[Westheim]

Note: Jeremy Baker was supposed to take the vacant spot in the rotation to start this week (or Tuesday at the latest), but I entered a value in “bench for X days” at the wrong pitcher by mistake, and the AI merrily used Baker in AAA on Sunday. Hence, Carlton Harman was brought up first.

Yes, I am this bad at everything I do, not just the merry Critters.

+++

Raccoons (72-32) @ Aces (52-53) – July 29-31, 2047

Last series of July, with the question whether the Raccoons would add a starting pitcher at the deadline still unresolved. The Aces ranked fourth in the CL South, with a -19 run differential from scoring the third-fewest runs and giving up the seventh-fewest. Their rotation actually had a slightly better ERA than their bullpen. The season series was already decided in favor of the Portlanders, who had taken five of the first six games.

Projected matchups:
Sadaharu Okuda (8-5, 2.69 ERA) vs. Justin Kaiser (7-3, 3.23 ERA)
Carlton Harman (0-1, 6.00 ERA) vs. Jayden Woods (6-1, 2.26 ERA)
Victor Merino (8-7, 3.50 ERA) vs. Jose Villalba (4-8, 3.73 ERA)

In good times, the Raccoons had three lefty starters hanging around, but the Aces even had *four* of them assembled. Woods was the exception. In turn, they had one of their best hitters, Mike Roberts, on the DL for the year.

Game 1
POR: CF Mercado – SS Adame – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Gonzalez – RF Pellicano – LF Fernandez – 2B Carreno – P Okuda
LVA: 3B E. Luna – SS Montes de Oca – C Weese – 1B Witherspoon – LF Montana – CF Cramer – RF Watt – 2B A. Rodriguez – P Kaiser

The two teams at hand managed to scatter 11 hits between them in the first five innings without ever scoring, and only the Aces even reached third base, once, against Okuda, who struck out five while giving out as many hits, four singles and a double. A walk drawn by Angel Montes de Oca and a Kevin Weese single, all with two outs in the bottom 3rd, were the biggest threat of the first half of the game, mostly because Manny Fernandez had the Weese ball bounce off his leg for an extra base and an error. With runners in scoring position, Sam Witherspoon grounded out to Toohey, though.

Kaiser was lifted after five and a third, after Ruben Gonzalez singled and he walked Gene Pellicano in a full count. Manny hit into a fielder’s choice against Ian Wilson, who then got a pop from Carreno to end the inning. Okuda whiffed eight in six innings of shutout ball before opening the top 7th with a single up the middle. Mercado also singled, but somehow Alex Adame managed to get doubled up in 6-4-3 fashion, and Maldo flew out to Matt Watt. One o’ *those* games… Instead, the Aces broke through in the bottom 7th. Watt and Juan Jimenez hit singles, and with two outs Montes rammed a double through Maldonado that went all the way to the corner and scored both runners. The Coons looked beat even with Weese grounding out. They didn’t reach in the eighth, and in the ninth only got on base with one out when Derek Baskins singled off Pablo Paez in the #8 slot. Pat Gurney grounded out before Mercado hit an RBI double to left, putting the tying run in scoring position with two down. Paez’ wild pitch moved him to third, but Adame popped out to end the game. 2-1 Aces. Mercado 4-5, 2B, RBI; Gonzalez 2-4; Pellicano 2-3, BB; Baskins (PH) 1-1; Okuda 7.2 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, L (8-6) and 1-3;

Arturo Carreno was sent back to AAA after this game to get a new pitcher on the roster, who turned out to be Carlton Harman. Carreno had been batting .333 with 1 HR and 6 RBI in limited action.

Game 2
POR: RF Mercado – SS Adame – 1B Gurney – 2B Waters – LF Fernandez – 3B Martell – CF Mills – C Morales – P Harman
LVA: SS Montes de Oca – CF Cramer – C Weese – 1B Witherspoon – LF Watt – 2B Landstrom – 3B E. Luna – RF Montana – P J. Woods

Manny, Martell, Morales all hit singles in the second inning for the game’s first run before Harman grounded out to end the inning, then proceeded to get whacked for an unlucky, but earned 3-spot in the bottom 2nd. Watt singled, Josh Landstrom got hit, and Eddy Luna legged out one of those annoying infield wheezers for another single before Bob Montana clonked a 2-run double off the fence in right. Woods’ groundout plated the third run. A Weese double and Watt single added a run in the third, 4-1, but the Raccoons started strong into the fourth inning. Al Martell hit a leadoff single to left-center, Ken Mills walked, and Tony Morales managed his weekly coherent breath with an RBI double up the line in right, which narrowed the score to 4-2 with the tying runs in scoring position and nobody out, albeit with the pitcher next. Despite Maldo and Toohey on the bench, the Raccoons did not bat for Harman, who struck out. Mercado walked to fill the sacks, and Woods threw nothing but balls to Alex Adame to force home a run. Then Gurney killed it all with a 4-6-3 double play grounder…

Woods kept leaking runners at a dramatic rate, though, with the Critters’ 5-6-7 hitters filling the bags with one out in the fifth. Then Morales hit into a double play, 3-6-3… The Aces instead tagged Harman with another run, involving another infield single, in the bottom 5th, while the Raccoons ran out of steam as soon as the Aces lifted Woods in the sixth inning. Morales had a hit in the eighth, but they didn’t score, and in the ninth right-hander David Williams sat down the first two before giving up a homer to Pat Gurney out of the blue. Waters hit a single after that, putting himself on base as the tying run, but Manny struck out to end the game. 5-4 Aces. Gurney 2-5, HR, RBI; Waters 2-5; Martell 2-4; Mills 2-3, BB; Morales 3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI;

Harman (0-2, 7.36 ERA) was returned to AAA after this game, with Jeremy Baker (2-1, 3.60 ERA) added as the more permanent filling of the fifth starter’s spot.

Game 3
POR: CF Mercado – SS Adame – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Gonzalez – RF Pellicano – 2B Waters – LF Baskins – P Merino
LVA: 3B E. Luna – SS Montes de Oca – C Weese – 1B Witherspoon – LF Montana – CF Cramer – RF Watt – 2B Landstrom – P Villalba

Mercado singled and scored on a 2-out single by Toohey in the top 1st, giving the Raccoons another lead, to which they added an unearned run in the third inning when Mercado drew a leadoff walk, but was forced out by Adame. The shortstop, however, stole a base, then scored on not one, but two Aces errors, one that allowed Maldo on base, and a throwing error by Kevin Weese that permitted him to score while Maldo reached third base. There he was stranded by Toohey’s grounder to Eddy Luna and Gonzalez’ pop. The lead nearly went bust in the bottom 3rd; a Waters error put the opposing pitcher on base to begin the inning, and Montes nearly hit a homer to left, with Baskins catching the ball right against the fence.

It was 2-1 by the fourth after Brent Cramer hit a no-doubter to centerfield. That home run was hit so hard, it almost came back into the stadium from the home plate side… Scoring stopped after that, with neither team getting much done against the opposing pitcher for the next few innings, although Merino had to tread carefully around a leadoff double by Weese in the bottom 6th. That tying run was stranded, and Merino pitched into the eighth, retiring left-handed Eddy Luna to begin that inning before being replaced with Moreno after 104 pitches. Moreno struck out Montes, but Weese singled. Sam Witherspoon worked a walk, and Bob Montana hit another single to right. Weese was sent for home from second base – but thrown out by Pellicano to end the inning! The Raccoons remained unable to tack on, however, and Mike Lynn would not have a cushion in the bottom 9th. Cramer grounded out to first. Rusty Stern grounded out to short. Josh Landstrom whiffed. 2-1 Blighters. Mercado 1-2, BB; Waters 2-4; Merino 7.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, W (9-7);

No trade was made – the Raccoons claimed they had enough pitching.

(cue the dramatic music)

Raccoons (73-34) vs. Loggers (42-64) – August 1-4, 2047

The Loggers had no fun. They had a 5-game losing streak that had dropped them into last place, and even without an actual streak of L’s going on, they were in deep trouble by the numbers. Second from the bottom in runs scored, worst in runs allowed, with league-worst returns in starters’ ERA, bullpen ERA, and defense. Run differential? A whopping -167 with two months to go. The Coons led the season series, 6-1.

Projected matchups:
Jake Jackson (10-4, 3.04 ERA) vs. Tomas Ruiz (3-14, 5.97 ERA)
Jason Wheatley (9-5, 3.06 ERA) vs. Ruben Guzman (3-13, 4.59 ERA)
Sadaharu Okuda (8-6, 2.67 ERA) vs. Nicholas Pollock (1-2, 4.80 ERA)
Jeremy Baker (2-1, 3.60 ERA) vs. Carlos Vasquez (7-7, 3.91 ERA)

The series started with a lefty pitcher for Milwaukee, after which we’d see three right-handers.

Game 1
MIL: CF B. Allen – LF Reeves – 2B Loyola – SS R. Espinoza – C Payne – 1B Bush – RF Lovell – 3B M. Grant – P T. Ruiz
POR: SS Adame – RF Pellicano – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Gonzalez – LF Fernandez – 2B Waters – CF Mills – P Jackson

The Coons went up quickly in the first, with an Adame single, a Maldo double, and Toohey singling home the both of them. After that the bags filled up, Manny getting clipped and Waters legging out an infield single, but Ken Mills struck out to strand all of the lot. Jackson walked a pair, but allowed no hits or runs the first time through, squeezing his ERA under three in the process. Ricky Espinoza’s 1-out single up the middle gave the Loggers their first base hit in the fourth, and Jackson walked Ricky Payne right afterwards, but then struck out both Erik Bush and Pat Lovell to end the inning.

Mills went yard to right in the bottom 4th to extend the lead to 3-0, which was not the only run in the inning. With two outs, the Raccoons began to run riot ‘round Ruiz; Adame singled, then was doubled in by Pellicano. Maldonado singled to left-center, plating the runner from second base. Toohey walked, moving Maldo to second, from where Gonzalez scored him with a single. Manny’s grounder to first ended the inning, but now with a 6-0 lead. But Jackson’s pitch count was already up there at 70 through four innings, so a shutout was not on the table anymore.

By the bottom 5th I sobbed, reason being the Loggers bringing in lefty Bubba Poss, which reminded me of Bubba Wolinsky, of whom we had been so grievously robbed. Maud tried to cover with a soothing tea with a spoon of honey, but I preferred some Capt’n Coma in it… Not that Poss did great – the bases were loaded with nobody out on a leadoff walk by Waters, a Mills single, and Jackson’s bunt being mishandled by Poss himself. Adame singled home a run, before Pellicano struck out, then offered a few choice words to the home plate umpire, for which he was duly ejected. Gurney replaced him, with Toohey to rightfield, while the Coons did not score again; Maldo flew out to Bill Reeves in shallow right, and Toohey grounded out to strand three.

The Coons squeezed seven shutout innings on just over 100 pitches out of Jackson, who was hit for with Baskins in the bottom 7th. Baskins singled, sending Ken Mills and his leadoff walk to third base against Luke Schwartz. Both runners scored on an Adame gapper in left-center, a 2-run double. Toohey singled home Adame with two outs to put the Raccoons into double digits. Gonzalez grounded out. Bottom 8th, three on and no outs *again*, with a single, walk, and error loading them up for Adame, who hit a comebacker for a force out at home plate. Gurney popped out, Maldo grounded out, and nobody scored. How very Portland! The Loggers scored a consolation run off Josh Rella in the ninth; Rella had done the eighth on just four pitches, but fared markedly less well in a second inning of work. It was not enough to get the Raccoons nervous, though. 10-1 Raccoons. Adame 4-6, 2B, 3 RBI; Maldonado 2-5, BB, 2B, RBI; Toohey 2-4, BB, 3 RBI; Gonzalez 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Waters 2-4, BB, 2B; Mills 2-3, 2 BB, HR, RBI; Baskins (PH) 1-2; Jackson 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K, W (11-4);

Meanwhile the weekend was over for Gene Pellicano. Ironically, NWSN had miked up the home plate umpire to catch some in-game sounds, which turned out to be Pellicano calling him a “blind ***”, “stupid *******”, and “******* ************”, which the league deemed enough to suspend him for four games.

Hard to argue with that one… I’d given him six games… and Maud wanted a full week and to wash his snout with soap.

Jackson’s ERA came to 2.89 after this game, with Okuda at 2.67 right now. Wheats in the Friday game had a chance to give the Critters a third starting pitcher with a sub-3 ERA.

…except that he didn’t, ultimately, because of bad weather. Friday’s game was postponed and a double header scheduled for Saturday instead. The wet weather hung around though and threatened more interruptions.

Game 2
MIL: CF B. Allen – LF Reeves – RF E. Hernandez – 2B Loyola – SS R. Espinoza – C Payne – 1B Bush – 3B M. Grant – P Ru. Guzman
POR: RF Mercado – SS Waters – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – 2B Gurney – LF Baskins – CF Mills – C Morales – P Wheatley

Wheats allowed three hits in the first inning, all singles, and no runs thanks to Waters reaching and snatching a Ricky Espinoza liner for the second out, followed by an easy fly from Payne to Mills to end the inning. Waters then homered for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the inning, the committed a throwing error that almost unhorsed Wheats in the top 2nd, but Ruben Guzman (who had singled) and Brent Allen (who reached on the error) were stranded when Mills caught Reeves’ fly.

But Wheatley kept leaking runners, giving the lead back on an Ernesto Hernandez double and Jon Loyola single in he third inning. The Coons took it back in the bottom 3rd, Mercado reaching on a walk before scoring on 2-out hits by Maldo (single to center) and Toohey (double to left). Gurney grounded out to Erik Bush to leave a pair in scoring position, but the Raccoons put another guy on third base with two outs in the bottom 6th, when Ken Mills tripled to center and … and then rolled into a ball in agony after sliding awkwardly into third base. He had to be helped off the field by Dr. Padilla and Maldo, with his left rear paw dangling precariously. Manny replaced him as pinch-runner, with Baskins moving from left to center, after which the Loggers offered a free pass to first to Tony Morales. The Raccoons sent Al Martell to bat for Wheatley, who was on 93 messy pitches anyway, but Martell flew out to center to strand them on the corners. Bob Ibold would take over pitching duties. At this point, the sky was depressingly dark and opened up after an uneventful seventh. Ibold was still pitching to Loyola to begin the top 8th as we tried to conserve Critters while already in a 23-man roster squeeze. The soft drizzle turned into a downpour quickly, and the game went into a rain delay. With another game needed to be played and the forecast for Sunday also damp, the umpires called the game after about an hour, giving the Coons a rain-shortened W. 3-1 Raccoons. Waters 2-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI; Toohey 1-2, BB, 2B, RBI;

Bob Ibold thus got an unscheduled save here, while Manny Fernandez did not miss a game after entering thanks to the Mills injury. Wheats went *just* long enough in a shoddy start to get his ERA to 2.99.

Torn ankle ligaments for Mills, by the way, so he’d head to the DL for at least six weeks. It was, however, not possible to bring in a replacement before the second game of the double header, so the Raccoons had to play with 23 men indeed, weather permitting at all.

Game 3
MIL: CF B. Allen – LF Reeves – 2B Loyola – SS R. Espinoza – 1B E. Hernandez – RF McIntyre – C Bousquet – 3B M. Grant – P Pollock
POR: CF Mercado – SS Adame – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – LF Baskins – C Gonzalez – RF Fernandez – 2B Martell – P Okuda

Weather permitted, the skies clearing up in the evening for a late tilt. A walk and two hits by the Coons’ 1-2-3 batters gave them a 1-0 lead in the bottom 1st before Toohey flew out and Baskins and Gonzalez both whiffed. Manny drew a leadoff walk in the second, but was stranded, while Okuda gave the lead away with hits conceded to Mike Grant and Brent Allen in the top 3rd; Grant had stolen third base ahead of Allen’s single. That was before the Loggers burst out for a 3-spot the inning after. Four straight batters reached base, with Espinoza singling and Hernandez hitting a homer. Will McIntyre and Justin Bousquet also reached, all to begin the inning, with Pollock bringing in the last run with a sac fly to center.

But the Coons weren’t beaten despite me showing signs of defeatism, including detailing to Slappy and Cristiano how they’d bobble their 16-game lead away now. Manny hit a solo homer in the bottom 4th, 4-2, and in the fifth Aame singled, stole second, and scored on a Toohey single with two outs. Baskins and Gonzalez also singled, chasing home Toohey to tie the score at four. Unfortunately, Pollock then rang up Manny to end the inning. Two were on again in the sixth, but Mercado and Adame were stranded when Maldo flew out to Brent Allen in deep center. Two were on *again* in the seventh after Dave Peluso allowed a double to Baskins and walked Gonzalez. Manny batted with one out this time, hit a comebacker, but Peluso’s swipe missed and it hit off his foot before rolling away. All paws were safe, Manny being credited an infield single, bringing up Martell with the bases loaded. Peluso lost him on five pitches, thus walking in the go-ahead run. Gurney batted for Okuda and grounded to second base, but Loyola and Espinoza could not turn the double play, and another run scored. Mercado singled home Manny in a full count, after which Peluso was yanked for another righty, Noah Hollis, a 23-year-old rookie, who had Mercado steal second base off him, then gave up an RBI single to Adame, another RBI single to Maldo, and then finally got Toohey on a pop to short, but the Raccoons had taken a 9-4 lead. Loyola hit a jack off Jake Bonnie in the eighth to recoup one run, but the Coons pulled that one back in the bottom 8th, Baskins and Gonzalez reaching, with the former coming around on two grounders to right by Manny and Martell. Gurney whiffed to strand Gonzalez. Preston Porter closed out the game, however. 10-5 Raccoons. Adame 3-4, RBI; Maldonado 2-5, 2 RBI; Baskins 2-4, BB, 2B; Gonzalez 2-4, BB, RBI; Fernandez 2-4, BB, HR, RBI;

Mills was hauled off to the DL then, and a replacement shipped in from AAA in Roberto Medina. We *really* lacked a good centerfielder now, however, and would have to continue to cover the position between Mercado, Baskins, and Pellicano, all of whom were acceptable in center, but none of whom were great. Conversely, there was nobody in AAA with good D in center that could be expected to hit even half a lick up here, so patchwork it’d have to be.

Pellicano was of course still suspended for another two games, so we continued to play with a 24-man roster.

Game 4
MIL: CF B. Allen – LF Reeves – 2B Loyola – SS R. Espinoza – 1B E. Hernandez – C Payne – RF McIntyre – 3B M. Grant – P C. Vasquez
POR: CF Mercado – SS Adame – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – 2B Waters – C Gonzalez – LF Baskins – RF Fernandez – P Baker

Baker struck out five in the first three innings, but fell behind 1-0 before whiffing anybody, conceding hits to Allen and Reeves, then a sac fly to Loyola in the top 1st. Vasquez faced the minimum the first time through; Mercado opened the bottom 1st with a leadoff single, was doubled up by Adame, and nobody else got to first base after that. Grant’s throwing error in the bottom 4th put Adame on second base with one out, though, and Maldo immediately seized on the opportunity and tied the game with a double to left. Toohey walked after that, and Waters grabbed the lead for Portland with an RBI single in right-center, his 50th RBI of the year, third-best on the team. After a Gonzalez single filled the bases, Baskins’ fly to left was just about good enough to get Toohey home with a sac fly, while Manny spanked a bouncer right at Hernandez for the last out of the inning.

The Loggers got back to 3-2 in the fifth, Vasquez singling home Payne, who had drawn a leadoff walk from Baker, who weaseled through a 3-hit sixth with a double play in between before concluding his day with a 1-2-3 seventh inning, still holding on to the 3-2 lead. He was hit for with Gurney in the bottom 7th after Gonzalez and Manny hit singles, but Gurney whiffed and Mercado flew out to McIntyre to strand the runners. Nelson Moreno turned away the Loggers’ 2-3-4 batters in order with two strikeouts in the eighth, but Portland didn’t tack on anything in that inning either. Lynn was in for the ninth, with right-handed Pat Lovell pinch-hitting for the left-handed Hernandez to give him all righties to contend with. Two grounders and a high pop to Baskins ended the game and completed the sweep. 3-2 Raccoons. Gonzalez 2-3; Baker 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, W (3-1);

In other news

July 29 – The Miners beat the Scorpions, 6-5 in 16 innings, the game finally coming to an end with a walkoff single hit by PIT LF/RF Roberto Cruz (.265, 2 HR, 9 RBI).
July 30 – The Thunder make a pair on confusing trades, acquiring SP Oscar Flores (9-7, 3.04 ERA) from the Falcons for a prospect, while sending aging SS Tony Aparicio (.311, 10 HR, 48 RBI) to the Condors for five prospects. The package includes #83 C Chris Gowin.
July 30 – The Cyclones pick up 1B Mark Cahill (.254, 15 HR, 59 RBI) from the Pacifics for the cost of a prospect.
July 30 – The Bayhawks acquire OF John Fink (.320, 8 HR, 58 RBI) from the Gold Sox, who receive OF Armando Luis Herrera (.297, 6 HR, 42 RBI) and a prospect.
July 30 – In his third game for the Blue Sox, 2B/3B Travis Malkus (.257, 3 HR, 35 RBI) spanks five singles and drives in four runs in a 9-1 win over the Warriors.
July 31 – The hitting streak of RIC OF/1B Cullen Tortora (.274, 4 HR, 40 RBI) ends at 24 games after he is held dry by Dallas in a 5-1 loss.
August 2 – The Condors scored in every inning but the sixth in their 14-4 win over the Knights. 1B Sterling Henderson (.292, 13 HR, 71 RBI) goes unretired, 5-for-5 with a walk and 2 RBI, for Tijuana.
August 2 – The Wolves put up a 10-spot in the seventh inning as they rally from behind for a 16-8 win over the Stars.
August 3 – In a bitter twist for Oklahoma City, their new acquisition Oscar Flores (9-7, 3.24 ERA) goes one inning and allows four runs in an 8-4 loss to the Aces on Thursday before leaving the game with what by Saturday turns out to be a season-ending case of shoulder inflammation.

FL Player of the Week: PIT INF Landon Guillory (.272, 8 HR, 45 RBI), hitting .371 (13-35) with 1 HR, 10 RBI
CL Player of the Week: VAN C Julio Diaz (.329, 7 HR, 38 RBI), batting .483 (14-29) with 2 HR, 8 RBI

FL Hitter of the Month: DAL OF Tylor Cecil (.311, 20 HR, 84 RBI), batting .383 with 8 HR, 29 RBI
CL Hitter of the Month: OCT 2B/SS Jonathan Ban (.346, 8 HR, 60 RBI), swatting .435 with 4 HR, 16 RBI
FL Pitcher of the Month: NAS SP Marcus Wilkins (7-11, 3.89 ERA), dominating with a 5-0 record, 0.70 ERA, and 26 K
CL Pitcher of the Month: IND SP Bill Nichol (11-9, 2.78 ERA), hurling to a 4-2 record, 1.36 ERA, and 34 K
FL Rookie of the Month: PIT 2B/3B Alex Vasquez (.279, 1 HR, 36 RBI), hitting .343 with 15 RBI
CL Rookie of the Month: TIJ 1B/C Jon Mittleider (.305, 2 HR, 16 RBI), batting .315 with 2 HR, 11 RBI

Complaints and stuff

The sad-sack Loggers have already lost the season series; the sweep made it 10-1 Critters in that regard.

No trade at the deadline – the rationale was that we won the World Series without pitchers last year, and should more injuries strike we could do so again. No, actually, we have next to no prospects, and it was not possible to get a pitcher where we would have been able to proclaim that he was definitely better than what Baker should be able to put up. Baker, 26, is not the be-all, end-all of pitching, but a solid #5 and should things break further also good enough for one start in a 7-game series.

Next week we will host the Titans for three games, then have a meeting with the Gold Sox in Denver on the weekend. We will return home right after that, opening a 9-game homestand.

Fun Fact: While the Raccoons overall have pretty good offensive numbers, we remain unable to draw any walks whatsoever.

That is probably a management philosophy problem. I like hits. They are more exciting than walks.

Then again, nobody has ever torn ankle ligaments on a walk to first base…