[Westheim]

Raccoons (29-22) vs. Condors (29-22) – May 30-June 1, 2062

The Condors played minimalistic ball, allowing the fewest runs (3-flat per game), and scoring just barely over 3.3 runs, which was second-worst in the league. It was enough to hang within half a game of the leading Thunder in the CL South, with a +17 run differential. Like the Coons, who were up 2-1 in the season series, they had a well-filled DL with Alf Mendez, Mario Asencio, Ramon Archuleta, Dan Beare, and Jesus Chacon all out.

Projected matchups:
Bobby Herrera (5-3, 3.25 ERA) vs. Vince Ellison (3-4, 2.94 ERA)
Nick Robinson (6-3, 3.09 ERA) vs. Aaron Sloan (2-1, 2.73 ERA)
Chance Fox (2-2, 3.82 ERA) vs. Kodai Koga (5-2, 2.91 ERA)

Sloan was the Condors’ left-hander.

Game 1
TIJ: LF Churricho – C Brann – 1B Metz – SS C. Ramsey – 3B Frasher – RF E. Maldonado – 2B F. Serrano – CF Cardwell – P Ellison
POR: RF Christopher – SS Lavorano – 1B Starr – LF Brassfield – C Perez – CF Crumble – 3B Fowler – 2B Bean – P B. Herrera

Bobby H. was looking for form, and form kept eluding him even against about the worst offense in the league. The Condors left one on in the first, and two in the second, then another one in the third and two more in the fourth. There was constant on-base traffic for Tijuana and Herrera giving up a run or six was just a matter of time. It came in the fifth with a leadoff double by Chad Cardwell, who was brought in on Querubim Churricho’s deep sac fly to right. Mike Brann then hit an even deeper ball, which went over the fence in left-center and gave the Condors a 2-0 lead against hapless Critters that sat on a lone single by Nick Fowler through five innings. The Condors tacked on with another leadoff double for Casey Ramsey and two groundouts to get him in, the RBI going to Elmer Maldonado, in the sixth. Doubles by Brann and Ramsey added another run for Tijuana in the eighth against James Murdock, while the Raccoons in the same inning got a second single from PH Nick Fox, who was promptly stranded on base by Christopher. It was also the last base knock for the Portlanders as Ellison completed the 2-hit shutout. 4-0 Condors. N. Fox (PH) 1-1;

Well, that one stunk.

Adam Harris (0-1, 6.23 ERA) was optioned to St. Pete after this game, and we brought back Paul Barton, who had more strikeouts than innings in AAA, which was … *something*.

Game 2
TIJ: LF Churricho – C Brann – 1B Metz – SS C. Ramsey – 3B Frasher – RF E. Maldonado – 2B D. Mercado – CF Cardwell – P Sloan
POR: LF Crumble – SS Lavorano – RF Brassfield – 1B Starr – C Perez – CF Mata – 3B N. Fox – 2B Bribiesca – P Robinson

Offense remained at a premium on Wednesday, but the Raccoons scored first with a Malik Crumble double and Brass’ 2-out RBI single in the bottom of the third. Robinson had given up only one hit so far, then out of the blue walked Brann and Andy Metz to start the fourth inning. Ramsey flew out to Brass, and both Eric Frasher and Elmer Maldonado struck out to let that chance slip away. The Condors again had a pair on base to begin the fifth as Domingo Mercado singled and Chad Cardwell was robined by Nickson. Sloan was unfortunate enough to bunt hard into a double play, and Churricho’s pop to Bean kept the Condors from scoring for another inning. Brann singled to open the sixth, but was doubled up with Metz’ grounder to Lonzo. Ramsey hit another single to right, stole second, and then Eric Frasher bashered one over the fence in leftfield to flip the score around to 2-1 Condors…

Bottom 6th, Lonzo led off with a single and stole second base – there’s my boy!! – before hustling home with the tying run on Starr’s 1-out double to center. The go-ahead run was not in the cards, despite a 2-out single by Carlos Mata, since Fox grounded out to end the inning. That didn’t come around until the inning after when Joe-Chris batted for Robinson in the #9 spot and socked a pinch-hit home run to right! The joy was very short-lived, since the 3-2 lead was immediately ****** up by the bullpen. Brann and Ramsey smashed doubles off Middleton, and Rocco gave up a go-ahead RBI triple to Eric Frasher in the top 8th, and we were quite literally back to square nothing. The Condors’ pen was spotless from here and retired the Raccoons in order in the eighth and ninth. 4-3 Condors. Brassfield 2-4, RBI; Christopher (PH) 1-1, HR, RBI; Robinson 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K;

Game 3
TIJ: LF Churricho – C Brann – 1B Metz – SS C. Ramsey – 3B Frasher – RF E. Maldonado – 2B F. Serrano – CF Cardwell – P E. Mauricio
POR: RF Christopher – SS Lavorano – 1B Starr – LF Brassfield – CF Crumble – 3B Fowler – C Arellano – 2B Bean – P C. Fox

No Kodai Koga on Thursday, but right-hander Edgar Mauricio (4-5, 3.58 ERA) made the Raccoons look just as silly as the other two starters the Condors had carted up so far this series. Brann also kept torturing Critters, hitting a home run off Fox in the first inning for a 1-0 lead, then another single his next time up. That was two thirds of the Condors hits through five innings, while the Raccoons didn’t get a base knock until Fowler ticked a 1-2 pitch through the left side to begin the bottom 5th, but Arellano flew out and Bean hit into a double play…

It was still 1-0 in the seventh when Frasher walked against Fox and was caught stealing. Chris Maresh drew a 2-out walk, Serrano singled, and Chad Cardwell socked a 1-2 pitch to center for a 2-out, 2-run double. Fox struck out Mauricio, but then peppered his glove into the dugout from 25 feet out. I knew; watching him from 50 feet up hurt just as badly. Fox was not removed from the game either and with the extra anger in his system struck out the 1-2-3 batters in the eighth inning. That wasn’t gonna spare him the L, though. Fowler and Bean were on base in the bottom 8th when Nick Fox hit for Chance Fox, but into a fielder’s choice for the second out. Runners on the corners only led to a run because Christopher legged out an infield roller. Left-hander Joe Cash now replaced Mauricio and got a grounder from Lonzo to third base to end the inning. Jose Lugo retired the middle of the order without issue in the ninth to complete a depressing sweep. 3-1 Condors. Fowler 2-2, BB, 2B;

This sweep plunged the Raccoons to within half a game of last place again in this topsy-turvy CL North.

Raccoons (29-25) vs. Loggers (30-22) – June 2-4, 2062

The first-place Loggers di- … (does a double take) … Cristiano, are you sure? – I feel dizzy. – (takes sip of Capt’n Coma) … Alright. The first-place Loggers. They were second in runs scored AND runs allowed in the CL (!?) with a +49 run differential, and they were up 4-2 on the Coons this year. – Cristiano, what the **** is going on…?

Projected matchups:
Angel Alba (3-5, 3.95 ERA) vs. Bob Ruggiero (6-3, 2.79 ERA)
Tyler Riddle (4-3, 1.89 ERA) vs. Jesus Hinojosa (4-3, 3.82 ERA)
Bobby Herrera (5-4, 3.30 ERA) vs. Oliver Graham (1-6, 6.71 ERA)

All righties here, and Hinojosa and Graham had both pitched in a double-header on Tuesday, so whoever went on Saturday would be on short rest. As if that helped us any. There were also a number of regulars on the DL for Milwaukee, including Danny Miller and Fidel Carrera.

Game 1
MIL: LF Franks – 2B Garmon – 1B D. Robles – C Waker – RF Merrill – 3B Lange – CF Reder – SS Loftis – P Ruggiero
POR: RF Christopher – SS Lavorano – 1B Starr – LF Brassfield – C Perez – CF Mata – 3B Fowler – 2B Bribiesca – P Alba

Leadoff hits by Tristan Waker and Jonathan Merrill, a wild pitch, a passed ball, and a hit .140 batting Jonathan Loftis made for two Loggers runs in the top of the second inning while I was mostly facepawing and waiting for better days. The Raccoons in the bottom 2nd got straight singles from their 6-7-8 batters, Bribiesca driving in Mata from second base for a run, and Phil Reder’s throw home allowed the trailing runners into scoring position for Alba to bat with one out. He popped out and Christopher grounded out, however, and the inning was another waste of time, effort, and oxygen. Another pair – Starr and Brass – were stranded in scoring position when Mata struck out in the third. The Loggers would eventually tie the game for the Raccoons in the fourth with a 2-base throwing error by Loftis that put Fowler on base, a Bribiesca groundout, and after Alba struck out, a wild pitch thrown by Ruggiero to bring Fowler in from third base. Christopher whiffed a pitch later.

Home runs by Scott Franks in the fifth and Tristan Waker in the sixth gave and extended the Loggers a 4-2 lead again on a hapless Alba, who was hit for with Malik Crumble after Mata and Bribiesca went to the corners with a pair of singles in the bottom 6th and two outs. Crumble grounded slowly to the left side, too slow to have a play for the Loggers, and got an RBI infield single. And then Christopher had another pathetic plate appearance and grounded out to second… Brass was nicked and left on base in the seventh, and Mata and Bribiesca were on once more in the eighth and were left stranded by Crumble and Fox with woeful outs. Murdock, Ricky H., and Rocco held the 4-3 score together in the eighth and ninth, allowing the Critters another shot in the bottom 9th against Alex Diaz, the CL Pitcher of the Month for May, starting with Lonzo, the CL Player of the Week for what felt like five years ago. The Coons didn’t get on base until Brass walked with two outs in a full count. Todd Oley then pinch-hit for an 0-for-4 Angel Perez in what would either be a 50 or 150 IQ move. Diaz rung him up with no issues. 4-3 Loggers. Mata 3-4; Bribiesca 2-3, BB, RBI; Crumble (PH) 1-2, RBI;

Last place!

Whee.

Game 2
MIL: RF Merrill – LF Garmon – CF Franks – 1B D. Robles – 2B Lange – 3B Benitez – SS Loftis – C Jack – P Hinojosa
POR: CF Mata – SS Lavorano – 1B Starr – RF Brassfield – LF Crumble – 3B Fowler – 2B Bribiesca – C Arellano – P Riddle

Brassfield was hit to begin the bottom 2nd to give the Coons a base runner. He was not happy that he was drilled by Hinojosa, then even less happy when Malik Crumbled into a double play right afterwards and the Coons put up another goose egg. Riddle walked two and whiffed four in the early innings, but allowed no base hits, while Hinojosa had no walks, no strikeouts, no hits, and nobody over the minimum. Ralph Lange’s 2-out double to left in the fourth inning was the first base hit for either side, but he was left on by the former Raccoon Tony Benitez. Starr and Brass were walked in the bottom 4th, but Crumble was useless again and that was the inning.

Tyler Riddle then appeared to slip on a pitch to Loftis in the fifth and fell, then couldn’t get up. Luis Silva had to collect him with the cart, and the Raccoons now were also facing a hole in the rotation in addition to a hole in the lineup stretching from the #1 to the #9 spot. Middleton came into the scoreless game in a double switch, Christopher entering for Crumble, with Brass going to left.

Bribiesca had a single in the fifth, but the game was still scoreless in the sixth. Mata and Starr scratched singles against Hinojosa, but Brass flew out, and the pitcher’s spot came up with two outs. Nick Fox grabbed a stick and ticked a 3-1 pitch into center for a single, but Scott Franks was right on it and Mata scrambled back to third base after going some 20 feet beyond it. Fowler batted with the bags full, and Hinojosa was having a struggle now, falling to 3-0 against Fowler. I was taking aim with the blunderbuss if Fowler dared to move a whisker in the box on the 3-0. He didn’t Hinojosa missed, and the Raccoons were gifted a 1-0 lead. Bribiesca ran a full count, but then flew out to Merrill in right to leave a full menu on base…

Murdock murdered the lead immediately in the seventh with a leadoff BOMB served up to Dave Robles, the Loggers’ first-sacker hitting his eighth of the year. Meanwhile Starr, Brass, and the rest of the hairy menaces couldn’t hit one out if there was a $250,000 prize on it. Murdock finished the seventh, and Ricky H. handled the eighth, and when his spot did not come up went back out to start the ninth in a 1-1 tie. He gave up a dinker for a leadoff single to Franks, then was removed for Sullivan, and got the unearned L hung on him when Bribiesca threw away Lange’s grounder for two bases before Sullivan served up a gapper for a 2-out, 2-run double to pinch-hitter Willie Martinez. Christopher threw out Martinez at home on J.P. Jack’s single to right, ending the inning. Bottom 9th, Alex Diaz in, and Jon Bean grounded out to get us started. Oley then batted for Bribiesca and singled to right. Arellano was the definition of useless, but in this case drove an RBI double to center! The winning run came to the plate with Christopher, who got plonked on base on a 2-2 pitch. Mata grounded sharply to third base, but Lange made the play and got the out at second base, but Mata beat out the throw to first. Lonzo lined out to end the game. 3-2 Loggers. Oley (PH) 1-1; Riddle 4.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K;

Todd Oley (.385, 0 HR, 5 RBI) was dropped onto the waiver wire after this game and the Raccoons brought up 21-year-old Jose Corral, hitting .288 with four homers in AAA so far, with a .414 OBP. Yes, *that* desperate. Corral had made five games for the Coons last year, batting .211 with no homers.

We devised a really wicked lineup with Corral batting leadoff and Christopher coming behind him in second with a scheduled off day for Lonzo in the middle of this homestand… and then the baseball gods said no and the game was rained out.

In other news

May 30 – SAC 3B/SS Victor Corrales (.341, 4 HR, 21 RBI) logs two hits in a 3-2 win against the Cyclones, including his 2,500th career hit off CIN SP Alex Cruzado (2-3, 2.95 ERA). Corrales, 35, is a serial Gold Glover, 2-time Player of the Year, home run champion, and 4-time RBI champion, batting .307/.354/.468 with 240 homers and 1,414 RBI, alongside 291 stolen bases, for his career.
May 30 – Thunder SP Tyler Roe (3-4, 4.63 ERA) and two relievers pitch a combined 1-hitter against the Crusaders. Only NYC 1B/LF/RF Aubrey Austin (.219, 4 HR, 15 RBI) drops in a single in the 3-0 Thunder win.
May 30 – Sacramento will be without INF Zach Suggs (.254, 4 HR, 27 RBI) for three weeks; the 36-year-old is out with a strained oblique.
May 30 – Warriors CL Jon McGinley (3-1, 2.73 ERA, 13 SV) has a bone spur in his elbow. The team claims they can clean this up in a month.
June 2 – A throwing error by Miners INF Travis Edwards (.214, 1 HR, 19 RBI) allows not only the tying, but also the winning run to score for the Rebels in a 6-5 walkoff.
June 3 – DEN SP Matt Apslund (7-3, 4.41 ERA) goes to the DL with elbow tendinitis. The 21-year-old is not expected to miss more than a few weeks.
June 4 – TOP SP Pablo Lara (4-3, 3.20 ERA) 1-hits the Cyclones in a 1-0 win sponsored by LF/CF Jose Ambriz (.254, 6 HR, 17 RBI), who hits a home run. The only knock for Cincy comes from OF Manny Sauceda (.283, 3 HR, 16 RBI).
June 4 – SAC 3B/SS Victor Corrales (.342, 4 HR, 23 RBI) has a 20-game hitting streak with a single in a 12-4 win against the Gold Sox.
June 4 – The Indians rout the Canadiens, 15-2. Indians 1B Danny Starwalt (.229, 5 HR, 29 RBI) drives in five runs on two homers and a double, with another five RBI for RF/LF/1B Chris Lovins (.285, 6 HR, 27 RBI) on three hits, including a home run.

FL Player of the Week: SAC 2B/SS Justin Finnegan (.263, 10 HR, 29 RBI), hammering .320 (8-25) with 4 HR, 14 RBI
CL Player of the Week: IND 1B Danny Starwalt (.229, 5 HR, 29 RBI), bashing .563 (9-16) with 3 HR, 9 RBI

FL Hitter of the Month: DAL OF Tyler Wharton (.416, 10 HR, 39 RBI), bashing .419 with 5 HR, 18 RBI
CL Hitter of the Month: OCT 1B Ian Stone (.341, 9 HR, 25 RBI), socking .352 with 6 HR, 16 RBI
FL Pitcher of the Month: DAL SP Ray Walker (9-1, 1.38 ERA), a perfect 6-0 with 1.24 ERA, 68 K
CL Pitcher of the Month: MIL CL Alex Diaz (4-0, 0.36 ERA, 13 SV), no earned runs in 13 games, with a 4-0 record, 7 SV, 5 K
FL Rookie of the Month: SFW OF Alex Barnes (.260, 8 HR, 29 RBI), hitting .298 with 4 HR, 17 RBI
CL Rookie of the Month: NYC 1B Jared McLaughlin (.292, 3 HR, 27 RBI), batting .288 with 2 HR, 16 RBI

Complaints and stuff

This team makes you struggle for words every ******* week.

So Jose Corral’s grand return (pleeeease!) will be delayed to Monday. The game will be made up on July 7 in a double-header … to begin the last series before the All Star Game. You know, that stretch without an off day? Screams for a Justin DeRose spot start. (shivers)

The Coons will have the Indians and Pacifics on their paws to finish this 0-5 homestand.

Fun Fact: Cincy’s Rich Monck has 16 home runs after about a third of the schedule.

The Raccoons have a grand total of 28……