[Bub13]

April 11-14 @ OAKLAND
Off to a 5-3 start, 4th in runs for and 8th in runs against. The bullpen is struggling, tho, thanks in no small part to the season-ending injury to closer Bill Brunson in the spring. They did sign a bunch of free agents this winter, most of whom won't move the needle much. Catcher Peanuts Carter is hopeless behind the plate these days, but can still hit; DH Andrew Hale, however, has earned 3 WAR over his six year career, and isn't likely to break out by now. SP Greg Langworthy and Luis Otero, tho, are decent additions to the rotation, and are good second-tier guys behind Mike Wiater and Jim Schwartz. They also added former Isle RP Jin-song Yee, who's 39 now and looks to have lost a lot of his oomph over the winter. Prospects rank just 27th, and my favorite is probably Miguel "Not Tejada" Tejeda, who's 19 and should be batting cleanup in the bigs in another year or so. But put him at DH, as he's got no skills in the field at all. GM is Chris Bolger, in his 6th season; manager Robert Woodard has been here since 2032, making the playoffs seven times and earning manager of the year in 2044. Budget is 13th, while payroll is just 25th. Fan interest is at 89, and they figure to slightly outdraw last season. They've got a lot of money for free agents available, and really should be a bigger player than they have been lately.

HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (1-0, 1.04) / LH Eric Jones (1-0, 3.86) / RH Ryan Ratliff (2-0, 3.86) / RH Joe Koval (2-0, 1.15)
OAK pitchers: LH Luis Otero (1-0, 0.00) / LH Miguel Valencia (1-0, 1.13) / RH Mike Wiater (2-0, 2.40) / RH Jim Schwartz (0-1, 13.50)

#10: WIN 11-2 ... Stoneback and Daley get RBI in the 1st, and we score early and late to win in a breeze...complete game 7-hitter for Jackson
#11: LOSS 4-5 ... we almost come back from a 5-0 deficit, but the game gets called in the 6th due to soggy, worried A's fans...Jones struggles, hasn't gotten on track yet
#12: LOSS 2-3 ... just 5 hits, although 3 are doubles...6 good innings for Ratliff, but he's outpitched by Wiater...Klump (0-for-3) now batting .083
#13: WIN 6-3 ... 4 hits and runs for Groff, and a 2-run double for Daley...7 innings for Koval, fans 7

Our first failed series! Ok, not really, but now that the high of the winning streak is over, it's time to get serious.... Groff is now healthy, but Kenny Welch sprains his ankle and will be out for two weeks. He hasn't played as much as he might, since we've faced so many LHP, but he's gone 4-for-8 with 3 HR. Pretty good ratio. We call up Josh Frederick for his first taste of MLB, and move Cameron Daley into full-time LF duty for now.... ELSEWHERE: Detroit (with Hawaii) tops everyone at 10-3, with Philly at 9-4. The Mets are 3-10, and the Twins 2-9.... STL starter Tim Ost hasn't given up a run in his two starts.... Washington has 8 wins on the season, 5 of them have been shutouts.


April 15-17 @ HOUSTON
Struggling so far, at 5-7, and 13th in runs while 15th in pitching, for a -17 run differential. They've only hit 5 HR this season, with the 3-6 hitters having hit just one. New 1B--and former Isle--Sen Masuda is batting just .200 with no HR; their two new SP, Brett McGee and Joe Jones, are 0-4, although at least McGee isn't (yet) on track to give up 50 HR, like he did last year. Prospects rank 24th, although 19-year-old 1B Jose Renteria looks like a future HR king. GM David Nelson--from Hawaii!--is in his third year, and hasn't done much, really; likewise, manager Dylan Barrow is in year #3, and already has an unhappy clubhouse (with one fight already on the books). Budget is small, 35th, with payroll at 33rd. Their market is huge, but fan loyalty is 'pathetic' and interest is at 46. They draw 23K per game, not great but 20% better than last season.

HAW pitchers: RH Dennis Perry (0-1, 10.00) / RH Shamar Jackson (2-0, 1.53) / LH Eric Jones (1-1, 4.74)
HOU pitchers: RH Dustin Springer (0-0, 5.40) / LH Brett McGee (0-2, 6.23) / LH Joe Jones (0-2, 6.59)

#14: LOSS 2-4 ... Perry is better but we can't score for him...worse: Groff gets hurt again, this time seriously, for 4-5 weeks
#15: WIN 4-3 ... we rack up 14 hits, with six guys getting 2 hits each...Jackson: 8 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 7 K, 1 BB
#16: LOSS 6-7 ... Jones still can't get anyone out, and Stanley blows up in relief, losing it in the 9th...Frederick gets 2 doubles, 2 RBI in his debut

Ick. Yeah, we're still just 16 games into the season, but losing two to a struggling team--in our division, no less--is always no good.... Groff's loss hurts, as he was hitting .531. He'll miss just over a month. We call up IF Cam Mitchell, who's fairly useless, actually.... Three-fifths of the rotation is throwing well, but Jones and Perry aren't. Perry was good in his last start, at least.... ELSEWHERE: Philly is now tops, at 12-4, with Hawaii and Detroit at 11-5.... Detroit's Luis Acevedo is the first to ten HR.... Miami's Antonio Amezcua has won his three starts, with a 0.37 ERA.... Jordan Cruz Update: The Strikeout King has been on a AAA rehab stint, where he's gone 2-for-14 with 6 K. I look forward to having him back in the bigs soon.


April 19-21 @ KANSAS CITY
At 7-7 and getting their usual solid pitching (5th) and defense (3rd), but subpar hitting (11th). They are 5th with 21 HR however. Somehow I missd that they signed catcher Adam Behling as a UFA last year: he's not an all-time great, but is a solid hitter who suffered for 8 years with awful Giants teams. I sniffed around him a few years back but SF wanted a top player and a top prospect for him. KC got him for $24M. This year, they've added SP Phil Eckert, who is probably underrated (and cheap, at $850K) as their #4 in a solid rotation. I'm less sure about (former--and original--Isle) Raleigh Vance as closer, since he hasn't been good in over five years. Prospects rank a lowly 34th, with a 16-year-old SS ranked first. Yes, he looks good, but those kids have a way of disappearing fast... GM Pete Ciofrone is in his third year, while manager Andy Raaff is beginning his fourth. Budget is 16th, and payroll is 8th. Despite that disparity, the fans are all over this team (interest = 100) and they've got tons of cash in the bank.

HAW pitchers: RH Ryan Ratliff (2-1, 4.05) / RH Joe Koval (3-0, 1.19) / RH Dennis Perry (0-2, 7.31)
KCR pitchers: LH Chris Larimer (2-1 3.38) / RH Gabe Delfin (debut) / RH Ron Curtis (2-1, 3.10)

#17: LOSS 2-4 ... uuuuggh...only five hits tonight, and now we're 3-6 since our undefeated start...Ratliff is subpar, but our hitting just did us in
#18: WIN 4-3 ... Koval does just enough through 7, and we win with 2 runs in the 9th...Lasky fills in for an injured Klein and goes 3-for-4
#19: WIN 6-4 ... up 5-0, with give up 4 in the 8th, but add one in the final frame to clinch it...2 doubles and 3 RBI for Rich...Perry goes 3 innings, gets hurt

Nice cap to the series, managing to keep some momentum after stumbling for a couple of series.... Injuries are starting to pile up, tho: Klein gets a 2-week dtd injury diving for a ball, but he can still play. Now, Perry has a diagnosis pending; he threw 3 shutout innings before leaving that last game.... MR Ramon Sanabria still has yet to pitch an inning. What the hell.... ELSEWHERE: Six straight wins for Pittsburgh, moving them to the top of the NL Central. But a 1-9 stretch for Brooklyn has them near the bottom of the NL East, just above the 6-14 Mets.... Steals are up across both leagues this year; in the NL, Walt DiDio (CHC) and Jose Mendoza (MTL) lead with 10 swipes already. Mendoza led the NL with 32 last season.... White Sox starter Joe Ingram is a strange pitcher. To wit: in 26 IP, he's given up 8 HR, meaning he's on pace for an outrageous 72 this season. But he also has 43 strikeouts versus just 2 walks. His ratings? On a 20 scale: 26/3/17. Not kidding.


April 23-25 vs DETROIT
A battle of twins--no, not the Twins--as both teams are 13-6. The Tigers are 3rd in runs and--duh--1st in home runs. They're also 2nd in runs against, which is a big step up from recent years. LF Luis Acevedo already has 10 HR, while 3B Sean West has 8. Even the guys who aren't hitting for average are hitting home runs. Is something in the water? Is it the pizza pizza? On the mound, ace Raul Bravo has been joined by newbies Jimmy Porreca and Khalil Palmer (remember him?), while Jeffrey Foley has been splendid in his three starts, showing what may--finally, given his ratings--be elite form. Closer Alex Castaneda is done for the year, but the rest of the pen has stepped up so far. They also signed lifetime OF (and former Islander biggie) Travis McArthur this off-season, with the hopes of turning the 34-year-old into their new third baseman. As a pile of cinderblocks would make a better fielder, it's probably for the best that he's hurt for the next three months. Prospects rank 19th, with SP Ian Cochran and CF Luis Rodela looking like sure-fire regulars, probably by next year. GM Jin-woo Lim is in his 14th year, fourth with the Tigers (previously was in Pittsburgh). Ethan Larrison is the 2nd year manager, and has managed to make a winning clubhouse dislike him. Budget and payroll rank 3rd, and their fan numbers are maxed out. This is what a successful franchise looks like, folks.

HAW pitchers: RH Shamar Jackson (3-0, 1.75) / LH Eric Jones (1-1, 5.25) / RH Ryan Ratliff (2-2, 4.44)
DET pitchers: RH Raul Bravo (2-1, 4.74) / RH Jimmy Porreca (1-0, 9.00) / RH Mike Cote (3-0, 2.78)

#20: LOSS 1-7 ... outhit them 11-8 tho...3 hits for Lasky, 2 for Simmons, but meh...only 37K came out today, unless 12K showed up dressed as empty seats
#21: LOSS 5-6 ... Jones gives up 5 runs, but 4 are unearned thanks to 3 errors...we outhit them again, which yeah sure means nothing, I know
#22: WIN 7-1 ... salvage! Some lineup tweaks make me look genius, even if other guys actually won the game...3-run HR for Stoneback and Klump make the difference

At least we managed one win here. We're now 14-8, with Texas just 2 games back, and even bottom-dwelling LA is only 3.5 out.... Dennis Perry has a 'dead arm,' which is being voodoo-ed back to life as I write this. He won't miss a start.... Ramon Sanabria watch: still hasn't pitched an inning. Is he actually in the bullpen? If I go down there will I find he's just a straw man wearing a uniform? "Yeah, Ramon needed some personal time and we didn't think you'd notice".... ELSEWHERE: Philly leads everyone at 16-6, but pay attention to Washington. They're just 12-9, but if they could hit they'd be dangerous. They're pitchers are tossing a shutout every series right now.... Philly George Livezey is the first in the NL to crack the 10 HR mark; he has some of the best ratings this side of Babe Ruth, but has the work ethic of a dead man. Plus, he's never played more than 90 games, either b/c of injuries or general slackness.... Remember Milwaukee making the World Series last year? I do. I also remember that they're currently 7-15, worst in baseball.


April 26-28 vs CHICAGO WHITE SOX
These guys were among the cream of the AL in the '20s. Unfortunately, the calendar flipped, and 2030 was the last time they sniffed a) 90 wins, and b) the post-season. Possessing decent pitching (7th in runs, and including the above-mentioned Joe Ingram), but also burdened with the AL's worst offense, the Sox are like half a team. Table-setters Chris Rock and Justin Haynes are each batting .280 and getting on base, but the power guys in the middle are not hitting at all. Plus, regular cleanup man Dan Starr is on the shelf for another 3 weeks. They have a veteran staff which has seen better days, but is currently holding its own, for the most part (with Ingram coming off a 12-K shutout). Closer Luis Andino should be a Wilhelm trophy winner one of these days too. Prospects rank #1, although the pitchers are developing very slowly. Future ace Ben O'Neal is 23 and in R ball; future #2 SP Burton Dick, 22 and in A. But the OF trio of Andy Barenburg (MLB), Ezequiel de la Rosa (A), and Mike Embry (A) will all be legit regulars. Even #6 guy P Duncan Stark looks like a #1/#2 guy one day. Brian Davidson--who only retired from playing in '39--is the 3rd-year GM, and manager Taylor Black is in his 2nd. Budget and payroll are 23rd. Fan interest (58) isn't there yet, but attendance is slowly creeping up, and this could be a forceful team in, say three years.

HAW pitchers: RH Joe Koval (3-0, 1.82) / RH Dennis Perry (0-2, 6.16) / RH Shamar Jackson (3-1, 2.83)
CHW pitchers: RH Pedro Cabrera (0-2, 10.93) / RH Chris Wead (1-2, 5.85) / RH Jake Davidson (2-2, 0.84)

#23: LOSS 0-1 ... yes yes yes, we keep outhitting opponents, but what of it?...Koval gives up a 1st inning HR and just three other hits
#24: WIN 3-2 ... HR for Stoneback and 3 hits for Daley...seven largely-competent innings from Perry, who walks 5 but fans 8, gives up just 4 hits
#25: LOSS 1-4 ... we get 9 baserunners vs 10 for the Sox, but can only plate the one...hitting looked discombobulated this series

So we're now 7-10 after our hotshot 8-0 start. At least no one else has seized any momentum, so we're still in first place. For now.... Welch comes off the DL and goes 0-for-9 with 4 Ks.... Groff is still out for three weeks, and our offense has started to look a little thin without him.... Pitching looked pretty decent this series, and we're now 2nd in runs allowed.... ELSEWHERE: Five of the six AL West teams are over .500.... Chad Rivers (WSH) leads all of baseball with a 0.57 ERA.... Pittsburgh CF C.J. Howard leads the NL with a .413 average. The 26-year-old has been traded twice in his career, both times for low-average power hitters who did very little for their new teams. Each time he was also packaged with a reliever who proved to be even better than the power guy the original team(s) wanted.


April 29-30 @ SEATTLE
Back on the road, closing out the month against the 14-12 Mariners. They've become the opposite of what they once were: good hitting (6th) backed with subpar (13th) pitching. The top half of the lineup is about as dynamic as you can get in MLB; the bottom half, a little sketchy. CF Aaron Harrison, when healthy, is one of the best in the game; SS Enrique Antunez is right there with him. The latter will be a UFA this fall, just an fyi. #1 SP Miguel Moreno has been money for about five years now, but is really struggling right now: 8.44 ERA, 1.88 WHIP, a 5.7/4.7 K/BB ratio. Closer Daryl Kennedy leads the AL with 9 saves. Prospects rank 29th, with their top twelve guys being pitchers: none of whom look like #1 or #2 starters. The top batter is OF Bill Dennis, who brings very little outside of great range. GM Justin Ditter is in his first year, and that he's been called a "warm body" by the local press probably doesn't say good things about the future. Manager Jacob DeGrom is also in his first season. Budget is 16th, payroll 19th. Fan interest is at 85, although attendance and profit have been declining a bit over the last few seasons.

HAW pitchers: LH Eric Jones (1-1, 4.50) / RH Ryan Ratliff (3-2, 3.90)
SEA pitchers: LH Miguel Moreno (1-2, 8.44) / RH Mark Guest (3-2, 3.41)

#26: WIN 4-1 ... there's the Jones we know and love: 8.1 IP, 6 H, 7 K, 0 BB...Daley's 2-run single late clinches it, with Simmons and McCollum also getting RBI
#27: WIN 4-2 ... Daley stays hot, with a solo HR and another hit, while Klump adds a 2-run HR...Ratliff only lasts 5.1, but still pitches well

Still no Sanabria from the pen; although Old Man Henderson keeps putting up zeroes, fanning 6 in 2.2 innings in that second game.... We finish the month 2nd in runs with 149, and 2nd in runs against with 91. Bullpen ERA is #1, as is AVG, OBP, and batting WAR.... Two weeks until The Return of Groff.... Dante Padilla might need to go down for some more seasoning, as he's batting just .179 now.... ELSEWHERE: there were four shutouts on the last day of the month, paced by KC's Chris Larimer tossing a NO-HITTER in a 1-0 win over the Twins. He walked three and fanned ten.... Washington's Chad Rivers tossed another shutout (and teammate Jesse Erickson tossed one of the four on the 30th), pushing his MLB-best ERA down to 0.44.... Reds 2B Marcus Dotson made 3 errors in his last game, surpassing the 2 he'd made in his previous 71 games at second for Cincy.... Pittsburgh has gotten hot, and at 18-8 only trail Philly (19-8) for 1st overall by a half game.

......

TL;DR Version: Those wins over Seattle salvaged a 9-9 stretch, a little disappointing after our hot start. We're still 2.5 up on Oakland and Houston, but the whole division is tight and one hot team could start opening up some distance in May. We're still hitting, but with little power, and we're not scoring runs at our earlier clip. Solid pitching has kept us very competitive, however. This is as I said it would probably go. We've really missed Groff, although I'm sure when he comes back he won't match his .531 start at the plate. Would be fun if he did though.