn’t give us too much to discuss – the pitching was great as Baeza, Kudo, Miotke, and Turnbull combined to hurl a 2-hit, 1-run game, but the offense came up empty with only ONO and DOM securing a hit, 1 walk for the club, and an insufficient 3 total bases as a club.

In other news and given that he’s held the position for three seasons I’m not sure how I missed it - Phoenix’s Skipper is named Emmanouil Konstantopoulos… so, that’s fun.

9 of 162: Dwight Beasley (1-0, 0.00) @ Ferdinand Loving (1-0, 0.00)
Win, 7-3. Otto Isaac, displaying some of his 2078 MVP form, went 3-for-5 with a double, a 2-run TRUCK, 3 RBI, and 2 runs to lead our offense with Ethan, OH HONG, DOM, and Demetri Rodriguez (our backup SS) each contributing one batted in to follow his lead as the La La’s get some sweet get back to knot up this road set at a game each. Beasley gave a good account of himself over 5.1 innings of work and picked up his 2nd win in allowing only 2 runs to the Coyotes’ starters 5 while the pen continued to impress so far this year… three doubles for the club, 1 each for Otto, PEPPER, and Ethan, Otto’s aforementioned homer, and a suspect HBP for DOM would round things out offensively as we head back to the hotel to get some rest before returning tomorrow to try and win the rubber match.

10 of 162: Ramiro Marte (1-0, 1.35) @ Matthew Krebs (0-0, 3.86)
Loss, 3-6. Down, 3-6, in the top of the 9th, bases-loaded, and with Otto at the plate – we couldn’t have drawn it up any better… unfortunately, neither could they as the reigning MVP went down on strikes, unable to rise to the occasion, and instead of hitting a slam completed the dubious distinction of striking out for the 4th time of the game. Kyle Weaver brought our first two around during the top of the 6th, DOM followed that up with a solo shot in the 8th, but that’d be all she wrote for us offensively as the rest of the club couldn’t be bothered to follow suit. Rough start for Ramiro too – 4.1 innings, 8 hits, 6 earned, a free pass, and only 2 K’s… and just like that, only a mere three series into the season, we’d lose our first of those on the road against a club without much juice behind it.

Record: 6-4, .600, 3rd NL West
Up Next: Some home cookin’ in L.A. against the Las Vegas Outlaws over the weekend.