[Westheim]

Raccoons (61-57) vs. Buffaloes (61-55) – August 17-19, 2049

The Critters had lost two of three the last time they had played the Buffaloes in the 2047 season. Now the Buffos came in as the leaders in the FL East, while the Raccoons were… uh, assured of no further Federal League opposition once the Buffos’d be outta town on Thursday night. Topeka ranked fourth in runs scored and runs allowed in the FL. They had a very stingy pen, but it was a bit mysterious how they actually scored their runs, sitting fourth despite being in the bottom half in all of batting average, on-base percentage, homers, and stolen bases. It seemed like runs would just magically appear on the board for them. They also had six players on the DL, including some old CL North opposition with Alex Zacarias and Vittorio Riario. Still had their murderous catcher, Brett Banks (.286, 18 HR, 73 RBI), though.

Projected matchups:
Victor Merino (9-8, 4.86 ERA) vs. Josh Vercher (1-0, 2.61 ERA)
Jason Wheatley (9-8, 3.72 ERA) vs. Jose Arias (10-6, 4.06 ERA)
Dave Hils (12-4, 4.10 ERA) vs. Jay Carroll (8-11, 4.76 ERA)

One right-hander, two left-handers were on the menu. Maybe. Both teams had been off on Monday before this series.

Game 1
TOP: LF A. Vazquez – 3B Malkus – RF Millikan – C Banks – CF D. Lee – 2B A. Madrid – 1B Bush – SS Marroguin – P Vercher
POR: CF Watt – 3B Luna – LF Preble – 2B Waters – 1B Gurney – SS Adame – RF Nigro – C Gonzalez – P Merino

Vercher was just back from shoulder inflammation having taken him out for four months, but Merino was the one that couldn’t get guys out. The Buffos had the leadoff man on base in each inning against him, including back-to-back extra-base knocks from both Alfonso Madrid and Erik Bush to begin the second *and* fourth innings. Madrid scored on two doubles in the first instance, but homered outright the second time. Bush hit another double, but that time was scored on productive outs while he had been stranded earlier. That made it 3-0 Buffos, but the Coons woke up then. Preble was out on a deep fly to the fence to begin the bottom 4th, but Waters singled and stole second. Adame singled home Waters, stole second himself, then was driven in by Brian Nigro. Gonzalez flew out, but at least we were back to 3-2. Oh, sorry, for a moment I forgot that Merino sucked. Travis Malkus and Dave Millikan hit singles to begin the fifth inning, Dave Lee spanked a 3-run homer, and the game was more or less over – at least for Merino.

…and the offense too. The Raccoons didn’t do much at all that would be worth talking about in the latter half of the game, while we got solid relief from Richardson and Lynn to get through six, but with the Coons still a slam short then, tried their luck with Danny Cancel in long relief. Cancel was quickly blown up for three more runs, but was left out there to finish the last three innings when he really wasn’t a 3+ innings guy, a surefire sign of a guy that was gonna wake up a different time zone tomorrow. Vercher finished a complete game. 9-2 Buffaloes. Watt 3-5; Luna 2-5; Waters 3-4; Adame 2-4, RBI;

Indeed, Danny Cancel (0-0, 7.50 ERA) was cancelled back to St. Pete. We’d try our luck with Bryan Lenderink once more.

Game 2
TOP: LF Marroguin – CF D. Lee – RF Angeletti – C Banks – 1B V. Cruz – 2B Malkus – 3B Mujica – SS A. Madrid – P J. Arias
POR: LF Watt – CF Herrera – RF Preble – 2B Waters – 1B Gurney – SS Adame – 3B Crispin – C Gonzalez – P Wheatley

Another first-frame whacking for Wheats then, only increasing my despair for the season to finally ******* end; Jordan Marroguin and Dave Lee both opened with 2-strike singles, and things went downhill from there. In total, the Buffaloes hit four singles and drove in three runs in the inning. It got marginally better in the following innings, and he gave up three more hits in the next three innings, while working on tying the game at three. What? Yeah. He bunted badly in the bottom 3rd, forcing out Ruben Gonzalez, but then was singled home by Herrera in the inning to narrow the score to 3-1. In the fourth, the bags happened to fill up with two outs and Wheats’ spot coming up. There was no way we would pinch-hit for our ace (only guy under 4 in the ERA column after all…! …barely…), and in a 2-2 count, Wheats would shove a grounder through between Travis Malkus and Victor Cruz for a 2-run single, knotting the score at three.

Watt popped out to end the inning, and the Coons stranded Preble and a double in the fifth. Of course the Buffos scratched out another run off Wheats in the sixth on singles by Malkus and Madrid, and thus took a new 4-3 lead. Brett Banks would take it upon himself to hit another homer off Wheats in the seventh, and he left trailing 5-3 and biting into his glove. Welcome to 2049, where nothing works, not even Wheats in the second half. And this was while Matt Waters went yard in the bottom 7th with Watt and Preble aboard, flipping the score to 6-5 Coons and giving Wheats a potential W after all…! Mike Preble though wrinkled his pokey black nose at the thought of having to share the homer lead on the team with Waters, and mashed his own 3-run homer off Marcos Rivera in the bottom 8th when the Coons tried to get fancy, pinch-running with an outfielder (Avila) for their catcher on base, while the other catcher pinch-hit for another outfielder (Watt). Nonsense, barked Preble, unpacked the hammer, and established slam range.

The ninth went to Steve Richardson, at least until Erik Bush singled and J.P. Angeletti homered. Moreno then got rid of Banks and Cruz to actually give Wheats that shoddy win. 9-7 Raccoons. Herrera 2-5, RBI; Preble 3-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI; Gonzalez 1-2, 2 BB;

(comes into the office on Thursday, finding Waters and Preble flexing in front of Autumn and trying to get her to pick the stronger one between them)

(heads for the booze cabinet without saying a word)

Game 3
TOP: LF Marroguin – 3B Mujica – RF Angeletti – C Banks – 1B V. Cruz – 2B Malkus – CF A. Vazquez – SS A. Madrid – P Carroll
POR: LF Watt – CF Herrera – 2B Waters – 1B Gurney – RF Avila – SS Adame – C Gardner – 3B Rogers – P Hils

In another rotten first, Frank Mujica and J.P. Angeletti went to the corners with singles, then both scored; Mujica came in on a throwing error by Gardner, who tried to catch Angeletti stealing, but did literally anything but. Brett Banks’ sac fly made it 2-0. The Coons did not get a base hit until Avila singled with two outs in the fourth, which somehow developed into a minor rally. Adame was nicked, Gardner hit an RBI single, but the inning inevitably ended with a 2-1 score when Tim Rogers grounded out meekly.

Victor Cruz homered to right in the sixth, which was actually the first earned run off Hils, and made it 3-1 in a game that was mostly devoid of actual events so far, but then the Coons’ 4-5-6 hitters put three straight singles together to load the bases with one out in the bottom 6th. Of course it ended badly; Gardner slapped a 3-1 pitch back to Carroll to get Gurney out at home, and Rogers grounded out like a wimp again. Hils went seven and allowed that many hits, then was hit for with Eddy Luna, who opened the bottom 7th with a leadoff single. Watt flicked a weak single over Madrid at 3-2, putting the tying run on base. Herrera found Madrid for a double play, and Waters flew out to Vazquez in center. Ponce and Hitchcock put a scoreless eighth together, but the latter opened the ninth by allowing a single to Cruz and nailing Malkus. Lynn replaced him, got two outs, but then surrendered the runs on a sharp single by Erik Bush in the #9 hole… Not that the Coons had any sort of rally in the bottom 9th… 5-1 Buffaloes. Avila 3-4; Gardner 2-3, BB, RBI; Luna (PH) 1-2; Hils 7.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, L (12-5);

Raccoons (62-59) vs. Titans (63-58) – August 20-22, 2049

This was for second place, not that anybody really cared. The Titans were up 6-5 in the season series, but somehow were five games over .500 despite having a -46 run differential (Coons: +5). Their pitching was average, but their offense remained abysmal. The Titans had most of a rotation on the DL, plus outfielders Ruben Mangual and Leo Estrada.

Projected matchups:
Bubba Wolinsky (9-8, 4.58 ERA) vs. Tony Ruiz (3-10, 5.72 ERA)
Victor Salcido (4-8, 4.42 ERA) vs. David Barnes (0-2, 3.60 ERA)
Victor Merino (9-9, 5.11 ERA) vs. Kyle Turay (14-5, 2.79 ERA)

This series would *begin* with two southpaws, then send us a righty – although the Titans came in on a day off, so there was that. Next in line would be righty Bill Flattery (5-9, 4.71 ERA).

Game 1
BOS: CF Monson – LF C. Jimenez – 1B Wheeler – RF T. Lopez – 3B Massey – C Youngquist – 2B T. Thompson – SS J. Rodriguez – P T. Ruiz
POR: SS Adame – CF Herrera – LF Preble – 2B Waters – RF Avila – 3B Luna – C Gonzalez – 1B Rogers – P Wolinsky

The Coons stranded pairs in the first and third innings without scoring, first Adame and Waters, then Herrera and Preble. In the fourth, Luna and Gonzalez were on the corners, and then Tim Rogers rotted into a inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. And the Titans? Tom Thompson took Wolinsky deep in the second with Nate Massey on base, so it was 2-0 Boston. They didn’t have much else, but they had the lead…

Bubba pitched seven, whiffing nine and giving up just four hits, but was still down 2-0 at the seventh-inning stretch. Eddy Luna had hit into a double play to end the sixth, but the seventh for the Coons began with a single for Ruben Gonzalez. Rogers grounded to the right side where Thompson kicked the ball for an error, putting the tying run on base. Watt batted for Wolinsky, popped to shallow right, Tony Lopez came on and clonked the ball off the heel of his glove for a second straight error. Three on, no outs, doubly-unearned, sounded like some real doom was going to befall us now. …or maybe Ruiz! He walked Adame in a full count, pushing in a run, and Herrera chopped the game tied with a bouncer through the left side on another 3-2 pitch. Preble hit a sac fly, and then … handbrake. The Coons had two hapless fly outs and didn’t build on their gifted 3-2 lead. Preston Porter had a 1-2-3 eighth with two strikeouts on Jason Monson and Chris Jimenez, but Adam Bates pretty much matched him for Boston against the Raccoons. Nelson Moreno thus got the 3-4-5 batters in the ninth with no cushion, offered a leadoff walk to Jeff Wheeler, but got a double play from Tony Lopez to short. Massey walked with two outs, putting the tying run on base *again*, but Ryan Youngquist kindly grounded out to Waters. 3-2 Critters. Herrera 2-3, BB, RBI; Gonzalez 1-2; Wolinsky 7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, W (10-8);

(sniffs around the snack bucket before the Saturday game) – Maud? Maud? – Where are the donuts? – What do you mean, there are no donuts?? We can’t play without donuts! – What *is* this stuff in the bucket after all? – Organic algae cookies? What?? That’s not even FOOD! – Autumn bought those?

AUTUUUMN!!!!

Game 2
BOS: CF Monson – 3B Massey – 1B Wheeler – RF T. Lopez – C Youngquist – LF C. Jimenez – SS J. Rodriguez – 2B T. Thompson – P D. Barnes
POR: SS Adame – CF Herrera – LF Preble – 2B Waters – 1B Gurney – RF Avila – C Gardner – 3B Crispin – P Salcido

Wheeler tripled home Massey for a 1-0 Boston lead in the first inning. The first inning was easily the worst inning for Coons pitchers in recent memory… Preble would tie the game with his 20th homer in the bottom 1st, though. That was all the offense through five; the Coons had three more hits and as many double plays grounders, while Salcido allowed no more hits and struck out six, including the entire Titans brigade that dared show up in the second inning, Youngquist, Jimenez, and Jose Rodriguez.

Wheeler then whipped another extra-base hit, a 2-out double in the sixth inning with nobody aboard. I sighed when Tony Lopez singled to center, but Herrera fired home to strike down Wheeler and end the inning with the game still tied. The Coons then took the lead in the bottom of the frame. Herrera squeaked out a 2-out single, Wheeler dropped a Preble pop in fair territory to add a runner, and then Waters hit an RBI single to left. Gurney grounded out to Thompson, stranding a pair. Salcido, now up 2-1, worked around an Adame error in the seventh, but Adame knocked home a run in the bottom of the inning … more or less. There were two outs, with Crispin and Salcido on the corners after hitting a pair of singles. Adame hit a roller near the third base line, with Massey flinging wildly to first base. Wheeler reached into Adame’s lane, while the first base coach made a swiping motion that Adame picked up just in time to duck under Wheeler’s extended arm to slide into the base safely. Crispin scored, 3-1, but Adame was having some abdominal pain after the fact and was replaced with Luna to pinch-run and in the field. Herrera flew out to Jimenez to end the inning.

Salcido was allowed to fool on until the tying runs were on base in the eighth, Wheeler singling and Lopez walking with two outs. Nelson Moreno was summoned early, got a groundout from Youngquist to end the eighth, then retired three more in order in the ninth. 3-1 Raccoons. Adame 2-4, RBI; Herrera 2-4; Gurney 2-4; Salcido 7.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, W (5-8) and 1-3; Moreno 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, SV (33);

That gave us sole possession of first place… 13 games back, so who cares…?

I guess I’d talk differently if we came off five straight 87-losses seasons rather than five straight pennants…

Alex Adame was day-to-day with a mild abdominal strain. He was not in the lineup on Sunday, and might be sitting for a couple of days more after that.

Game 3
BOS: CF Monson – LF C. Jimenez – 1B Wheeler – RF T. Lopez – 3B Massey – C Youngquist – 2B T. Thompson – SS J. Rodriguez – P Turay
POR: CF Watt – 3B Luna – LF Preble – 2B Waters – 1B Gurney – RF Nigro – 3B Crispin – C Gardner – P Merino

For a change, Victor Merino retired the first 11 batters he faced before giving up a single to Jeff Wheeler. Lopez grounded out, but the game was scoreless, because the Coons had just as many hits as the Titans had put together before Wheeler’s hit, although Ed Crispin had been on base in the bottom 3rd by virtue of having gotten nicked. He had been stranded at third base by Watt. Turay also hit Preble with a fastball in the bottom 4th, to which Matt Waters objected, because he still needed Preble for competition for the team home run crown (and maybe he could still grab the league title again??), and blasted a 2-piece to center, his 19th of the year.

Merino walked Rodriguez in the sixth, and Gardner doubled home Crispin in the seventh, 3-0. Merino was on 79 pitches through seven, and still on a 1-hitter, and the Raccoons had every inclination to let him go for it. Youngquist whiffed to begin the eighth, Thompson flew out to center, but Jose Rodriguez socked a double up the leftfield line. PH Ian Davison bounced out to Luna, stranding that runner. Matt Waters singled and stole second against Jordan Ramos in the eighth, but was stranded by Gurney and Nigro, and then Merino tried to finish that shutout, and we’d grant him two runners as the inning began on 93 pitches. Monson ran a full count, then flew out easily to Preble. Jimenez grounded up the middle, but was retired on a nice Waters play. Wheeler popped out over home plate. 3-0 Furballs! Waters 2-3, BB, HR, 2 RBI; Crispin 1-2; Gardner 2-3, 2B, RBI; Merino 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, W (10-9);

In other news

August 16 – DAL OF Tylor Cecil (.339, 22 HR, 106 RBI) will miss three weeks with an oblique strain.
August 17 – Sioux Falls southpaw Walt Wright (5-2, 3.80 ERA) 2-hits the Knights in a spot star, whiffing eight in a 5-0 win.
August 17 – Indians OF/1B Bill Quinteros (.228, 14 HR, 40 RBI) will be out for a month with a case of shoulder bursitis.
August 19 – 24-year-old Scorpions right-hander Alberto Cuellar (1-1, 6.38 ERA) 2-hits the Falcons in a 3-0 shutout in just his second ABL start.
August 20 – RIC SP Omar Lara (14-8, 3.13 ERA) 2-hits the Buffaloes in an 8-0 shutout.
August 22 – The Capitals amount to three hits but no runs in a shutout by PIT SP Bobby Freels (5-9, 4.08 ERA), who claims the Miners’ 8-0 win.

FL Player of the Week: SFW LF Mario Villa (.388, 16 HR, 83 RBI), batting .467 (14-30) with 9 RBI
CL Player of the Week: OCT OF/1B Mike Harmon (.305, 9 HR, 37 RBI), swatting .500 (9-18) with 1 HR, 7 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Quite a few 2-hit shutouts this week, and I would not have guessed Merino until my third or fourth try at least if the baseball gods would have asked me beforepaw who’d get the Critters’ shutout. It’s the fourth shutout in Merino’s career, and he’s had one every season since ’46.

It was actually his second-worst one, behind a 1-hitter against the Crusaders and a no-hitter against the Titans on July 5, 2046. Tee-hee! So if he’s on, he can be *really* on. Unfortunately he’s only been on like three or four times this year. It was only his fourth outing with a game score over 60 – but the second one this month after his W over the Loggers on August 10. Turning the corner? Well, he’s been mauled for 5+ runs in the other three of his last five starts, so I’m not gonna bet my stripey tail on it quite yet.

Three more at home with New York, then the start of a road trip to Tijuana, Oklahoma, and September in general, which means our pain will turn third base for the year pretty soon.

Fun Fact: Denver’s Ivan Villa has more than 50% more home runs to his name this season than any other player in the league.

Villa has smashed 38 for the Gold Sox. Dallas’ Dario Martinez is next with 24. The CL lead is Vegas’ Sam Witherspoon with 22, so both Preble and Waters are very much in the running, along with San Fran’s Ken Crum, who has 21, Thunder Steve Humphreys, and Indy’s Danny Rivera (both 19).

Waters is also only three shy of the CL RBI lead held jointly by Crum and Atlanta’s Tyler Cass.

+++

As an aside, still on the old laptop, which was noticeably slow in processing ******* OOTP today. I have a hunch this was the last week played on it. I’ll draw my biweekly paranoid external backup now (biweekly in Coons’ terms) and then toss it into the nearest corner to alleviate some frustration.

Nope, the new laptop isn’t here yet.