[Westheim]

Tried to do the whole road trip, but ran out of time here. We’ll try again for a 3-series set tomorrow.

+++

All Star Game

The CL beats the FL, 5-3, in the annual All Star Game. All runs for the winning league are driven in by Vegas’ Alex Alfaro, who goes 3-for-3 with a walk, a homer, and the five RBI for an obvious MVP title.

For the Raccoons, Tyler Riddle and Matt Walters each pitch a scoreless inning, the latter for the save.

Raccoons (47-43) @ Indians (51-36) – July 15-18, 2060

The back “half” of the season started with a three-city road trip and a four-game series in Indy in particular. The Raccoons entered with a 5-game winning streak, including taking the last two of the four games with the Indians the week before in Portland. Indy was 7 1/2 games behind the Crusaders and needed the W’s. They had the second-most runs scored and the sixth-fewest runs allowed in the CL, and a +33 run differential. The season series now stood 5-3 in Indy’s favor.

Projected matchups:
Bobby Herrera (6-9, 3.95 ERA) vs. Roberto Oyola (5-4, 2.96 ERA)
Tyler Riddle (8-3, 2.87 ERA) vs. Melvin Guerra (8-6, 4.89 ERA)
Zach Stewart (10-4, 3.36 ERA) vs. Shane Fitzgibbon (8-5, 3.86 ERA)
Chance Fox (8-7, 4.52 ERA) vs. Jarrod Morris (5-6, 5.13 ERA)

Fitzgibbon was the only left-hander in the group for the Indians who like the Coons only had four available starting pitchers, but also had to carry the dead weight of the fallout of last Wednesday’s tussle between Lonzo and Mike DeWitt, who were both still suspended until next week.

Game 1
POR: RF Christopher – 3B Fowler – SS Nye – 1B Starr – LF Brassfield – C Perez – CF B. Morris – 2B Bean – P B. Herrera
IND: SS Kilday – CF Abel – LF O. Ramos – RF Lovins – C A. Gomez – 3B R. Vargas – 2B M. Weber – 1B R. Alvarez – P Oyola

Neither team got anything done offensively the first time through, but Matt Kilday drew a walk in the third inning, stole second, and then was driven in by Kevin Abel. Although the Raccoons responded right away with Starr singling home Fowler in the fourth, Indy went right back in front in the same inning with a 2-out walk drawn by Mike Weber, the fourth free pass issued in as many innings by Tipsy Bobby, who stole second, and then scored on a single hit by Ricardo Alvarez in an 0-2 count. Oyola was rung up to complete the fourth.

All the ill command and long counts prevented Bobby Herrera from completing six innings, and he left trailing 2-1 despite having only given up three base knocks. He didn’t get the L, though, even though the Raccoons tried their royal best to hang it on him. They had four hits against Oyola in seven innings, but the former Critter overstayed his welcome. Ben Morris opened the eighth with a single, then was caught stealing. Jon Bean also singled, contained himself, advanced on Caballero’s groundout, and then was driven in with the tying run on Joey Christopher’s 2-out double to left. Another double by Nick Fowler to right-center flipped the score around entirely, and Ryan Sullivan held the 3-2 lead in the bottom 8th despite Mike Weber’s 2-out single. Alvarez struck out. Two days after putting away the All Star Game, Matt Walters finished off the Indians in eight pitches for his 28th save of the year, ending with a K on Abel. 3-2 Raccoons. Fowler 2-4, 2B, RBI;

Game 2
POR: RF Christopher – 3B Fowler – SS Nye – 1B Starr – LF Brassfield – C Perez – 2B Gonzales – CF Ayala – P Riddle
IND: SS Kilday – RF Lovins – C A. Gomez – LF O. Ramos – CF Abel – 3B R. Vargas – 1B Schaack – 2B Zucal – P M. Guerra

Riddle was perfect the first time through the order, whiffing six, including the first four batters he faced, but the Raccoons were retired just as tidily by Guerra, even though without the flash; he did not strike out a single Critter in the first three innings. So of course it was Guerra who retired another three Raccoons in order in the fourth inning, while Riddle was slapped around for a 4-run inning. Matt Kilday led off with a triple and scored on Chris Lovins’ sac fly, but then the Indians also got another pair of singles from Orlando Ramos and Kevin Abel, Riddle balked, and finally gave up a 3-piece over the fence in left to Ricardo Vargas.

In the end it was the bloody rookie Felix Ayala that killed Melvin Guerra’s 16-out perfect bid with his first career base hit, a single to right. He was also left stranded on base, because Raccoons. Riddle meanwhile struck out nobody the second time through the order, then allowed leadoff singles to Alex Gomez and Orlando Ramos in the bottom 6th before K’ing Abel. Vargas hit into a double play to clean up in a different way this time.

The Nicks also began the seventh inning with a pair of singles and a full-count walk to Starr loaded the bases, which suddenly produced the tying run in the box. Brass was struggling, and didn’t get an RBI, but that was because Guerra threw a wild pitch before also walking Brassfield. After Perez whiffed and Gonzales popped out, the Coons were eager for damage and sent Caballero to bat for Ayala. The veteran drew another walk in another full count, pushing in a second run, before Kozak batted for Riddle but struck out swinging. Bravo in the seventh and Ricky Herrera in the eighth did well to keep the score at 4-2, but the Raccoons came up against lefty Cody Kleidon in the ninth and fanned (Starr) and popped out (Brass) before Perez doubled to right with the team down to the final out. Gonzales drove in the meaningless run, then went to second on a Caballero single. Chris Maresh was the only righty option on the bench to bat for wins leech Ricky Herrera, but grounded out to deny the southpaw. 4-3 Indians. Ayala 1-2; Caballero (PH) 1-1, BB, RBI;

Game 3
POR: RF Christopher – SS Nye – LF Brassfield – C Perez – 3B Fowler – 1B Kozak – 2B Gonzales – CF Ayala – P Stewart
IND: SS Kilday – RF Lovins – C A. Gomez – LF O. Ramos – CF Abel – 3B R. Vargas – 1B Schaack – 2B M. Weber – P Fitzgibbon

Joey Christopher led off the game on Saturday with a triple on a 1-2 pitch, and then was stranded with two strikeouts and a pop to Jason Schaack immediately after that. Kozak didn’t fare much better when he hit a double in the second inning. Meanwhile, Stewart was perfect the first time through with five strikeouts, which gave me the oddest flashbacks and terror to the prior game. He was not blown up in the fourth inning, but he sure tried. Kilday and Lovins hit long fly balls for outs on the warning track, and Gomez was plunked on an 0-2 pitch, which ended the perfecto. The no-hitter was taken away when Ramos singled, and somehow Abel grounded out to David Gonzales without derailment.

The scoreless duel between the starters ended in the fifth inning, not because of offense but because Fitzgibbon left the game with an injury after curating 13 outs from the Critters for just three base hits. The pen wasn’t yielding either. Antonio Pichardo and Ben Akman brought the game to the stretch without allowing a run, with Felix Ayala’s fly to the warning track the best Coons attempt at something, anything. It was Orlando Ramos to break the ice, though, with a solo jack in the bottom 7th off Stewart, only the second base hit against the Coons southpaw… The Raccoons then stuck with Stewart to begin the eighth inning – and he singled. Whatever works, boys. Christopher singled, and Nick Nye exploded an Akman fastball for a score-flipping, 3-run homer…! Hyuma Hitomi replaced Akman, but Brass reached on an error and Perez singled. Fowler hit into a double play, but Joel Starr batted for Kozak against the right-hander and came up with a 2-out RBI single to centerfield. Stewart completed the bottom 8th despite a 2-run triple to center by Kilday, ringing up Lovins to strand that runner at third base and maintaining the 4-1 lead. The Coons then crowded Hitomi again in the top 9th, with leadoff hits for Ayala and Morris, the latter batting for Stewart. Joe-Chris walked, giving up three on and nobody out. And then Nye failed, and Brass failed, and Perez went down 0-2 and I was ready to release a huge sigh, but then Perez released a huge knock, 357 feet around the left foul pole – GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND SLAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMM!!!

With that, Matt Walters was re-wrapped and the Raccoons went to Bryan Erickson for a scoreless bottom 9th. 8-1 Critters. Christophers 2-4, BB, 3B; Perez 2-5, HR, 4 RBI; Starr (PH) 1-2, RBI; Morris (PH) 1-1; Stewart 8.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, W (11-4) and 1-3;

Late bloomers…!

Game 4
POR: RF Christopher – 3B Fowler – SS Nye – 1B Starr – LF Brassfield – C Maresh – CF B. Morris – 2B Bean – P Fox
IND: SS Kilday – RF Lovins – C A. Gomez – LF O. Ramos – CF Abel – 3B R. Vargas – 1B Schaack – 2B M. Weber – P J. Morris

Scoring had concluded with a Critters bomb on Saturday and opened with a Critters bomb on Sunday, as Joel Starr hit a 2-piece with Nye aboard right in the first inning. Fox tried to give it all back right away, allowing a single to Lovins and then walking the bags full with one gone in the bottom 1st, but Abel hit into a 6-4-3 double play. He also walked Schaack in the second, but got out with a K on Weber and a pop by Jarrod Morris. The walks didn’t stop; Lovins drew one in the third, Gomez singled on a 3-1 pitch, but Ramos and Abel made meek outs after that and the Indians kept letting Fox escape into the woods again and again before finally dinging him with three 2-out hits in the bottom 5th by their 2-3-4 batters. Ramos singled home Lovins to narrow the score to 2-1 before Abel whiffed to leave a pair on the corners.

The Raccoons were deep a-snooze at that point, with no base hits since the Starr homer. Starr supplanted himself in the “last H” category with a sixth-inning double with two outs, then was singled home by Brass for a 3-1 score. Fox meanwhile continued to try and get blown up with a leadoff walk to Vargas in the bottom 6th, but had Schaack hit into a 5-4-3 double play. ANOTHER walk to Weber, the sixth of the game, then ended Fox’ day after 5.2 ****** innings, but Bravo rung up Zucal in the #9 hole to end the inning. Bravo hung around to bunt in the seventh after Jon Bean got nicked on base by Pichardo ahead of him. The extra base gained allowed Christopher to hit a 2-out RBI single to left-center and extend the lead to 4-1 before Fowler flew out to Ramos. Bravo and Mendez each offered a scoreless inning, and then Morris began the top 9th with a triple to right-center. Bean hit an RBI single, then was doubled up by Ayala. This extra run meant that the lefty on duty in the bottom 9th was LaBat… at least until he allowed singles to Weber and Alvarez with one out and the Raccoons went to Walters belatedly anyway. Uncharacteristically, Walters allowed a loud double off the wall to Kilday that scored both runners, but then finished the game with the tying run at the plate just fiiiine… 5-3 Raccoons. Starr 2-3, BB, HR, 2B, 2 RBI;

Raccoons (50-44) @ Titans (51-40) – July 20-22, 2060

Eighth in runs scored and second in runs allowed, the Titans had a +48 run differential and were up 7-2 on the Raccoons this season, which made this perhaps a bit of a pointless trip to South Maine. They had the worst team batting average in the CL, though they were also second in dingers. The Titans had just lost Ted Lloyd and his .273 bat with 13 homers to a torn labrum, and he joined Will Galude, Matt Gilmore, and Jon Elkins on the DL.

Projected matchups:
Bobby Herrera (6-9, 3.85 ERA) vs. Jason Brenize (9-5, 2.97 ERA)
Tyler Riddle (8-4, 3.02 ERA) vs. Jayden Craddock (11-4, 3.06 ERA)
Zach Stewart (11-4, 3.22 ERA) vs. Ryan Musgrave (9-6, 2.71 ERA)

Only right-handed pitchers in that Titans rotation! …and still two games without Lonzo…

Game 1
POR: RF Christopher – 3B Fowler – SS Nye – 1B Starr – LF Brassfield – C Perez – CF Caballero – 2B Bean – P B. Herrera
BOS: CF Marcotte – 2B J. Watson – C Arviso – 1B M. Rubin – RF A. Lee – LF Torrence – SS Abecassis – 3B W. de Leon – P Brenize

The Raccoons got on the board early with a Nye triple and Starr double in the first inning, but then did a lot of nothing after that and eventually Bobby Herrera, who lacked stuff and had only one strikeout in the first four innings, allowed the tying run to score when Alex Abecassis and Willie de Leon put two hits together in the bottom 5th. Both sides were even at one run on four hits through five. The score was broken wide open in the sixth, though, when Bobby Herrera shoveled the bags full with a walk to Manny Rubin, two singles to Alex Lee and Ethan Torrence, and then gave up a bases-clearing double to Abecassis. Brenize did not skip another beat through eight innings before handing off the 4-1 lead to Josh Carlisle, who put away the Coons’ 2-3-4 batters in seven pit- no, Joel Starr narrowly legged out that grounder to Denny Jurado for a 2-out infield single…! Oh well, he got them in nine with a Brass grounder to third base… 4-1 Titans. Starr 3-4, 2B, RBI;

Musgrave then came a day earlier on Wednesday; the Titans rotation was a bit jumbled with the break, Monday off, and an injury to Will Glaude on the weekend.

Felix Ayala was in the lineup on Wednesday, but he already knew that he was getting sent down again at day’s end. Lonzo’s suspension would FINALLY end, and the Raccoons needed their fifth starter back. Justin DeRose had already made two rehab appearances in AAA and was in line for a start in the opener in San Francisco on Friday. Ayala so far had gone 2-for-11 in his cup of fifth-outfielder coffee.

Game 2
POR: RF Christopher – 3B Fowler – SS Nye – 1B Starr – C Perez – 2B Bean – LF Ayala – CF Morris – P Riddle
BOS: CF Marcotte – 2B J. Watson – C Arviso – 1B M. Rubin – RF A. Lee – SS Leitch – LF Auld – 3B W. de Leon – P Musgrave

Portland took the lead in the top 1st again on Wednesday when Perez singled home Fowler, who had drawn a 1-out walk and had gained second base on Starr’s 2-out single. Jon Bean grounded out to Alan Leitch to end the inning. The Titans tied the game immediately in a *********** of a bottom 1st, in which Riddle put three on with nobody out, walking Marcotte and Jonathan Watson to begin his day, then walked in the tying run facing Andy Lee after Rubin whiffed. Leitch also struck out and Jim Auld grounded out to leave the bases loaded. Riddle very much looked like he was at odds with all his limbs and kept putting runners on base, although the Raccoons would turn double plays for him in the next two innings.

Ben Morris was on base and stole second twice in the first five innings, and never got any support from Riddle or Christopher. The Raccoons only scored again on a stray homer to left-center hit by Angel Perez in the sixth, which gave them a 2-1 lead. Riddle took that and ached through six innings with it; the back three were less onerous than the front three for him, but he had run his pitch count into the 60s through those first three and had nothing left after the sixth; besides, his spot to bat was also up in the top 7th. Morris hit another 1-out single and gained second base when Andy Lee fumbled the pickup in rightfield, but was stranded AGAIN with weak outs from Brass and Christopher.

Bottom 7th, and the Raccoons got two outs from LaBat before bringing Sullivan against Marcotte, who doubled to left. When Abecassis pinch-hit for the right-handed Watson, Ricky Herrera was called in and secured a K that stranded the tying run on second base, but then blew the lead himself when Manny Rubin took him deep to left in the bottom 8th… The ninth saw Perez hit a leadoff single before getting doubled up by Bean, and Ruben Mendez’ 1-2-3 sent the game to extras.

The tenth saw Morris lead off for Portland, but he had given up on being the token ding-dong to get on base and be exposed to the elements out there while nobody else gave a **** and grounded out instead. Joe-Chris then of course hit a 2-out double against Mike Lane, but was left on with Fowler’s groundout. Bryan Erickson walked two and struck out three in the bottom 10th to keep the game going. The Coons had a new battery for the bottom 11th because Bravo was the last reliever available before we’d have to burn Matt Walters, and to get two innings out of him he went into Perez’ spot with Maresh entering. Top 12th, Ayala singled after going 0-4 with 3 K so far, then was picked off first in a game that was becoming extremely annoying very quickly. Bravo allowed a pinch-hit single to Jorge Ortiz in his second inning of work in the bottom 12th, with Denny Jurado hitting into a fielder’s choice before being caught stealing to send the game to the 13th, which Maresh opened with a double to left off lefty Jorge Quinones. Marcotte then dropped Christopher’s fly to center, which put runners on the corners with nobody out and meant that if the boys didn’t score NOW and SOON, there would certainly a few tails and ears pulled after the game. They did score… barely. Fowler’s fly to right was caught by Lee, with Maresh sent for home out of despair. He slid in safe, partly because Lee’s throw was off line, and Christopher was caught stealing to help fizzle out the inning. Walters got the 3-2 lead, struck out Jorge Arviso and Rubin, and then allowed a bloop single to Lee. Leitch popped out. 3-2 Critters. Perez 2-4, BB, HR, 2 RBI; Morris 2-4, BB; Maresh 1-1, 2B; Bravo 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, W (1-3);

As intended, Felix Ayala (.188, 0 HR, 0 RBI) was back to St. Pete after that game and DeRose returned to even the roster with the full complement of 12 pitchers.

Also, hey-hey, Lonzo’s back on the good side of the league office now…!

Game 3
POR: RF Christopher – SS Lavorano – 2B Nye – 1B Starr – LF Brassfield – C Maresh – CF Morris – 3B Gonzales – P Stewart
BOS: CF Marcotte – 2B J. Watson – C Arviso – 1B M. Rubin – RF A. Lee – SS Leitch – LF Torrence – 3B W. de Leon – P Craddock

Four singles from their first five batters barely scored a run for the Coons in the first inning, since Nye would hit into a 5-4 double play that eliminated both Christopher and a well-rested Lonzo from the base paths ahead of him. It then took two more singles to plate him for the third first-frame, 1-0 lead held by the Raccoons in this series. Morris then started the second with another single, stole second, and came in on Gonzales’ single, which made 6-for-8 batting against Craddock, although Stewart then bunted into a force at second and Craddock retired three straight to exit the inning.

It started to rain in the third inning, and Stewart was 1-hitting Boston through four before a 20-minute rain delay that turned out to be mostly hot air (it stopped to rain as soon as the tarp was spread) disrupted his day in the top 5th. He returned to the hill, having thrown 50 pitches so far, with a 2-0 lead in the bottom 5th, but allowed a leadoff single to center to Leitch, an infield single to Willie de Leon, and with two outs a game-tying double to left-center to Marcotte… Watson drew a 2-out walk, too, but Arviso then flew out to Morris in deep center in a full count. Gee, thanks, Blue!

Stewart settled for a no-decision through six innings, but the game remained tied at two even longer. Craddock was less affected and was *better* after the interruption, and the Raccoons couldn’t scratch anything together against him in eight innings or Lane in the ninth. The Raccoons got Sullivan to retire the Titans orderly in the seventh, then went to Ricky Herrera. In a short pen, Ricky had a strong eighth, then faltered in the ninth, getting picked apart for three hits and a walkoff single with two outs by Andy Lee… 3-2 Titans. Starr 2-4, 2B; Brassfield 2-4, RBI; Maresh 2-4;

In other news

July 12 – The Falcons send left-hander Aaron Sciuto (4-8, 5.01 ERA) to the Stars for two prospects.
July 13 – Denver loses OF/1B Hector Weir (.327, 9 HR, 35 RBI) for the rest of the year due to a broken elbow.
July 17 – BOS SP Will Glaude (4-6, 3.67 ERA) is shut down due to shoulder inflammation and will not pitch again until late August.
July 18 – SFB LF Grant Anker (.278, 6 HR, 16 RBI) has a 20-game hitting streak thanks to an eighth-inning double in a 5-3 loss to the Falcons.
July 20 – Washington picks up SP A.C. Stebbins (4-10, 4.40 ERA) from Sacramento for a prospect.
July 22 – The Aces put up a 10-run seventh inning to rally out of a hole against the Falcons, beating them 12-7 in the end.

FL Player of the Week: TOP INF Zach Suggs (.317, 16 HR, 72 RBI), raking .429 (9-21) with 3 HR, 11 RBI
CL Player of the Week: MIL 3B/2B Marty Serna (.279, 3 HR, 29 RBI), clipping .700 (7-10) with 2 HR, 3 RBI

Complaints and stuff

The offense can’t get going and we’re bottoms in the CL with 3.9 runs a game. Lonzo isn’t gonna overturn that all single-pawedly, and it will be back to the drawing board in the winter.

(sad GM noises)

Road trip continues to San Fran, with DeRose getting back on the horse and hill in the Friday opener. After a day off on Monday, we’ll finish the month with series against the Thunder and Knights at home.

Fun Fact: Bobby Herrera this year is 0-4 against the Titans with an 8.44 ERA.

Got choked in April, ravaged in May, smothered in June, and incinerated in July. I think he has two more in him, too.

For comparison, against literally everyone else, Tipsy Bobby this season has gone 6-6 with an ERA of 3.01 … more than a third of his runs allowed have been against the Titans.