Los Angeles Lakers (44-29, .603, 1st NL West) @ Seattle Sounders (48-25, .658, 1st Everywhere)
With only three games between us and home, going through Seattle is, in a word, undesirable. This has nothing to do with the city itself – it’s a great town with stellar breakfast options (search up Biscuit B____ - you won’t be disappointed (I recommend the Spicy B____), a rich and storied Roller Derby history (Rat City!), and a rock-solid live music scene… If it’s fun you’re looking for, you could do a lot worse than Seattle. But, meeting the Sounders, for a 3-game set, who are the owners of the best record in the league, and are currently on an 8-2 tear with a sweep over Green Bay during their last series is a daunting task. Even for a tip-top club such as ourselves – sure, we just completed a sweep over St. Louis which is a tall order for any club – a date with Seattle is daunting. They have, without a doubt, the best pitching staff in the league, their Ace, Bradley Hughes – who we will see in game one – has an 11-1 record with a 2.43 ERA and their #2, David Arney, would be the Ace on pretty much any other club. They’re stacked. On offense, they are ranked 4th in the AL – which just means they are 4th in the league as the AL is stacked with offensive talent – and their guys may be even better defensively than they are at the plate. 8-2 over their last 10 and working on their 6th straight winning season, the Sounders are looking for hardware – something shiny and gold to sit next to the other six World Series trophy’s they own… and, really, if I was a betting man my money would be on them to do just that.
74 of 162: Josiah Kawka (7-3, 2.89) @ Bradley Hughes (11-1, 2.43)
Coming into this one, given the skill of the team opposite us and our Otto-less lineup, my expectations were low. When Seattle goes up 2-0 in the bottom of the 3rd, I meet it with a shrug – it’s as it should be. When Pepper blasts a solo shot out in the top of the 6th, though, I slowly lean forward in my seat – we might have something here… but, a 2-run double by LF Cubas allows my resignation to creep back in. We get two in the top of the 8th on a Sac Fly and a run-scoring single from Fregoso, I’m interested – curiosity piqued. A run-scoring double for Zarate brings it to 4 for us – we only need one to tie it – my hope, however, would only be temporarily restored as Pepper hits a weak pop up for the final out on the first pitch he sees – ball game over before I even had time to flip my cap inside out – Sounders win, 5-4. Hughes is as advertised – 7-innings, 4 hits, 1 run, while Kawka gives up 5 in 6…
Elsewhere: Green Bay, fresh off of being swept by Seattle, defeats St. Louis, fresh off of being swept by us, by a score of 16-4. Green Bay hits 3 doubles and 3 homers in this one.
75 of 162: Julen Morales (8-4, 3.46) @ Javier Cuello (6-0, 2.88)
Seattle shuffles their rotation in this one, giving Arney an extra day of rest after he threw a season-high 134 pitches his last time out… Jules earns redemption in this nationally televised game – billed as a potential World Series preview – he was masterful in a nearly complete game 3 hit shutout (he’d hand it off to Guzman for the final out (save # 19)). The offense played well – 10 hits, a double and a home run for Ethan – Pepper, and Zarate contributed our other two RBI. No Otto – no problem.
Elsewhere (City of Compton): 1B Yoshimasa Sugawara went 3 for 4 with 2 HR and 5 RBI to earn the #1 Performance of the Day in AAA – Compton breaks their losing streak in an 11-6 win over the Sugar Land Skeeters. Your boy
Rad Taylor got the start and the win despite allowing 5 runs to score in only 5 innings of work.
76 of 162: Michael Brisk (6-6, 4.05) @ Kayden Thompson (6-3. 2.56)
The rubber match will not be televised… Brisk doesn’t do enough in this one through 6, allowing 4 runs on 8 hits, including a home run to RF Patrick Adams, his 20th. Fregoso attempts to make a game of it in the top of the 9th – his 2-run homer pulls us to within one run, but Newman, in a PH situation, strikes out on three pitches as Seattle gets the series win by a score of 4-3. Pepper finished 2 for 4 with a run and we turn 4 double plays as a team – Seattle just had a little bit more than us here.
I’ll take three closely contested games in Seattle with a win sprinkled in the mix without Otto anytime. At full strength, we have the ability to really give these guys a run. We’re that good when firing on all (or most) cylinders. We head home for a day off before welcoming the Warriors to town – I hope my assistant Chadwick remembered to feed my fish – if I walk into my apartment with a dead lionfish, I’m gonna riot.
Elsewhere: 1B Jacob Wells won player of the week again – he hit .517 with 10 RBIs… who does this guy think he is?