[Bub13]

April 3-5 vs MINNESOTA
Finished 89-74 last year, losing a tiebreak game for the second wildcard spot. MLB has them winning 96 games this year and taking the Central. They'll supposedly do this despite having a subpar outfield, and 3/4 of their infielders ranked in near the bottom of MLB starters. But their best players -- C Peanuts Carter, 3B Bananas Foster, DH Steve Wilkins, and LF Jose Dominguez -- are excellent, their rotation is above average, and closer Neil Wagner looks to have a breakout season. They also cut $48M from last year's payroll, trying to stem the constant flow of cash that's seen the franchise lose over $121M combined over two seasons. Manager Jose Mateo starts his 17th season with the team, the second longest current tenure in MLB. Favorite name: prospect pitcher Kyle Hoots.

HAW pitchers: [2039 stats] Leon Casillas (22-7, 2.70) / Eric Jones (15-4, 3.24) / Billy Heine (6-11, 3.76)
MIN pitchers: [2039 stats] Chris Wead (8-8, 4.17) / Chris Varo (13-6, 3.81) / Chris Kruse (11-11, 4.33)

#1: LOSS 5-7 ... outhit them 12-10, but Dunklee's error in the third leads to three unearned runs, and the bullpen coughs up four runs late to blow it
#2: WIN 6-5 ... bullpen nearly does it again, giving up four runs late after Jones' strong start (6.2 IP, 1 R, 9 K)...Dunklee makes up for yesterday with a 3-run shot in the first
#3: LOSS 5-13 ... everybody stinks today (save Hullinger, with 2 HR), and Piccirillo's ERA is a nice and soft 30.86...it's not too early to start making fun of guys

Well, not the greatest way to start, but better than getting swept by Detroit like we did last year (or was it '38...hmm)....the bullpen looked particularly egregious, but it's early days yet.... ELSEWHERE: Texas 3B Johnny Winn and Yankees pitcher Alejandro Menjivar get 9-game suspensions for starting a bench-clearing brawl. Somehow, Texas pitcher Kevin Becker then plunks two guys and gets away with it.


April 6-8 vs CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Predicted to win 79 games, they got off to a good start by sweeping the hapless Astros. Not a lot of top-end talent, but C Dan Starr is a dynamic hitter (and a failure as a human), averaging 36 HR and 6.0 WAR over his 7-year career. 2B Francisco Gervacio cranked out 46 HR last season (and a 0.3 WAR), and SS Jaiden Elliott 39, so they can go deep. SP Hide Asano was the prize international FA last spring, but he managed just 11 wins and a 5.35 ERA, and needs to do better. Jake Atkinson is the ostensible ace, but he's coming off an even worse year: 7-15, 5.75 ERA. Demanding owner Andy Johnston is already cranky, what with only one winning season since 2032. Manager Jose Ortiz is starting his sixth full season with the Sox. Favorite name: pitcher Bijou Beamesderfer.

HAW pitchers: Bobby Little (10-1, 4.24) / Rob Hart (12-11, 5.62) / Leon Casillas (2040: 0-1, 0.00)
CHI pitchers: Lance Hansen (10-12, 4.59) / Robby Sheehan (8-18, 7.27) / Jake Atkinson (2040: 0-0, 4.76)

#4: WIN 7-6 ... everyone gets a hit (including 6 XBH), but the bullpen woes continue: 5.2 IP, 6 H, 4 R...Little pulled early with an injury, but won't miss a start
#5: LOSS 6-7 ... seven Sox hits, six are HR...Hart gives up four by himself, but--wait for it--the bullpen melts down again in the 8th and 9th...it's only five games, stay calm
#6: WIN 21-3 ... not a typo...23 hits, 8 walks, and 1 error are juuuust enough for the win...Casillas is gold but Glass gives up a 2-run shot in the 9th just for funsies

Well that last game sure was fun. Ernesto Martinez set a team record with 7 RBI, and Adam Groff now has a 21-game hitting streak. Our hitting has been brilliant so far, but pitching...less so. It's too early to get a read on the rotation, but Casillas has been stout in his two starts. But the bullpen has been beyond awful, with an ERA over 10, and 27 H and 6 HR in 19.2 IP.... I make my second move of the season (first was sending down OF McGowan when Carillo came off the DL), and that's demoting Bobby "30 ERA" Piccirillo and giving 29-year-old Jorge Escalante his first taste of big league ball. He's a hard-throwing righty with some control issues, but keeps the ball down, which I love....SP Eric Jones turns down my 5-year $36M offer, counters with 4 years and $41M.... ELSEWHERE: the hated A's are 5-1, and in the NL the Austin Outlaws are 6-0, giving them 10% of their victory total from last year. And the year before that, etc.


April 9-11 @ KANSAS CITY
Predicted to win 82 games, KC appears to be heading into the doldrums after regularly winning 90+ games and making the playoffs for over a decade now. They're 3-3 so far, with pitching outpacing their hitting, although the rotation is struggling. LF Eli Immordino is a .290 hitting Gold Glover, and CF Pete Howarth looks just the same, only without the accolades. The fans are happy, and turning out, but owner J.J. Glass is not, despite a projected $35M profit. Manager Eli Guy is the old hand in MLB, entering his 19th season at the KC helm. Favorite name: tie, AA thrower Akke Zonneveld and rookie baller August Apt.

HAW pitchers: Eric Jones (1-0, 1.35) / Billy Heine (0-1, 6.75) / Bobby Little (0-0, 5.40)
KCR pitchers: Nick Boston (0-1, 8.44) / Mike Head (1-0, 4.91) / Chris Smolak (0-0, 11.25)

#7: WIN 5-3 ... Groff ties it with a solo shot in the 9th, and he and Hullinger drive home runs in the 11th for the win...you might like to know that the bullpen gave up 2 in the 8th, fwiw
#8: WIN 5-0 ... Heine with the 2-hit, 10-K shutout...keep the bullpen unoccupied, that's my new motto
#9: LOSS 5-6 ... guess what? We were up 5-1 heading to the bottom of the 8th...Escalante is no bueno in his debut, and closer Kieffer is worse

Argh, that bullpen. I think they've cost us all four of our losses this year. Those will hurt come September, I'll bet. No one has an ERA below 5.40, and collectively they're still over 10.... Groff is at 24 games now, and the hitters are cranking it out, leading the league at .322.... A ball Eureka Aces are 0-6 despite some okay looking team stats, so I may have to tweak them a bit.... ELSEWHERE: Last year's NL MVP (and Triple Crown winner) Julio Gonzalez is out for the year after breaking his knee while sliding into second on the 8th.... Where do they get these guys? Oakland's superstar C Vinny Vargas is still out for a month, so of course backup Jeff Murphy comes in and wins player of the week.... Minny bashes out 24 runs and 27 hits against the Astros on the 10th; Houston's now without their ace, closer, 3B, and 1B. But they're not in last! (Yet.)


April 12-15 vs LOS ANGELES ANGELS
MLB says they'll get 74 wins, which sounds bad but would be their best finish since 2036 (79 wins). Jared Grose, even at 37, still ranks as the 2nd best catcher in MLB, although his work behind the plate has been appalling for years. 3B Tony Mendoza (2039 AL ROY), 2B Travis Tanner, and LF Pat Sexton are the new wave of prospects, and give hope that a bright future is coming soon. Somehow they already have seven players on the DL. Dutchman Andy Raaff is the new manager, after a fun 62-win season in Austin last year. Favorite name: Angus Toohey (honorable mention to Jim Fako).

HAW pitchers: Rob Hart (0-0, 6.43) / Leon Casillas (1-1, 1.26) / Eric Jones (1-0, 1.32) / Billy Heine (1-1, 2.08)
LAA pitchers: Dean Jernigan (0-1, 22.09) / Jeff Caraway (1-0, 1.54) / Greg Langworthy (2-0, 4.50) / Josh Singleton (0-1, 4.09)

#10: WIN 5-0 ... for this game, at least, Hart buys into the "keep the bullpen away from the field" program, throwing a 9-hit, 11-K complete game
#11: WIN 6-5 ... chickensh*t pitchers walk Groff three times, ending his hit streak...suitably chastened, the pen goes 4.1 innings and yields just 2 hits
#12: WIN 3-2 ... three solo home runs (Groff, McArthur, Hunter) are our only hits, but it's enough...Jones is great, Kieffer does his job too
#13: WIN 4-3 ... three more homers, and another strong start for Heine...bullpen gives up a run in two innings; baby steps

Sweep! And we finally get some decent relief pitching. Let's see if we can keep that up.... Josh Robertson gets hurt, diagnosis pending.... ELSEWHERE: Milwaukee's Brandon Jarmon has a 0.42 ERA over three starts. Which is good, since onetime great Bill Salazar gets hurt again. Salazar was great from 2031 through 2036, when he got hurt after making 17 starts for the Expos, and since then has made 0, 24, 24, and now 2 starts. He'll be making at least $19M through 2044, so good for you, Brewers.


April 16-18 vs HOUSTON
The perenially inept Astros are predicted to hit 71 wins this year, which would be an improvement over the last two seasons. None of their starters are top-ten in the league (although 2B Jefferson McKenzie is 11th, but is off to a .216 start). RF Paul Carlson (.382/8/17) is sustaining the offense, and #5 starter Joe Stevens (2-0, 1.93) is the bright spot in the rotation. Guillermo Reyes is in his second year at the helm, after six years in Tampa Bay. Favorite name: 30-year-old AA outfielder Bob Houston, carrying (and dropping) the hopes of an entire franchise.

HAW pitchers: Bobby Little (0-0, 2.70) / Rob Hart (1-0, 2.81) / Leon Casillas (1-1, 3.32)
HOU pitchers: Jason Ray (0-1, 7.71) / Joe Stevens (2-0, 1.93) / Nelson Gonzalez (1-1, 2.50)

#14: WIN 5-3 ... Dunklee clouts his third and the bullpen throws two more scoreless innings...Little: 7.0 IP, 5 H 3 R, 9 K
#15: WIN 9-8 ... eight balls leave the yard, and the pen reverts, with Kieffer giving up three in the 9th, but we score 2 in the 13th to escape with the win...Groff hurt, uh oh
#16: WIN 2-1 ... Casillas throws a quiet 7 innings, and Dunklee and Diaz homer to lead the attack...bad injury news tho

Another sweep, and we found ways to win three games that could easily have gone the other way. The bullpen ERA is finally under 7 (yay?), and we're still beating the cover off the ball. The rotation is looking decent right now. So what is there to complain about? Injuries. 2B Josh Robertson got his diagnosis: torn labrum, out for nine months. GREAT. He was off to a great start (.395/.480/.581) too. Danny Holguin takes his place, and John Canning comes up from AAA. Neither is the rest-of-season option, really, so I'll start poking around for a possible replacement from beyond. One option is unsigned FA Miguel Esqueda, a high-contact/no-power type, who's good in the field and the club house. He's also good for maybe 10 walks a year, but is a lifetime (he's 28) .287 hitter with speed, so I'm not sure why he's sitting around unsigned. (He also sat out last year.) Stay tuned....Better news is that Groff's injury is a five-day blister.... ELSEWHERE: Our last two series have propelled us to a 12-4 start, but other are hot too: Toronto is 10-3, leading the East; Austin is 10-4, on top of the NL West (the first time that sentence has ever been written); Philly is 10-5 and leading the NL East.

......

Toad Esqueda....worth it or not?