Los Angeles Leopards (105-48, .686, 1st NL West) @ Austin Grackles (78-74, .513, 4th NL West)
At this point in the season, with our division on lock, and the fates of our rivals sealed, we’ll look for alternative motivations as we navigate the final stretch of the 2082 regular season campaign. For this set… maybe we’ll draw upon the final result of last season, where Austin managed to take the NL West throne from our grasp, or we’ll look to pad our lifetime record against Austin, or, maybe, and this is my favorite of the bunch, we’ll look at this as an opportunity to push Austin’s face deeper into the puddle of mud they’ve been wallowing in during the second half of the season. You don’t get to call yourself the biggest bully on the block if you’re unwilling to keep landing blows until the ref pulls you off, to kick dust into the face of your fiercest rivals, to point, laugh, and ridicule them for their misfortune… and, make no mistake about it, our aim is to be the biggest, baddest, and most foul bully on the block.
154 of 162: Leonardo Duarte (13-4, 2.42) @ Wilson Pena (11-4, 3.50)
Win, 3-0. To begin our division-winning victory lap in Austin, at the home of the team that supplanted us in the NL West one short season ago, is as satisfying as you’d expect… and, to kick things off here by shutting them out, at Dell Diamond, in front of all those who bothered to show up, well that, my friends, is
priceless.
Duarte picked up his 14th win,
Haag his 51st save,
Dalton Burch his 21st steal, and
Humberto Benavidez sent his 15th dinger out of the park… we’d field a nice, yo-yo,
Hutchinson-Hong double play too – I love those, my favorite.
Elsewhere: RF Nash Aguilar, former Compton mainstay who spent 5 years in our development system bouncing between time in AAA and time on the big club in Los Angeles, who’s seemingly found a home with Gulfport in the Bush League, went 6-for-6 with a double, 3 RBI, and 3 runs to lead his Growlers to a resounding, 18-1 victory over the Decatur Donnybrooks. On the year, the former 4-time World Series winner, is hitting .345/.388/.561 with 23 HR’s, 82 RBI, a 152 OPS+, and 4.0 in WAR thus far…
not bad for an MLB castaway.
155 of 162: Nacho Valadez (8-1, 2.75) @ Manuel Morales (8-7, 4.54)
Win, 9-6. Oh Hong finished 3-for-5 with 2 scores,
Chance Bell drove two in on a
DING DONG, his 5th,
Joseph Brant drove 3 in on a
TANK of his own,
Nacho faltered a bit in allowing 6 runners to plate, but the bullpen was good for it with
Marte earning his 13th win in relief, and
Don Haag securing his 52nd save. 5 doubles, 3 TRUCKS, and a burgled bag for the club in this one as we continue to treat these brigands from Austin like the NL West stepchildren they are.
156 of 162: Dani Thorpe (8-9, 3.99) @ Joe Matthiessen (12-8, 4.11)
Loss, 3-6. Welp, with this being the last time we’ll see Austin until next year, that the Grackles went out by beating us is likely a low-key “win” for them as they head into an offseason filled with skill drills, self-loathing, and a fair amount of introspection.
Heathcote, my guy, did us in with a 3-run TANK during the bottom of the 8th off
Ewing Rivera after a solo homerun from
Jamison knotted things up in the bottom of the 6th. Nothing doing for the La La’s here… not a single EBH, we’d leave 9 stranded of the course of the game, and
D-Rod was caught attempting a steal for the 4th time this year. Also known as NOT putting your best foot forward…
Elsewhere: Aitor has failed to put one out for 5 straight games now and is now off the pace required to even tie the single-season long ball record – his trend now sits at 51. Bums me out – would love to see a multi-HR game from him…
Record: 107-49, .685, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll get a travel day tomorrow before getting back after it in Phoenix against those pesky Coyotes.