[Westheim]

Raccoons (28-35) @ Rebels (27-35) – June 10-12, 2069

Here we had two teams that were both in fourth place in their divisions and yet were both already out by more than double digits, 12 1/2 games for the Critters, and 15 games for the Rebs. Unlike Portland, the Richmond team was good at scoring, sitting third in the Federal League in runs plated, but employed a set of sieves for pitching and also allowed the third-most runs, with the second-worst rotation in the game. They had a few relievers on the DL, but all of their third-worst defense was still around. The Raccoons had swept the Rebels last season, but had been swept by them the year before.

Projected matchups:
Tony Gaytan (4-6, 5.48 ERA) vs. Sean Ranney (1-4, 5.76 ERA)
Nick Walla (4-6, 3.31 ERA) vs. Pedro Acebedo (6-4, 3.72 ERA)
Vinny Morales (5-5, 3.42 ERA) vs. Bobby Marceau (3-5, 2.48 ERA)

Ranney was one of two left-handers in that Rebs rotation, and the only one we’d get to see in the series.

Game 1
POR: SS Duhe – 2B Fumero – CF Wharton – LF van Otterdijk – 3B Gallo – C Marquez – RF Corral – 1B Gomez – P Gaytan
RIC: LF Licona – SS C. Ramsey – CF Laybolt – C Vaillancourt – 1B Joyner – 3B L. Medina – RF T. Bickerton – 2B C. Gonzalez – P Ranney

The great carpet-bombing of Tony Gaytan continued unabated with a Darby Laybolt homer in the first inning on Monday, which was also preceded by a free pass to Casey Ramsey, so right away Gaytan was in another 2-0 hole. Laybolt laid another bolt in the third inning, hitting another 2-run homer to score Juan Licona, who had hit a leadoff single, and Gaytan’s ERA was rapidly galloping towards six, getting there just two batters later after John Vaillancourt doubled and Bill Joyner socked ANOTHER 2-run homer. Gaytan got a couple more outs until he ran out of bottom of the order to retire, and then was replaced with Schmieder for garbage relief. The Coons were getting 1-hit by Ranney through four innings, so the game was basically over anyway. We had already given up to the tune of having Schmieder bat for himself to begin the sixth inning, in which the Critters also disappeared in 1-2-3 fashion.

Ranney allowed a leadoff single to Tyler Wharton after all in the seventh inning and then was taken deep by George van Otterdijk. While Schmieder got eight outs and then was followed by Dover and McMahan with scoreless innings, the Raccoons entered the ninth down by a slam, and still facing Ranney. Wharton hit another leadoff single, and then van Otterdijk’s grounder was bungled for an error by Leo Medina, at which point the Rebs ran for right-hander Jorge Garza. He struck out Gallo, but Jake Flowe batted for Lorenzo Marquez and singled to left-center, filling the bases and bringing Jose Corral up as the tying run. We were held to a sac fly to Travis Bickerton, though, before Dan Gomez grounded out to Carlos Gonzalez to end the game. 6-3 Rebels. Duhe 1-2, 2 BB; Wharton 2-4; Flowe (PH) 1-1; Schmieder 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K;

Game 2
POR: SS Duhe – 2B Fumero – LF Otal – CF Wharton – 3B Gallo – RF Corral – C Flowe – 1B Gomez – P Walla
RIC: LF Licona – SS C. Ramsey – CF Laybolt – C Vaillancourt – RF Ospina – 1B Joyner – 3B L. Medina – 2B T. Bickerton – P Acebedo

Somewhat misplaced at second base, Travis Bickerton made an error in the first inning that put Fumero (single and stolen base) and Benito Otal on the corners with one out. Tyler Wharton got a run home (!) with a single to center and the Raccoons took a 1-0 lead, did a double steal, and then scored two more when J.P. Gallo also singled to center, but the inning fizzled out after that. The Coons then foundered a leadoff walk drawn by Dan Gomez in the second, then went on to almost sink Nick Walla with ****** defense in the bottom 2nd. While Vaillancourt reached base on a leadoff single to left-center, Otal then dropped Bill Joyner’s fly and Gallo flubbed a 2-out Bickerton grounder to load the bases – but Walla rung up the pitcher Acebedo to escape the undeserved jam.

Vaillancourt was on with another leadoff single in the fourth and that time was scored by Joyner with a double to right, reducing the lead to 3-1, although Benito Otal answered with a solo jack to right in the following half-inning. Wharton then hit a 2-out double, but was stranded when Gallo whiffed. The score was still 4-1 when Gallo came up again in the seventh with Otal (forced out Fumero) and Wharton (single) on the corners. This time he hit a fly to center that as caught by Laybolt, but was good enough to get the runner home from third base with a sac fly, 5-1. Right-handed reliever Josh Tarver then walked Corral, but struck out Flowe to get to the stretch. Walla allowed a Bickerton double in the bottom 7th; the runner stole third base before Carlos Gonzalez struck out for the second out of the inning on Walla’s 103rd pitch – also the final pitch for him in the game, as Gabriel Rios replaced him to face Juan Licona. He entered in a double switch that replaced Corral with Matas in right, and got a fly to left to keep Walla’s runner stranded.

Bickerton and Tarver then made consecutive errors to put Gomez and Matas on base to begin the eighth, and Tarver walked the bags full against Duhe. Fumero forced in a run, drawing another walk, but Otal struck out. Wharton singled through the left side and everybody moved up 90 feet. Javy Carpio replaced Tarver and got a double play grounder from Gallo to end the inning. Rios ended up logging five outs and was replaced after allowing a double to Joyner in the ninth inning. John Reynolds got the last two outs to nail down the W. 7-1 Raccoons. Fumero 2-4, BB, RBI; Wharton 4-5, 2B, 2 RBI; Walla 6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, W (5-6); Rios 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

Game 3
POR: SS Duhe – 2B Fumero – LF Otal – CF Wharton – RF van Otterdijk – 3B Gallo – C Flowe – 1B Gomez – P Morales
RIC: LF Licona – 3B L. Medina – CF Laybolt – C Vaillancourt – RF Ospina – 1B Joyner – SS T. Bickerton – 2B C. Gonzalez – P Marceau

In the second inning of the rubber game, the Raccoons would not score from hits by van Otterdijk and Gallo with one out, getting only poor outs from Flowe and Gomez that left the runners stranded. Vinny Morales had two scoreless innings on the board for himself, then hit a leadoff single in the third. Marceau filled the bases with walks to the 1-2 hitters, then got a run-scoring double play grounder, 4-6-3, from Otal, and Wharton to fly out easily to left. Marceau hit a double off Morales in the bottom 3rd, but was left on base, then allowed a leadoff double to van Otterdijk in the fourth. Flowe reached base this time, and then Dan Gomez slapped his first major-league homer, a 3-piece to left-center to run the score to 4-0.

After Morales scattered two singles in the bottom 4th and nailed Travis Bickerton, only to get him doubled up on Gonzalez’ grounder to second, in the fifth, Dan Gomez would go on and drive in another run with a 1-out single in the sixth. Gallo scored from second base, which he had stolen one pitch earlier. All looked so well and wonderful in a 5-0 game, and then Vinny Morales ran face first into a brick wall in the bottom 6th and retired nobody, facing five. Juan Licona tripled, Leo Medina hit an infield single that kept Licona at third, but Darby Laybolt hit a 3-bomb before Vaillancourt and Willie Ospina got to the corners with yet more hits. Those were the tying runs, and Ryan McMahan did little to relieve the pressure. He got Bill Joyner out on a fly to shallow left, but then allowed Ospina to steal second base, plated Vaillancourt with a wild pitch – tying run to third – before striking out Bickerton, and then did get a grounder from Gonzalez to Gallo, but Gallo threw that one away for an error, conceding the tying run after all and allowing Gonzalez to second, and McMahan then also gave up another single to PH Jeremy Jenkins to right, and van Otterdijk ******* THREW THAT ONE AWAY TOO, and so the go-ahead run scored before Licona popped out to short to end the ******* 6-run ********.

When the Raccoons got a leadoff triple to right from Fumero in the seventh, they made sure to not score that tying run with a ****** groundout by Otal, and then Wharton flew out rather basically to right. Fumero went for home anyway, and was thrown out by Ospina. The Rebels instead beat another run out of Reynolds in the bottom 8th, and while the Raccoons got the leadoff man Wally Leggett on base with a walk issued by Jose Garza in the ninth inning, that run never got off first base on useless outs by Corral, Fumero, and Otal. 7-5 Rebels. Van Otterdijk 2-4, 2B; Gallo 1-2, 2 BB, 2B; Gomez 2-4, HR, 4 RBI;

Raccoons (29-37) vs. Canadiens (28-37) – June 14-16, 2069

The damn Elks had DESTROYED the Raccoons in a 4-game set earlier this year, so I was totally looking forward to this series. Just kidding, I was glad I could bail for the draft on Saturday, and would take my sweet time to go home afterwards… The Elks had the eighth-most runs scored and the fifth-most runs allowed for a -27 run differential. They had one of the worst pens in the land, but hey, it was enough to stomp this bunch into the ground…

Projected matchups:
A.C. Stebbins (4-3, 4.08 ERA) vs. Vince Ellison (2-6, 3.99 ERA)
Cody Childress (2-9, 3.86 ERA) vs. Nick Waldron (5-7, 3.80 ERA)
Tony Gaytan (4-7, 5.97 ERA) vs. Ray Rath (3-3, 3.52 ERA)

Only right-handers in sight.

Game 1
VAN: SS Barraza – CF D. Moore – RF Lozada – C Varner – 1B A. Ramirez – LF Bustillos – 2B Rutecki – 3B W. de Leon – P Ellison
POR: SS Duhe – 2B Fumero – CF Wharton – RF Corral – LF van Otterdijk – 3B Gallo – C Flowe – 1B Gomez – P Stebbins

The Raccoons made three outs on five pitches in the first inning, while the Elks drew 31 tosses from Stebbins, and scored a run on straight singles by Dan Moore, Roberto Lozada, and Steve Varner. Yay. The game then went through a 30-minute rain delay in the third inning, despite the exhortations by the NWSN blabbermouths that no rain was in the forecast for today, and somehow Stebbins was still holding together enough to allow the Coons to tie the game in the bottom 4th on little more than a deep breath and having some heart. Corral and van Otterdijk went to the corners with a pair of singles, and Gallo hit a sac fly. And that was about it.

Varner and John Rutecki hit two singles against Stebbins in the sixth inning. With the left-handed Willie de Leon up, the Coons went for McMahan for an inning-ending strikeout, followed by an inning-beginning strikeout from Tyler Wharton, who would surely soon begin slugging worthy of his money. The 4-5-6 batters then all reached base on a walk and two singles, filling them up for Jake Flowe, who hit a sac fly for a 2-1 lead, but Gomez also flew out easily to center and left two on base. McMahan struck out Ellison before making way for Jesse Dover in a double switch in the seventh. Fumero slid to first base, and Leggett replaced Dan Gomez in the game. Dover did precious little, blowing the lead by walking Moore and allowing singles to Lozada and Varner, all with two outs. Rios replaced him against lefty stick- nope, pinch-hitters, and a four-pitch walk to Todd Eaton, but Rick Atkins struck out and left the bases loaded in the 2-2 game.

Bottom 8th, and singles by Wharton and Corral against Ellison put Raccoons on the corners with nobody out. Van Otterdijk flew out to shallow center and Wharton held; and Gallo flew out to right and Wharton went. He was thrown out at the plate by Lozada. I was about reaching the end of my tether and kept asking Honeypaws why a warm and loving universe would allow this.

Pedro Valentin retired the top of the Elks lineup in good order in the ninth inning, while Ellison was *still* going in the bottom 9th, nicking Jake Flowe on base as the winning run. The Coons had Valentin bunt, then ran for Flowe from second base with Carlos Matas, but Flowe would have scored as well on the double that Leggett flung over the head of Dan Moore in deep center. 3-2 Raccoons! Corral 3-3, BB; van Otterdijk 2-4; Gallo 2-3, RBI; Leggett 1-2, 2B, RBI; Stebbins 5.2 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K;

At least they scored eventually. Dropping to 0-5 against the Elks, and I’ll open a plane door somewhere over Wisconsin…

Game 2
VAN: SS Barraza – 2B Kilday – 1B Atkins – C Varner – CF D. Moore – RF Bustillos – LF Rutecki – 3B W. de Leon – P Waldron
POR: SS Duhe – 2B Fumero – LF Otal – CF Wharton – RF Corral – 3B Gallo – C Marquez – 1B Gomez – P Childress

Childress and Gaytan both had to get their act straight to close out the week, not that our AAA rotation was bursting with instant replacement options. Or even a surfeit of starting pitchers in general. However, Childress speedran to his sixth straight defeat, allowing a single to Matt Kilday, another single to Varner, and a 3-run homer to Moore right away in the first inning, then remained crap after that. A Varner single, Moore triple (cycle alarm), and Rutecki single piled up another two runs on the scoreboard in the third inning. At this point the Raccoons could also just give in to another L (and another one on Sunday with Gaytan). Childress was left in and somehow pitched another three scoreless innings after that, piling up nine strikeouts in six innings.

The Raccoons scored a run in the bottom 3rd on a Fumero double and Otal’s triple before Wharton flew out to center again. Corral drew a leadoff walk in the fourth and Gallo homered to shorten the score to 5-3 then. But while Lorenzo Marquez hit another single, Gomez grounded into a double play and the inning fizzled out.

Bottom 6th, and Wharton drew a leadoff walk, because that’s what you want from your deliciously paid slugger. He advanced on a Corral groundout and then scored when Gallo socked an RBI double, 5-4. Marquez’ groundout and Gomez getting intentionally walked got us to van Otterdijk pinch-hitting with runners on the corners and two outs, but he grounded out to de Leon.

The ball went to Nava for the seventh and he got two outs before allowing a single to PH Roberto Lozada. When Varner also singled, Lozada moved to second base, then was run for by Tyler Chenette with the insurance run. Moore was down 0-2, then flicked another single, and Chenette scored from second base, 6-4. Reynolds came in and got a fly out from John Bustillos to end the inning. Waldron was coming back for the bottom 7th, but walked only the tying runs on base with Duhe and Fumero before getting yanked. Ken McDonald got a fielder’s choice grounder from Otal, and then Wharton batted in a prime RBI position to be a hero and – hit into a 6-4-3 double play… and Marquez hit into another inning-ending double play in the eighth after Gallo got on base. McMahan at least managed to not give up a double for the cycle to Moore in the ninth, but Miguel Batista retired the Critters in order in the ninth inning. 6-4 Canadiens. Fumero 1-2, 2 BB, 2B; Otal 2-4, 3B, RBI; Gallo 3-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI;

Oh, the pleasure of being three time zones away and generally busy…!

Game 3
VAN: SS Barraza – 2B Kilday – RF Lozada – 1B Atkins – C Varner – CF D. Moore – LF Chenette – 3B W. de Leon – P Rath
POR: SS Duhe – 1B Fumero – LF Otal – CF Wharton – 3B Gallo – RF van Otterdijk – C Flowe – 2B Gates – P Gaytan

Not sure what the biggest marvel of the first inning was – Gaytan pitching a 1-2-3 inning and whiffing two, or Tyler Wharton actually driving in a run with a 2-out RBI single, getting Fumero home for a 1-0 lead, that became 2-0 when Gallo struck an RBI double to center after him. Van Otterdijk then made a meek out to end the inning. While Varner and Moore got on base for the Elks in the second inning, Chenette then hit into an inning-ending double play, but the Raccoons upped to 3-0 with Gates and Duhe base hits in the bottom 2nd.

The Elks had another pair of hits in the fifth inning from Chenette and Barraza. With two outs they were on the corners, Barraza stole second base, but Matt Kilday’s liner to left was caught by Otal and the inning ended. Next inning, next pair on base, but the 2-out runners Varner (walk) and Moore (single) were stranded when Chenette struck out. While the Raccoons had gone to bed by this time, Gaytan kept scratching and got six more outs, pitching eight shutout innings against the damn Elks out of the blue. Van Otterdijk then took Martyn Polaco deep for a solo jack in the bottom 8th, 4-0, and another run came together between pinch-hitters Lorenzo Marquez doubling to left and Jose Corral hitting an RBI single to center.

Up 5-0, the Raccoons sent in John Reynolds, who loaded the bases by nicking Moore and walking Chenette and de Leon, and getting no outs in the ninth inning. That mess then went to Valentin, who popped out Bustillos, and then struck out Barraza and Kilday to prevent any stupid runs from scoring. 5-0 Furballs. Duhe 2-4, BB, RBI; Wharton 2-4, RBI; Marquez (PH) 1-1, 2B; Corral (PH) 1-1, RBI; Gaytan 8.0 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K, W (5-7);

In other news

June 10 – VAN OF Dan Moore (.363, 5 HR, 28 RBI) has put a 20-game hitting streak together by landing a single in an 8-0 loss to the Cyclones.
June 11 – DEN 1B Juan Gutierrez (.299, 10 HR, 33 RBI) beats the Condors with a home run in a 1-0 game. Denver SP Aaron O’Harra (5-2, 2.44 ERA) throws a 6-hit shutout in the game.
June 11 – Vancouver outfielder Dan Moore (.358, 5 HR, 28 RBI) has his hitting streak already end in a 2-1 win against the Cyclones, going hitless.
June 12 – CIN OF Melvin Avila (.317, 10 HR, 41 RBI) sits pretty at a 20-game hitting streak following a double and a single in a 10-4 loss to the Canadiens.
June 12 – Denver RF/LF Steve Millen (.330, 8 HR, 42 RBI) singles in the second inning of a 9-3 loss to the Condors to also run a hitting streak to 20 games.
June 13 – Crusaders RF/LF/1B Juan Paez (.263, 1 HR, 40 RBI) retires from baseball after re-tearing the labrum in his shoulder and requiring more complex surgery. The 29-year-old Paez batted .304 in his career, with 51 HR and 425 RBI, was named an All Star in 2065, and won a World Series ring as a rookie with the 2061 Bayhawks.
June 13 – The hitting streak of CIN OF Melvin Avila (.313, 10 HR, 41 RBI) also ends at 20 games with an 0-for-3 appearance in a 5-2 win against the Capitals.
June 14 – Three dead hitting streaks in a week, as the one by Denver’s Steve Millen (.327, 8 HR, 43 RBI) ends at 21 games in a 9-4 win against the Pacifics.
June 15 – The Gold Sox beat the Pacifics, eventually, 4-3 in 14 innings. DEN INF Jim Fusselman (.285, 2 HR, 15 RBI) only enters the game in a double switch in the #9 spot, but is the only player in the game with three base hits, and scores the winning run in the 14th inning.

FL Player of the Week: NAS RF Austin Gordon (.321, 12 HR, 38 RBI), batting .500 (13-26) with 3 HR, 5 RBI
CL Player of the Week: IND 1B Matt Rogers (.331, 20 HR, 59 RBI), slapping .536 (15-28) with 6 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Tony Gaytan finally pitched a fine game on Sunday. Only took him 14 attempts to not get blown up and have his intestines strung from foul pole to foul pole!

Joel Starr started a rehab assignment today, and him and Novelo should rejoin the team at different points next week; Novelo still isn’t hitting anything even in AAA.

The Raccoons had another three games at home against the Indians, and then would go on a hard road trip to see the Thunder, Aces, and Titans, for a total of ten games, all the way to the end of the month.

Fun Fact: Tyler Wharton’s worst PA/HR rate in the last eight seasons was 25.60;

Last year: 17.95 plate appearances per home run.

This year: 42 plate appearances per home run.

None since May 9. And I can’t give him much for “oh I was on the DL for four weeks” …