[Westheim]

Raccoons (46-47) vs. Loggers (43-49) – July 15-17, 2030

The Loggers had been in contention until rather recently, but had collapsed at the end of June and were now bidding for last place. Despite sitting only 6 1/2 games out of the first-place, damn Elks, the Loggers looked dead once more. They were second from the bottom in runs scored, but were also still allowing the second-fewest runs. The Coons were 7-2 on them this season, but started the week three away from another 100th all-time loss, entering with a total record of 4,484-4,197.

Projected matchups:
Trevor Draper (0-2, 8.10 ERA) vs. Mike Hodge (1-6, 5.23 ERA)
Tom Shumway (3-10, 3.95 ERA) vs. Alfredo Casique (6-3, 4.33 ERA)
Mark Roberts (9-4, 3.87 ERA) vs. Joe West (4-10, 3.30 ERA)

Three right-handers on offer here. The Raccoons scrambled to bring up Trevor Draper for a necessary spot start on Monday, although we didn’t really want any piece of him… Abel Mora was placed on the 15-day DL to make room on the 25-man roster.

Nick Valdes stopped by quickly for the Monday game on his way to Canada where he’d go polar bear hunting with a group of multimillionaire buddies. It was the humane thing to do, he said, because they were slowly having their habitat destroyed by the relentless march of global warming. Better shoot them right between the lights to make it quick.

Game 1
MIL: RF Wheeler – LF Cambra – SS W. Morris – CF Creech – 1B W. Aquino – 3B V. Diaz – C F. Chavez – 2B Rauser – P Hodge
POR: SS Ramos – CF Allan – 3B Nunley – 1B Harenberg – LF Hereford – 2B Stalker – RF Gomez – C Pizzo – P Draper

Mike Wheeler opened the game by reaching third base with nobody out with a clean single to right, a stolen base, and Pizzo’s miserable throwing error in an attempt to nip him. Regardless, the runner was stranded with a comebacker hit by Firmino Cambra, a shallow pop by Wayne Morris, and finally a pretty deep fly to Allan off Gabe Creech’s bat. The Loggers only had to wait another inning, though, to completely dismember Draper, the little ****. Wilson Aquino opened with a triple and it was off to the races. The run scored on Vinny Diaz’ grounder, but the Loggers hit another four extra-base hits in the inning, with two walks mixed in, too, as Francis Chavez and Wheeler hit doubles, and Morris hit a 3-run homer that ran the score to 6-0. Draper hung around to allow a single to Creech, then got blasted by Aquino – 8-0. Chris Wise replaced him after that. The Coons proceeded to get back-to-back singles from Gomez and Pizzo in the bottom 2nd, with Gomez ending the inning by getting caught in a rundown, and the game just wouldn’t get back on any good track from there. The Raccoons scored one run in the bottom 4th, and otherwise were dismal. The Loggers hung back for most of the game while the Raccoons went through their pen for the second game in a row – and eventually ran out. Jonathan Fleischer was in his second inning of work in the top of the eighth, and just kept putting them on. Single for Chavez, single for Jason Rauser, a walk to Wheeler, and then finally a grand slam to dead center by Cambra. He didn’t get out of the inning, put on two more batters, and those scored on Vinny Diaz’ 2-out, 2-run double off Sean Rigg. The ninth started with an error on Tim Stalker with Garavito on the mound, who also lost all cohesion right away. Matt Lockert came up with a pinch-hit single, Wayne Morris came up with a 2-out, 2-run double… and Creech homered to left to provide some insurance to the so far flimsy 16-1 lead. All runs were unearned, leaving at least Garavito’s ERA untouched. As a team, the Raccoons did nothing and let themselves be shot right between those lights. 18-1 Loggers. Gomez 2-3; Jamieson (PH) 1-1, RBI; Wise 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K and 1-1; Brotman 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K;

Yes, Trevor Draper (0-3, 13.11 ERA) is still alive. I couldn’t get out of the wheelchair, someone blocked the elevator, and they ushered him quickly out of the stadium.

All I could do was placing him on waivers and bring in new pitchers. Edwin Alvarez was demoted to AAA to make room for TWO relievers to help out a completely burnt-out bullpen. Those two arms would turn out to be Steve Costilow and Jeremy Moesker, two guys we really didn’t want to see any more of, but it was only for a few days, I told myself.

Game 2
MIL: RF Wheeler – LF Cambra – SS W. Morris – CF Creech – 1B W. Aquino – C Canody – 3B V. Diaz – 2B Sessoms – P Casique
POR: SS Ramos – CF Allan – 3B Nunley – 1B Harenberg – LF Hereford – 2B Stalker – RF Gomez – C Pizzo – P Shumway

Thankfully excess runs would not carry over to the next game, and thus the Coons took a 1-0 lead in the bottom 1st on doubles by Ramos and Harenberg(!), a Pizzo jack made it 2-0 in the second, and it was 3-0 after a Ramos Special in the third; Alberto singled, stole second (#35), advanced on an Allan grounder, and then came across when Nunley hit a sac fly to right. However – the Loggers had five runners against Shumway, and things were wonky. Scoring stopped at that point; nobody reached in the fourth for either side, and Shumway managed to string up a few more goose eggs without looking overly dominant. Portland added offense then, Harenberg cracking a 2-run homer to center in the bottom 6th, collecting Nunley from first base. Two infield singles by Hereford and Stalker, both to deep short and beyond the power of Morris’ arm, put more runners on base, while Gomez and Pizzo made poor outs. No reason to hit for Shumway in a 5-0 game and two outs and runners in scoring position. Alfredo Casique rung him up. Sure it wouldn’t matter!

It actually didn’t. Shumway lasted seven and two third innings of shutout ball, then was lifted when Morris hit a clean single to right on his 108th pitch. The tricky thing was finding a reliever to come in here. It ended up being Costilow on the merits of a rested righty reliever required to face Creech, who wasn’t much of a cleanup hitter at .244 and five dingers. Creech flew out to right, and that ended the inning. The Raccoons actually got to finish the inning between their two scrap relievers that they had shipped in overnight: Costilow got an out from Aquino to begin the ninth, and after that Moesker put runners on the corners, but got Aaron Sessoms to pop out and rung up Francis Chavez to end the game. 5-0 Critters. Ramos 2-3, BB, 2B; Harenberg 2-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI; Shumway 7.2 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K, W (4-10);

Note to self – match up Shumway with the Loggers as much as possible down the road.

The scrap relievers hung around for the rubber game; we might make more changes down the road as far as the roster was concerned. For now another change was in order – Cristiano Carmona had ordered us matching cup holders that could be mounted on wheelchairs, making it more comfortable to watch the ballgames at the big window overlooking the field.

Now I just needed something for that itch…

Game 3
MIL: RF Wheeler – LF Cambra – SS W. Morris – CF Creech – 1B W. Aquino – C Canody – 3B V. Diaz – 2B Sessoms – P J. West
POR: SS Ramos – 3B Nunley – LF Hereford – 1B Harenberg – RF Gomez – 2B Stalker – CF Magallanes – C Tovias – P Roberts

Elias Tovias Matias Diaz remained under .200 for the season, but added two RBI for 16 on the year (…!) when he bat Creech for a 2-out double to deep center in the second inning. Harenberg and Stalker scored, the first runs in the game, and Roberts grounded out to third base to end the inning. Mark Roberts allowed no hits and whiffed four the first time through the order. The Loggers would hit a pair of 1-out singles in the fourth, but with Morris and Creech on base, Aquino hit into a double play. The Loggers shrugged, got leadoff singles from Taylor Canody and Vinny Diaz to begin the fifth, and then Roberts nailed Aaron Sessoms with a 1-2 pitch. That loaded them up with nobody retired. Roberts rung up Joe West, which was surely a good first step to protect an actively endangered 2-0 lead. Wheeler grounded up the middle, Ramos managed to intercept the ball and lobbed it to Stalker at second to get the force, but they couldn’t turn two here and one run scored. Cambra then grounded out to Stalker. Roberts went on to complete seven without allowing another runner to the Loggers, but at the same time the Coons’ offense was … technically they were taking turns at bat, but they sure weren’t hitting. They had but one base hit between the Tovias double and the departure of Roberts. Kevin Surginer came in for the eighth, got two outs, but Cambra would be saved for Garavito, but Cambra singled anyway. Ricky Ohl was now called out for a 4-out save, got out of the inning, and then Ramos doubled to begin the eighth. Nunley couldn’t get him in, and Hereford couldn’t get him in, but Kevin Harenberg continued to vex the Loggers with a 2-out jack to right to provide some cushion, 4-1. They nevertheless brought up the tying run in the ninth thanks to singles by Creech and Diaz surrounding a pair of strikeouts. Ohl shrugged it off, rung up Sessoms, and the Critters took the series. 4-1 Raccoons. Harenberg 3-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI; Tovias 1-1, 2 BB, 2B, 2 RBI; Roberts 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, W (10-4);

After this game, the Raccoons hung around another night, then went to see the Knights. I was left behind again, but the Druid made sure to give me a prescription for something against the itch and I was advised to take a pill every six hours.

Oh well at least there was still company to be had back home in Portland…

Raccoons (48-48) @ Knights (46-49) – July 19-21, 2030

Third in offense, but at the very bottom in pitching – that was the Knights, and it was a bit of a pattern for a few decades now, just like the Indians were stereotypically a well-pitching team that couldn’t score two feathers’ worth (but not this year). Their run differential was -33, and they had the worst rotation and a crummy pen to blame it on. The Coons had swept them in the first series of the season.

Projected matchups:
Dave Martinez (10-5, 3.69 ERA) vs. Andy Jimenes (7-9, 4.97 ERA)
Rico Gutierrez (4-7, 4.71 ERA) vs. Justin Osterloh (3-9, 6.01 ERA)
Tom Shumway (4-10, 3.70 ERA) vs. Enrique Guzman (5-7, 4.30 ERA)

Three right-handers (lefty Mario Rosas had gone on Thursday and beaten the Thunder), including a complete scratch that was probably well served with that sort of ERA (Osterloh) and a 39-year-old has-been (Guzman). Also, their offense AND defense was missing 39-year-old shortstop (!) Andrew Showalter, who had batted .379 before breaking his leg in early June.

The Raccoons could go without another starter for another week thanks to an off day before AND after this series. The Knights had been off on Monday.

Game 1
POR: SS Ramos – 2B Stalker – 3B Nunley – 1B Harenberg – LF Hereford – RF Gomez – CF Baldwin – C Pizzo – P Martinez
ATL: CF Denzler – 2B J. Johnson – C S. Garcia – RF Pincus – LF Houghtaling – 1B Keen – 3B A. Walker – SS Greene – P Jimenes

The Knights got Jeremy Houghtaling to walk in the first run of the game after Martinez had shuffled the bags full with nobody out in the first inning. Joel Denzler and John Johnson singled, Steve Garcia walked, and then the Raccoons got round Roy Pincus, who popped out, but Houghtaling got ball four and that was that. Josh Keen hit into a force at home and Andy Walker struck out to miss out on a bigger inning. Maybe Kevin Harenberg could do something about the misery – suddenly he was clutch, for whatever reason. Maybe a change in diet. Nunley hit a 2-out single in the third to set him up, and then Harenberg crashed a 98mph heater for a 2-run homer over the rightfield fence, flipping the score the Coons’ way.

Martinez had none of the lead; he kept shuffling Knights aboard. Garcia singled, Pincus singled, Keen walked in the bottom 3rd, and with one down and 3-1 count, Andy Walker grounded between Ramos and Nunley. Ramos got an out at second, but that was all, Stalker had to hold on to the ball, and the tying run scored. Drew Greene flew out to Baldwin in center, leaving them on the corners in a 2-2 game. They were right back on the corners in the fourth, with 2-out singles flicked by Johnson and Garcia. Pincus grounded to Harenberg at 3-1… but do you remember that the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh it away, too? Harenberg fumbled the ball and chased it halfway down the first base line again without ever regaining control, all Knights were safe, and Johnson scored the go-ahead run on the error, 3-2. Houghtaling flew out to right. The Coons got walks from Ramos with one out and Nunley with two in the fifth, but Harenberg fouled out on 2-0, and those runners were stranded, too.

Martinez lasted only five ****ty innings, conceding ten hits and a fourth run in the bottom 5th. That one, Jimenes doubled in with two outs. Jimenes would keep batting for himself with two outs in the seventh, stranding a runner when he grounded out against Sean Rigg. But while it was only a 4-2 game, the Knights had been out-hitting the Coons 11-3, and that 3 was probably the key. Just keep it away from Harenberg, who would come up in the top of the eighth, found nobody on base, and sadly popped out to Andy Walker. Top 9th, Levi Snoeij retired the first two, Hereford and Allan, before Jamieson hit a pinch-hit single and Pizzo got nailed. Elias Tovias was the last bat off the bench, hitting for Fleischer in the #9 hole, hit a single to center, Jamieson raced around to score, and for reasons entirely unknown, Mike Pizzo tried to reach third base on the soft single in front of the formidably-armed Joel Denzler. He didn’t make it. 4-3 Knights. Nunley 1-2, 2 BB; Jamieson (PH) 1-1; Tovias (PH) 1-1, RBI;

The good thing about these pills the Druid gave me is that I feel nothing… except that itch in my cast.

Maud, you got a knitting needle? – Why are you upset about me assuming you’re knitting? You have worn knitted stuff since you joined this sinking ship! – But I need something to shove up my… (points) – Don’t be silly, that bottle will never fit in there. – No, my *cast*.

Game 2
POR: SS Ramos – 2B Stalker – 3B Nunley – 1B Harenberg – LF Jamieson – CF Allan – RF Hereford – C Tovias – P Gutierrez
ATL: CF Denzler – LF Houghtaling – C S. Garcia – RF Pincus – 2B J. Johnson – 1B Keen – 3B A. Walker – SS Greene – P Osterloh

Osterloh faced the minimum the first time through, with only Tim Stalker reaching on a single and being caught stealing. Gutierrez, broken, allowed two hits, three walks, and somehow only one run on Walker’s RBI double the first time through, and this was another game that could break from bad to hold-this-rope-for-me any moment. The Knights were in scoring position in the third and fourth innings, didn’t tack on, then blew the lead in the fifth. Matt Jamieson hit a 1-out ground-rule double that bounced from the track over the fence in left-center, and then Allan singled up the line, well placed enough to allow Jamieson to circle around to knot the score at one. The tie would not last; Hereford flew out gingerly and Tovias popped one over the infield, and in the bottom of the fifth Denzler led off with a double against the absolutely useless Gutierrez. Roy Pincus singled him in with two down, Johnson also knocked a sharp single, and then Josh Keen flew out to Jamison in the gap, but Jamison also came up lame and had to leave the ballgame. Baldwin replaced him in the #5 hole (yay, win!) and would play center, with Allan shoving over to left. Magallanes meanwhile pinch-hit for Gutierrez to begin the sixth inning and legged out a roller near the third-base line the Knights hoped would roll foul, but wouldn’t on the uncooperative turf. Ramos, Stalker, Nunley ALL popped out over the infield to throw that chance away. Man – those Raccoons could not hit a ****ing lick! (throws another pill into the hole between his jaws) Mmm, those are yummy. Slappy, you want some to your booze? – Nah, Slappy’s fine.

On to the seventh, where the pushover Osterloh still held a 2-1 lead and defended it despite a leadoff walk to Harenberg, a bloop single by Baldwin, and then… a K to Allan and two more pops on the infield. Top 8th, Gomez struck out after having entered in a double switch in the previous half-inning. Ramos singled to center to put the tying run aboard again. The Knights were wise to his act, though, and called a pitchout right away. Alberto scurried back to first and had to wait. The Knights couldn’t prevent Stalker from singling at 1-1 though, and then things went quick with a Nunley double to center that tied the score and put runners in scoring position with one down for Harenberg. Nope – not the Knights’ favorite deal. The intentional walk was called and then righty Ernesto Lozano replaced Osterloh with three on and one down against Baldwin … and the Critters only had Pizzo left on the bench due to the Jamieson injury and the short bench to begin with. Baldwin had to bat with the pitcher’s spot a mere two slots away (Wise having entered in Hereford’s deep, deep, deep hole). He grounded to third base, but slowly enough that Andy Walker’s only play was at first, and he had NO chance on Ramos running for his life to score with the go-ahead run. Allan flew out to Houghtaling, stranding two in the 3-2 game. Wise remained in the game, got a grounder to Nunley from Pincus to begin the bottom 8th, Johnson grounded to Ramos, and Keen flew out to Baldw- and ****ing Chris Baldwin dropped the ball for a 2-base error. Immediately the Knights sent left-handed Chris Mendoza to hit for Walker; Portland countered with Garavito, who prevailed for a grounder to Harenberg that was for once not botched and fudged, and the inning was over.

Top 9th, the Coons loaded them up against Lozano. Pizzo led off for Garavito and was nailed at 0-2, and Tovias snipped a single at 2-2. Gomez flew out to Pincus, but Ramos reached on balls, to bring up Stalker with a full plate in front of him and Matt Nunley salivating in the on-deck circle, because… full plate. Stalker flicked an RBI single to Houghtaling’s feet, so there was still a full plate available for Nunley, who was 11 away from 1,000 career RBI, and added a pair with a single into left-center that chased home another catcher as well as Ramos from second base. Harenberg hit into a double play against new reliever Chris Inderrieden, ending the inning, and with the save off the table, Sean Rigg got the ball and retired Atlanta in order in the bottom of the ninth. 6-2 Coons. Stalker 3-5, RBI; Nunley 2-5, 2B, 3 RBI; Jamieson 1-2, 2B; Magallanes (PH) 1-1;

Chris Wise got the first win of his major league career.

Matt Jamieson tweaked his back on the play in the gap and would be out for a few days, possibly until next weekend. The Raccoons thus had to make a roster move before the series finale. Steve Costilow and Jeremy Moesker had combined for three appearances, five outs, and no runs, and now Moesker was waived and designated for assignment so we could send him back to the Alley Cats to get a bench piece: Wilson Rodriguez, batting .281 with six homers in AAA.

Game 3
POR: SS Ramos – 2B Stalker – 3B Nunley – 1B Harenberg – LF Allan – RF Gomez – C Pizzo – CF Magallanes – P Shumway
ATL: CF Denzler – LF Houghtaling – C S. Garcia – RF Pincus – 2B J. Johnson – 1B Keen – 3B A. Walker – SS Greene – P E. Guzman

Ramos singled, stole two, and scored on a Harenberg groundout in the first inning. Matt Nunley had drawn a walk to allow for even that much breathing room for the limp offense. That wasn’t quite enough though to weather the storm on Tom Shumway’s ****ed-up appearance in the bottom of the first. Everybody’s favorite money sink (although Rico Gutierrez and Tim Stalker along with Rich Hereford and Rafael Gomez were surely giving him a run for his money, and don’t forget Pizzo, or … uh, time for a pill!) … he retired Denzler to start the game, then allowed a single to Houghtaling. Two walks later, Johnson hit an RBI single to tie the game, and while Keen popped out, Andy Walker hit an RBI single to center to put the Knights ahead. And then Drew Greene hit a grand slam to left to make it 6-1.

Portland would score a run with another Ramos Special in the third inning, but after Tim Stalker’s RBI double and Nunley’s walk, all with one out, Harenberg chopped the first pitch into a double play to end the inning, which was also the last with Shumway as an active participant. Roy Pincus ran a hitting streak to 15 games with a leadoff single in the bottom 3rd, and then Johnson hit a booming jack to extend the Knights lead to 8-2. Shumway was yanked and I wondered whether he felt bad and needed consolation over there in Atlanta. Maud – bring me the phone! – I have to express my understanding to his difficult situation. … Costilow entered the game for long relief before a demotion to St. Pete that was as sure as darkness in the dead of night, and immediately kept tuning that 6.59 career ERA as he allowed one walk, and then four sharp base hits for another three runs in the same inning. If you were counting, that made it an 11-2 game. Magallanes hit a sac fly off Guzman in the top 4th, but the Knights had their sac fly with three hits and another run in the bottom 4th, still off Costilow, 13-3. The top 5th was another Ramos Special. Single, stolen base (he was clearly past giving a ****), throwing error by Garcia, and then Stalker hitting a sac fly. Bottom 5th, Costilow allowed back-to-back doubles to Garcia and Pincus, then walked Johnson and allowed a single to Keen, loading them up with one out, and was finally yanked. Fleischer inherited the 14-4 score and somehow got a double play grounder from Andy Walker. The Knights sat on his face, too, in the very next inning. He pitched like arse, loaded the bases on a hit and two walks, then conceded another two runs to Pincus on a 2-out single, 16-4. As a new low, come the eighth inning, Elias Tovias made his pitching debut. He faced only one batter, Steve Garcia, who flew out to Allan on the warning track. 16-4 Knights. Ramos 2-3, BB; Nunley 1-2, 2 BB;


In other news

July 15 – The Knights trade CL Adrian McQuinn (3-2, 1.77 ERA, 19 SV) to the Buffaloes for two catching prospects.
July 16 – IND SP Andy Bressner (13-5, 2.82 ERA) 2-hits the Titans in a 9-0 Indians shutout.
July 17 – The Scorpions divest themselves of outfielder Justin McAllester (.273, 4 HR, 10 RBI). The 33-year-old former All Star had been relegated to the bench, and now to Denver for a pair of prospects.
July 19 – NYC SP Jamie O’Leary (0-3, 6.97 ERA) is out for a full year with a torn labrum.
July 21 – It is a no-hitter for TIJ SP Jorge Villalobos (11-6, 2.44 ERA)! The 33-year-old right-hander keeps the Indians knockless in a 4-0 Condors win, despite striking out only three batters. Villalobos becomes the third Condor to no-hit the opposition (Andrew Gudeman, 2018; George Griffin, 2027), and the fourth pitcher to spin multiple no-hitters.
July 21 – PIT SP Matt Brost (10-5, 3.04 ERA) will only return in September with a strained ACL.

Complaints and stuff

In the two games played on Monday, the involved teams tallied 34 total runs. Of course that was 18 for the Loggers, one for us, one for the Falcons, and 14 for the Condors. Two whack jobs! – A tally the Coons would match by the end of the week. Six games, 23 runs scored, and 41 runs allowed, and that included three games with two runs conceded or fewer…

What is it, Cristiano? – Yeah, I’m chill. Whatever that means. – Man, Cris, your wheelies are so colorful today…! – What is it, Maud? – No, the Druid said every six hours, and I just took one an hour ago.

Alberto Ramos had his second 4 SB game on Sunday, and in a raging defeat. He might have had a chance for a fifth bag, but that would have required the offense to not go down while kicking up the minimum amount of dust in the eighth and ninth. Cookie Carmona and Sandy Sambrano are the only other Coons to take four bags by force in one game, and no CL player has ever nipped five in a game.

It is now also Alberto’s fifth consecutive 40 SB season, or in other words: every season he started on the Opening Day roster. He stole six bags in his late callup in 2025 where we carefully counted at-bats to preserve his rookie status. He has 235 SB in his career – which is good enough for t-48th all time! Yes, The Excitement is 24 years old and already in the career top 50 in something! And the top 20 would only be a solid year’s worth away right now. Roberto Rodriguez, a serial Gold Glover on the infield in the 80s, holds 20th place with 317 bags. He never had more than 32 in a season.

Poor Jamie O’Leary. Discarded by his team, dumped on the Crusaders, not a good team, and now this. Remember that we packaged him with Dan Delgadillo for Chris Wise last winter.

It merits stating – with the series win this week, the Coons are 9-3 on the Loggers for the year, and that means we have extended our streak of not losing the season series to them to a 17th season. They took 11 from us in ’13, and since then have gotten a split three times, and not much more than that…

Fun Fact: Jorge Villalobos is not only the fourth pitcher to toss multiple no-hitters, but the third to do it for different teams, and the only one to no-hit the same opposing team twice!

Brian Furst and Bryan Hanson are the only pitcher to toss two no-hitters for the same team, in both cases the Thunder. Villalobos previously no-hit the Indians when he was with the Loggers in ’24. The only other multi-no-no pitcher was Henry Selph, who split his between the Titans and Bayhawks.