[Westheim]

Raccoons (41-34) vs. Knights (45-31) – June 30-July 2, 2053

The Knights came in screaming hot, having won ten games in a row, which was not enough to even lead the CL South, in which they trailed the Thunder by 2 1/2 games. They scored the most runs in the CL – 5.3 per game! – but were also below average in giving up runs, conceding the eighth-most runs in the Continental League. Outfielder Jon Alade was a notable injury for them and would not play in this series. The Coons held a 2-1 edge over them this year.

Projected matchups:
Phil Baker (4-3, 6.26 ERA) vs. Matt Weber (8-2, 2.58 ERA)
Victor Salcido (7-3, 3.40 ERA) vs. Dave Hils (8-5, 4.96 ERA)
Kyle Brobeck (1-2, 4.67 ERA) vs. Esteban Duran (9-1, 3.23 ERA)

Only right-handed opponents scheduled for this set!

The Coons optioned Matt Knight (.143, 1 HR, 3 RBI) to AAA before the series, who would thus not get to meet his relatives from Atlanta, while bringing up nominally disgraced Phil Baker for a spot start. Also, Travis Malkus went on the DL with chronic back soreness, and the Coons recalled the more versatile Joe Boese from AAA.

Game 1
ATL: SS W. Acosta – C Almaguer – 1B J. Rogers – 2B L. Harrison – LF Kirkwood – RF Angeletti – CF Wada – 3B Housey – P Weber
POR: LF Puckeridge – SS Lavorano – 2B Waters – 1B Crum – RF Lopez – CF Perez – C Raczka – 3B Crispin – P Baker

Pucks flew out to Chris Kirkwood on a 3-0 pitch to begin the Coons’ batting for the week, and it set the tone for a while. Weber retired the first ten Coons straight before giving up a pair of singles to Lonzo and Waters, but Ken Crum unhelpfully hit into an inning-ending double play. By then, Baker had not allowed a run the first time through the Knights’ order, but had been taken deep by Pedro Almaguer to begin the top of the fourth. Baker pitched surprisingly well and into the eighth inning, where he then gave up a 1-out single to Matt Housey and nicked Willie Acosta before suffering removal from the game with two outs and Almaguer back at the plate, the batter that had provided the only score in the game so far. Raul Cornejo and Mikio Suzuki entered in a double switch with two outs, Perez being removed, and then worked together for the third out of the inning when Cornejo’s pitch was lifted to Suzuki by Almaguer. Suzuki hit a 1-out single off right-hander Eli Dupuis in the bottom 8th, and Pucks reached on an error by Lance Harrison. Lonzo lashed a liner to left for an RBI single, taking Baker off the hook, but meek outs by Waters and Crum killed the inning before the Coons could take a lead.

Cornejo held the Knights in check in the top 9th, then followed Tony Lopez’ leadoff walk drawn off Dupuis in the bottom 9th and was retained to bunt the winning run into scoring position, but from there the team choked again. Joe Boese pinch-hit and whiffed, Crispin walked, and Suzuki grounded out to Acosta, sending the game into overtime. Vic Flores got the 10th, walked, PH Eduardo Avila, and was taken deep by Jushiro Wada, which was *not* enough to lose the game – a Pucks homer off David Hardaway to begin the bottom 10th, a Lonzo double, and an RBI single by Tony Lopez (!) tying the game again…! Chris Gowin also singled, but Naughty Joe grounded out to extend the game further. Hitchcock struck out two in a 1-2-3 outing in the top 11th, but Tenazes opened the bottom of the inning with a groundout in his place. Suzuki also grounded out, but Pucks doubled off Hardaway. Lonzo was less flashy, but shoved a ball up the middle and through between the infielders to walk off the Critters anyway. 4-3 Raccoons! Puckeridge 2-6, HR, 2B, RBI; Lavorano 4-6, 2B, 2 RBI; Gowin 1-1; Suzuki (PH) 1-3; Baker 7.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K;

Baker (4-3, 5.47 ERA) was returned to AAA despite the good start – we were running a clean operation here, and he had only been flown cross-country with instructions to only pack a single set of underwear. We’d instead try and throw Ryan Harmer against the wall once more.

The intent was now to use Alfaro as fifth starter until the All Star Game, so he could probably pitch an inning or two in the next two games, but then had to be reserved.

Pucks was named the CL Hitter of the Month by Tuesday morning, his first such designation.

Game 2
ATL: SS W. Acosta – CF Wada – 1B J. Rogers – 2B L. Harrison – LF Kirkwood – RF Angeletti – C S. Suggs – 3B Villacorta – P Hils
POR: LF Puckeridge – SS Lavorano – 2B Waters – 1B Crum – C Gowin – CF Perez – RF Lopez – 3B Crispin – P Salcido

Portland went up 2-0 in the first with singles from Lonzo, Waters, and Gowin, with a Ken Crum sac fly in between. Pucks didn’t get a hit in that first inning, but singled home Ed Crispin with two outs in the bottom 2nd, 3-0, which was just as well. Waters’ triple and Crum’s homer to begin the third inning rushed the score to 5-0. That was barely enough to survive a hellacious fourth inning for Salcido, in which he was whacked from left to right and back again; Lance Harrison singled, Chris Kirkwood doubled, and the runners scored on a groundout and a wild pitch. Sean Suggs struck out, but then the Knights hit fourth gear. Leo Villacorta double, Aaron Foss single, Willie Acosta double, Jushiro Wada single, and somehow a fly to left that Pucks caught from Jay Rogers, which kept the score at 5-4 and stranded two runners on base.

Hils was gone already, but Kyle DuPlessis gave back a run to the Critters when Gowin doubled home Crum with two outs in the bottom 4th, but Salcido put the tying runs on base with a Harrison double and a walk to Kirkwood and was unceremoniously yanked. Eloy Sencion got a double play ball to Waters from Angeletti, but instead gave up a game-tying homer to Sean Suggs, which, frankly, sugged…!

All even at six, the Coons went back to work on DuPlessis in the bottom 5th. Tony Lopez drew a leadoff walk, stole second, and scored on a Crispin single. Pucks walked, Waters singled home two with two outs, and Crispin kept raking from the #8 hole, doubling home Fernando Perez in the next inning, then against Dupuis. At that point we were up 10-6 and kept batting with Raul Medrano and two outs, and took the K with the reliever, to keep him tossing long relief. The Knights were collapsing, though: the bottom 7th saw Pucks and Lonzo singles, then a 3-run blast to right from Matt Waters. Crispin then hit a wallbanger RBI double off Kyle Doering in the bottom 8th, going up to 14-6, and Medrano kept batting even in that inning, taking another K. Pucks then doubled home Crispin, and while Lonzo grounded out, the Raccoons brought Waters back to the plate; the second-sacker was a double short of the cycle, but flew out to J.P. Angeletti to end the inning. Medrano didn’t retire anybody in the ninth inning anymore and was yanked after three batters and a run was across, and Alfaro gave up just three more screamers for hits. On to Harmer, who allowed a run on Villacorta’s groundout, whiffed Angel Quintana, then walked Willie Acosta … and now the Coons had turned a 9-run lead into a save situation. Daley flew Wada out to Pucks to end the clown show. 15-11 Furballs. Puckeridge 3-5, BB, 2B, 2 RBI; Lavorano 2-6; Waters 4-6, HR, 3B, 5 RBI; Gowin 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI; Crispin 3-3, BB, 2 2B, 3 RBI;

We scored in every inning we batted in!

Game 3
ATL: SS W. Acosta – C Almaguer – 1B J. Rogers – 2B L. Harrison – LF Kirkwood – RF Angeletti – CF Wada – 3B Villacorta – P E. Duran
POR: RF Puckeridge – SS Lavorano – 2B Waters – 1B Crum – C Gowin – CF Suzuki – 3B Crispin – LF Tenazes – P Brobeck

The Coons continued to score in every inning on Wednesday; Crum doubled home Waters with two outs in the first inning, while in the second inning we had to wait on a Villacorta error on Brobeck’s 2-out grounder to allow Crispin to come in from third base, 2-0, but Almaguer took it all away again with a homer in the third inning after Acosta had hit a 2-out single off Brobeck, and the Coons’ scoring streak ended with a 1-2-3 bottom 3rd as well.

They loaded the bags in the fourth, however, with Gowin, Tenazes, and Brobeck accumulating by the time there were two outs. Pucks batted and floated a 2-0 pitch over Lance Harrison’s glove for a howler of a 2-run single. Lonzo grounded out to short to strand two, but the inning after Ken Crum went deep to left to tack on a run, 5-2. And while Brobeck was holding up his end of the box score, the Coons kept hitting. Waters drew a 1-out walk in the seventh before scoring on a string of 2-out singles by Gowin, Suzuki, and Crispin, although Prospero Tenazes then flew out to Wada to strand a full buffet of runners.

Brobeck held out until the eighth, but was lifted after a walk and a single put Wilie Acosta and Pedro Almaguer on the corners with one out. It took Flores *and* Cornejo to extricate the Coons from the inning, but they did so without allowing a run; Jay Rogers popped out against the former, who walked Harrison, and Kirkwood flew out to left facing Cornejo, who entered in a double switch with the intent to finish the game – and he did just that, but put two Knights on base even in the ninth inning. 6-2 Raccoons. Puckeridge 2-5, 2 RBI; Crum 2-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI; Gowin 3-4; Brobeck 7.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, W (2-2) and 1-2, BB; Cornejo 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, SV (1);

Raccoons (44-34) vs. Canadiens (44-32) – July 3-6, 2053

Interesting series coming up here – four games with the damn Elks, as both teams were within 2 1/2 games of the first-place Crusaders! The Elks were set up a bit like the Knights, mostly surviving on offense, with the third-most runs scored and the fourth-most runs conceded to their names and hooves. Their rotation was especially crummy with a 4.61 ERA, although they had just acquired Cory Ellis in a trade with the Blue Sox. They led the season series, 4-3.

Projected matchups:
Seisaku Taki (8-4, 2.43 ERA) vs. Juan Arrocha (3-4, 5.05 ERA)
Jason Wheatley (5-4, 2.54 ERA) vs. Mario Godinez (5-6, 3.72 ERA)
Antonio Alfaro (4-0, 4.23 ERA) vs. Cory Ellis (2-4, 3.34 ERA)
Victor Salcido (7-3, 3.73 ERA) vs. Jesse Bulas (7-8, 6.70 ERA)

All right-handers here; Godinez and Ellis had gone on the same day and were interchangeable for the two middle starts. Starting pitchers Terry Herman and Juan Ramos were on the DL, and 2B Tony Aparicio was day-to-day with a calf injury.

That poor moose calf.

Game 1
VAN: CF D. Moreno – SS Mullen – 2B Aparicio – LF Magnussen – 3B Guillory – C Julio Diaz – 1B Wheeler – RF Burkhart – P Arrocha
POR: LF Puckeridge – SS Lavorano – 2B Waters – 1B Crum – RF Lopez – CF Perez – 3B Crispin – C Raczka – P Taki

The series started with a triple play in the first inning; Damian Moreno singled to right and Dan Mullen was brushed on the knee by a pitch, putting two on. They were also in motion when Aparicio lined to left – but somehow Ed Crispin lunged and snatched the ball! The runners had to throw the anchor, but too late. Moreno was out on a zinger to second base, and Mullen fell down reversing, and couldn’t out-scramble the throw to first base, 5-4-3! Pucks opened with a single in the bottom 1st, but was forced out by Lonzo. Lonzo stole two bases, but was stranded on third, while the Elks then had a strike-em-out-throw-em-out double play done unto them in the second; Taki walked Adam Magnussen, but he was thrown out at second while Landon Guillory went down flailing on a 3-2 pitch. It remained a busy day for Taki, who was just off and kept missing generously once more, which had happened a few more times recently. The Elks had no runs through four, however, while the Coons’ 4-5-6 loaded the bases with one gone in the bottom 4th, bringing up Crispin, suddenly red hot, in a scoreless game. He grounded to Guillory on a 2-1 pitch, which at least brought in the game’s first run, with the only play at first base. Raczka was walked intentionally, but Taki flew out to Damian Moreno.

It was still 1-0 with one gone in the bottom 6th when Arrocha plunked Lopez and Perez singled. Crispin was not allowed to do more damage, getting nicked by a pitch as well, which loaded the bases for the battery, which could not lead anywhere nice. Jeff Raczka disagreed, getting his first two RBI of the season with a sharp single through the right side! Taki bunted the runners into scoring position, and Pucks bounced to Guillory, who flubbed the ball and kicked it into foul ground, allowing Crispin to score. Lonzo then grounded out, stranding a pair on the corners in a 4-0 game.

Taki reached the eighth and got a groundout from Jeff Wheeler before giving up a single to Tim Burkhart and getting a lift. Sencion walked the pinch-hitter Tim Turner, but struck out Moreno and got Mullen to ground out to wiggle out of the inning. Harmer then pitched the ninth without coming to substantial harm. 4-0 Furballs! Perez 2-4; Crispin 2-3, BB, 2B, RBI; Taki 7.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K, W (9-4);

Taki gets the nod there for the final line, not for how we reached that point.

Game 2
VAN: CF D. Moreno – SS Mullen – 2B Aparicio – 1B Liberos – LF Magnussen – 3B Guillory – C Julio Diaz – RF T. Turner – P Ellis
POR: RF Puckeridge – SS Lavorano – 2B Waters – 1B Crum – C Gowin – 3B Crispin – CF Perez – LF Tenazes – P Wheatley

Moreno whacked a leadoff jack to begin the game on Friday, which marked the first time the Raccoons trailed since Monday. The Raccoons then scattered five singles in the first three innings, getting Perez to hit into a double play and stranding the other four runners for no gains of their own. The bottom 4th saw Crispin walk with one out and be caught stealing for two outs. Perez walked as well, did steal second himself, which gave the four-fingered salute to Tenazes. Wheats then singled, loading the bags for Pucks, who raked a ball into the right-center gap for a bases-clearing double…!

After Lonzo flew out to shallow left, the Elks regained a run on Wheats with three singles in the fifth inning, Moreno driving home Turner to get to 3-2. The Coons pulled that one back right away, although Mullen was involved there as well, dropping a Crispin pop with two outs, and thus allowing Waters to score from third base, 4-2. Wheats ended up going seven perfectly fine innings, and Ken Crum socked a solo homer off Josh Rella in the bottom 7th to extend the score to 5-2. Hitchcock retired the top of the order just like that, 1-2-3, in the eighth, and Daley walked Guillory with two outs in the ninth, but got a foul pop from Julio Diaz for the final out after that. 5-2 Coons! Puckeridge 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI; Lavorano 2-4; Crum 2-4, RBI; Wheatley 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, W (6-4) and 1-3;

We had to give days off to the top four at some point here, but I was hesitant to do it while we were having the damn Elks in the house. Harry Ramsay was not far from returning – plugging him back in at first base would help rotating the Crums and Puckeridges out of the lineup.

The baseball gods then divined that maybe I should change plans, and sent rain all day on Saturday, which would have been Alfaro’s spot start, and gave up a Sunday double-header, which was still a spot start for Alfaro then.

Game 3
VAN: CF D. Moreno – SS Mullen – 2B Aparicio – 1B Liberos – LF Magnussen – 3B Guillory – C Julio Diaz – RF Burkhart – P Bulas
POR: LF Puckeridge – SS Lavorano – 2B Waters – 1B Crum – C Gowin – RF Lopez – CF Perez – 3B Blackshire – P Salcido

Waters was on base in the bottom of the first, at least until he was picked off by Bulas, who then loaded the bags in the bottom 2nd with singles to Crum and Gowin and a full-count walk to Tony Lopez, all with nobody out then. Perez’ run-scoring 6-4-3 double play grounder was all the Critters got before Blackshire struck out to end the inning for good. The game then low-key drizzled along until the fifth inning when Salcido smacked Burkhart in the elbow with a fastball and the outfielder left the game after a lengthy consultation with their team trainer, to be replaced by good ol’ Pat Gurney, who was stranded by groundouts for both Bulas and Moreno. The Coons had Blackshire and Lonzo on the corners in the bottom 5th, but Waters stranded them with a K, before Blackshire’s error put Moreno aboard to begin the top 6th. Salcido walked Aparicio, got a double play from Manny Liberos, but then had the game tied on him on a shy single by Adam Magnussen, only the second Elks hit in the game. Guillory then lined out to Lonzo.

The Coons returned to the corners in the bottom 6th, then with 1-out hits for Chris Gowin (double to right) and Lopez (single to left). Perez got a run home again, this time by singling over Mullen’s head, but the inning then dried up as Blackshire and Salcido made easy outs. The Elks then socked four hits off Salcido in the seventh, who didn’t finish the inning; Mullen, Aparicio, and Liberos all had a 2-out RBI knock. Eloy Sencion entered to face Magnussen, faced Jeff Wheeler instead, fell to 3-1, and then still got a groundout.

Pucks crashed a huge homer to right off Josh Rella to lead off the bottom 7th, shortening the gap to 4-3, who then retired the next three batters. Gowin’s double off Ruben Mendez to open the eighth put the tying run into scoring position, though. Tony Lopez reached base on an error by Manny Liberos, advancing Gowin to third base. Perez struck out, but Blackshire shoved a ball through the left side for a score-knotting single! Crispin lined out, Pucks grounded out, but at least we were even. Daley kept us even with a 1-2-3 ninth, and Bernardino Risso was trying to do the same, retiring Lonzo and Waters to begin the bottom 9th. Ken Crum singled to left, though, and Gowin walked in a full count. Tony Lopez normally wouldn’t be allowed to get anywhere near a situation where the winning run was in scoring position with two outs, but it was hard to find a better right-handed bat on that bench, so he was sent to the plate. He ticked the 1-0 through the right side, Crum started early, and scored on Gurney’s off-line throw to walk off the Critters for their ninth straight win! 5-4 Raccoons! Crum 2-5; Gowin 3-4, BB, 2 2B; Lopez 2-4, BB, RBI; Blackshire 2-4, RBI;

Come on, boys! Keep your knee on their neck!!

Matt Waters was given a rest in the second game anyway then, but the other three in the top half of the lineup were sent back out.

What do you mean, Cristiano, it rains again? – (looks outside, where it blitzes with passion)

Well, maybe Antonio Alfaro *won’t* make a spot start after all!

In other news

June 30 – Rookie Loggers OF Joe Gragg (.105, 0 HR, 0 RBI) gets busted on his first drug test as a major leaguer and is suspended for 80 games.
June 30 – NAS OF Edwin Flores (.244, 0 HR, 16 RBI) hits a walkoff double to give the Blue Sox a 14-inning, 6-5 win over the Wolves.
July 1 – OCT SP David Barel (13-4, 2.33 ERA) has consecutive 2-hit shutouts after humbling the Titans, his former long-time team, in a 5-0 shutout.
July 1 – The Blue Sox trade SP Zack Stahl (3-6, 4.05 ERA) to the Aces for two prospects.
July 2 – The Thunder drop 38-year-old 3B/1B Ramon Sifuentes (.262, 9 HR, 46 RBI) on the Buffaloes, along with a prospect, for MR Ryan Moore (2-1, 1.73 ERA).
July 2 – Vancouver acquires SP Cory Ellis (2-4, 3.34 ERA) from the Blue Sox for four prospects. The package includes #66 1B Andy Metz and #141 CL Ryan Hogues.
July 5 – The Thunder acquire right-hander Alex Mancilla (0-6, 3.76 ERA, 12 SV) from the Warriors for two prospects, including #177 RF/LF/1B Cesar Santiago.

FL Player of the Week: TOP 1B/LF/RF Eddie Moreno (.285, 13 HR, 52 RBI), batting .462 (12-26) with 2 HR, 7 RBI
CL Player of the Week: MIL INF Zach Suggs (.370, 18 HR, 50 RBI), socking .481 (13-27) with 5 HR, 8 RBI

FL Hitter of the Month: NAS 1B Alejandro Ramos (.259, 7 HR, 34 RBI), batting .333 with 5 HR, 25 RBI
CL Hitter of the Month: POR OF/1B Alan Puckeridge (.323, 9 HR, 50 RBI), socking .343 with 6 HR, 31 RBI
FL Pitcher of the Month: LAP SP Jim Reynolds (9-5, 2.68 ERA), throwing for a 5-0 record, 0.87 ERA, and 35 K
CL Pitcher of the Month: CHA SP Art Schaeffer (10-3, 2.38 ERA), going 5-0 with a 1.38 ERA, 38 K
FL Rookie of the Month: LAP INF Gustavo Miguel (.290, 5 HR, 20 RBI), hitting .287 with 1 HR, 8 RBI
CL Rookie of the Month: SFB 2B/LF Armando Montoya (.259, 8 HR, 37 RBI), batting .307 with 1 HR, 9 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Puuuucks! Bestest batter in the league in June! And all that for $22k as an intentional free agent in ’44!

Speaking of those international teenagers, that signing window also opened again on Tuesday. The Coons have made offers to six players so far (and actually already signed a few cheap ones), although none of them have scouting reports that would light your fur on fire. But neither did Pucks nine years ago.

We have won nine in a row and are now in second place, which begs the question whether the Raccoons will be buyers at the deadline. The thing is that we don’t have many prospects to go around, so I am not sure what we’d even pay with. The rained out Elks game will be made up double header fashion on August 22, in the middle of a 6-day string of games with the Caps and Elks.

Harry Ramsay started a rehab assignment with the Alley Cats on the weekend and will probably return early next week.

We’re off to Milwaukee and New York then. Meanwhile, we have already won more games against the Elks this year than all of last season, when we got trounced, 13-5.

Fun Fact: The hot **** during the 2044 July IFA window that the Raccoons eventually balked on was Dominican outfielder Victor Magana.

He signed with the Thunder for $520k eventually, which you’ll notice is almost 24 Puckses worth, and has yet to reach the major leagues. He turned 26 this week, and has so far appeared in only 24 AAA games.

Fun Fact (Bonus Round): The Raccoons do have a minor leaguer named Victor Magana after all.

That one’s a left-handed pitcher though that the cat dragged in, respectively, Pat Degenhardt on a fishing trip to Venezuela. He doesn’t look like anything much, just like the other Victor Magana.