[Westheim]

The Bayhawks shut down (and out) the Raccoons to start the penultimate interdivision series of the season, 3-0 over Logan Evans, who went six and was not bad, but not good enough to recover zero offense. Evans racked up his first hit of the season, an infield scratcher where the Bayhawks defense was more confused than outsmarted. The Raccoons rallied to win the next game 7-3, ironically a game where Ben Simon and his huge stick were rested and didn’t come into play until the ninth, pinch hitting for Angel Costa. Ray had a bad relief outing, allowing two across. The rubber game not only decided that series but also the season matchup against the Bayhawks, which was tied 4-4 so far. Romero allowed one run in seven innings, but the Raccoons were shut out again, 1-0. Not the least little bit of success allowed here, obviously.

The Condors welcomed the Raccoons for the final away series this year, eager to get revenge. They had gone 0-6 against the Raccoons in 1979 so far, but they didn’t have to worry. The Raccoons sucked their way to a 3-2 loss in game 1, doing away with that zero. The loss tied the Raccoons with the Loggers for worst teams all time at 185-289, after the latter had had the day off. We’d face off again for three as the last series this season in Portland.

But before that, we first rebounded to an 8-2 win over the Condors in the middle game. Johnston was 1-3 with 4 RBI, twice scoring a runner on a sacrifice play. The rubber game was lost 4-1, Raccoon batters whiffed 14(!) times, Condors starter Jim Harrington alone whacked 11 of them. I can’t wait for the off season to whack even more off the team. Roman Ocasio for example, who walked seven.

This was also the 100th loss for the Raccoons. The following off day the extension for Juan Berrios was completed. He was not the 4-16 pitcher he had ended up as in 1979, he was a lot better, and for ninety grand he would prove it as part of the rotation in 1980. That’s right, Juan, right? SAY THAT’S RIGHT, NOW! (chokes Berrios, has red glare in his eyes)

Good thing this season is almost over, I probably need a vacation. Ten games left, Indians, Titans, Loggers, I need two wins to stay below the 109 mark of the Loggers from ’77. Of course I want more than that, but you know that rat pack here by now. Actually, the remaining games could raise our average a bit. We were 17-27 combined against the three teams left so far this season. That’s almost .400 – yay.

But first the Raccoons were 4-hit in a shutout by Bruce Wright, whom we had traded to acquire Ben Cox and Jerry Morris, the two trash cans. Wright fanned eight. You know, Raccoons just love to go through trash cans, we couldn’t resist. Still, this was a 3-0 loss. The next day the Raccoons won 8-5. Powell struggled to a 2-2 tie after five and was lifted for Cox to pinch hit in the top 6th. That inning, the fur balls connected to wreck the Titans pitchers for six runs for an 8-2 lead which then slowly trickled away again. Jenkins got his first save opportunity in the closer role and had a 1-2-3 inning. We took the rubber game, 6-1. Costa walked three times (hitting below .190, at least his OBP was solid…). R.J. Sanderson pinch hit with the game already open 5-1 in the top 9th. He whacked the ball so hard, the double scored Costa from first, but apparently also strained Sanderson’s abdominal muscles so badly, he had to be put on the 60-day DL, ending his season. These Raccoons…

Of course, the win also meant that we would stay below the 1977 Loggers’ 109 losses. So yay for that. Next were the Indians for four games. The Indians and Crusaders were tied up 89-66, so the Indians should be pretty motivated.

As usual, you had to find a way to somehow get to their pitching. Maloney had a throwing error that scored a run early on and the Raccoons struggled to get past zero runs in the first game. Ocasio only went five frames of inconsistent struggling (yet only allowed that one unearned run), when it was (of all people) Daniel Hall, just recalled from AAA, hit a 2-run home run to turn the game in the sixth. Hatfield pitched two, Gaston one scoreless frame, when Jenkins came in to save the 2-1 game. He needed six pitches to finish off the Indians, including a K. That was three wins in a row for the Raccoons. Four was their season record.

Game 2 was special for a different reason. Jorge Romero started for the Raccoons, entering with an ERA under three, but an 1-5 record. He started off stellar and developed a bid for a perfect game, which was broken up in the sixth inning by an infield single by Jose Zavala. Romero just couldn’t get to the slow roller quick enough. His misplay unravelled him and he allowed a run in the seventh and jammed in the eighth. Gaston came in and was wrecked, four runs scored, and the Raccoons lost (and Romero) lost 6-2. Game 3 saw Powell beaten up for seven runs (a couple unearned, so he didn’t blow it alone again). 7-4 loss, but Hall regained the lead in the CL in stolen bases with 26, and Simon hit his 27th home run with two out in the bottom 9th, and Raccoons pitchers had 13 K’s.

Hall’s season ended in the fourth game with a strained hamstring. Logan Evans shut the Indians down for five innings, then suddenly imploded in the sixth. As did the Raccoons as a whole as Hatfield, Ray, and Craig were slapped around. 0-0 after the fifth, they were thrashed 11-0.

I hate this game.

One series left against the Loggers, while the Crusaders and Indians were tied up at 92-67 atop the CL North. They would go head-to-head to finish the season and decide the playoff race.

The Raccoons wouldn’t go anywhere. They lost 4-3 to the Loggers in game 1. Simon had shot a home run in the bottom 7th to go ahead 3-2, but Gaston blew and lost it. Romero pitched well in game 2, but this time Justice blew the save. O’Rearden and Hatfield were rapped for five runs in the tenth inning and the Raccoons lost 7-3. The season ended with the Raccoons being shut out 7-0 in the final game, and swept by the Loggers.

Final aggreggate records for both teams? Loggers 193-293. Raccoons 189-297. The Raccoons are the worst team ever. Final record 55-107. Pythagorean record: 65-97. Both are all time worsts.

In other news:
September 14 – Banished Jerry Morris signs with the Richmond Rebels.
September 14 – Should the Knights make the postseason, they will make it without 2B Adam Reid, who is out with a strained oblique. His .315 bat will surely be missed.
September 17 – With a 2-6 performance in a 10-8 win over the Stars, Claudio Rojas of the Cyclones has a 25-game hitting streak.
September 18 – Jeff Thompson tosses a 2-hitter as the Scorpions wreck the Capitals 17-0.
September 19 – The Aces shut out the Indians 5-0, while the Crusaders wiggle their way through a 14-inning affair in Oklahoma City to a 4-2 win. This ties up the CL North; the Indians have blown a 14-game lead they had into late June / early July.
September 21 – The Knights shut out the Condors 4-0 to clinch the CL South. It’s the first playoff appearance by Atlanta. Only the CL North remains open, where the Crusaders have a chance to go to the playoffs for the third straight time.
September 23 – Claudio Rojas reaches 30 straight games with a hit for the Cyclones.
September 24 – Scorpions CF Jorge Chavez (.288 hitter with some power) suffers a strained oblique and will miss the postseason.
September 25 – 11-9 Knights starter Dave Larson is out with ulnar nerve compression.
September 25 – Christian Hampton of the Wolves, one of the premier offensive catchers in the game, goes down with a groin injury.
September 25 – Joe Ellis hurls a two-hitter as the Falcons beat the Thunder 5-0. Ellis has 10 K’s and a walk.
September 25 – Claudio Rojas goes 1-5 in a 4-2 win over the Miners: 31 games of hitting now for the Cyclone.
September 26 – Rojas keeps going, although just barely with a 1-6 outing in a 14-7 win over the Miners.
September 27 – Another 1-hit game for Rojas, going 1-3 in a 5-4 win over the Miners.
September 28 – Rojas goes 3-5 as the Cyclones beat the Blue Sox 7-2. Hit streak at 34. In the same game, LF Chris Lynch sufferes a fractured rib and will miss the playoffs.
September 29 – Rojas has a hit in 7 AB in a 6-5 loss to the Blue Sox to get his streak to 35. Jeremiah Carrell goes down with a thumb injury, further crippling the Cyclones’ title bid.
September 29 – The Crusaders slap five home runs in an 8-1 victory over the Indians, clinching the CL North for the third time in three seasons.
September 30 – The Cyclones lost again to the Blue Sox, but Rojas kept his hitting streak alive at 36 games.

Did I mention that I hate this game?