An 8-game losing streak sat on top of the low-scoring Raccoons as they welcomed the New York Crusaders for the second series between the teams. The Raccoons led the season series 2-1. The Crusaders tied that score by winning the first game 4-2. The Raccoons had actually more hits (8-7), but never chained them together very well and most came with already two outs. Juan Berrios had been the starter, and had pitched well, allowing only one run over seven innings. I made an experiment by letting Armando Padilla start game 2. Padilla went six frames of 4-hit, 1-run ball with 2 BB and 1 K, pleasing me. I was less pleased with Ben Jenkins, who blew the game with four runs in the seventh. It was the 10th consecutive loss for the Raccoons, 5-1. LF David Correa was benched again after going 0-8 with 4 K and the lineup was revamped with Sullivan and Johnston moving down to 5-6 and Sánz and Simon up to 3-4 in a vain attempt to generate offense.
One more against the Crusaders remaining. Alex Miranda (0-4; 4.08) faced Bernard Lepore (3-1; 4.33). That alone tells you volumes about the offensive quality of the Raccoons, who averaged less than three runs per game. It was another game to cry your heart out, as the Raccoons were skinned alive in a 13-2 rout.
Frustration.
The two last place CL North team were up next, with the 12-12 Loggers hosting the 5-20 Raccoons. Loggers had lost their last three. Raccoons had lost their last eleven and their GM had been seen in a DIY store buying a 9 ft long piece of good rope and an unstable ladder for unknown purposes.
The Loggers shut out the Raccoons for 3-0 in game 1 of the 4-game contest (with the Raccoons making pathetic outs with runners on third and two outs three times in the contest). This put the Coons’ losing streak at 12. Berrios took the mound the next day. I will let the picture speak for itself:
Juan Berrios pitched the first no-hitter in ABL history, while at the same time the Raccoons rubbed the Loggers the ugly way! Wow! (stunned)
I almost would have taken Berrios out of the game earlier for a pinch hitter with two outs and runners on first and second, but decided to keep him in – he hit the ball fair to keep the inning going. I didn’t even realize he was on a no-hitter until the seventh inning, when I began sweating. He looked a bit pale before the last inning, mainly because he was already over his pitch count, but I refused to talk or even look at him and just pointed out to the mound (nothing could happen with a 12-run lead, right?), and the stellar defense bailed him out of there to complete the first no-hitter in the ABL! Now let’s hope this will be inspiration for the team to continue on that road. Pleeease.
The Raccoons prepared another bashing for the Loggers the next day, although the game was close for a time. With a 4-3 lead for my team in the bottom 7th, Ben Jenkins got himself the bases full with one out. Padilla got him out by whiffing two. Next inning, the Raccoons plated five, including a slam by Ben Simon, one of his three home runs that day, a new league record, as he batted in seven that day. Raccoons won 9-4. It rained on the Raccoons’ parade the next day – literally. A rain delay of more than one hour forced both starters out after three innings, with Miranda and the Raccoons leading 2-1. We continued on our tear and won 4-3, although Ben Green was again unable to save the game. Up 4-1, he was rattled for two runs, left runners on first and third, and with no outs. Hatfield fanned two and induced a groundball out for the win (and a save).
And into interleague play. We traveled to Pittsburgh to face the 14-14 Miners, who were good offensively, but ranked second-to-last in runs allowed in the Federal League. 3B Rich Johnson had to be watched especially hard. Game 1 was a close contest, as the Miners scored single runs in each frame from the second to the fourth. The Raccoons slowly made the sneak back into the game and tied it 4-4 through nine, before eating the backend of the Miners’ pen in the tenth for three runs. The Miners scored in the bottom 10th, but not enough, and the Raccoons won 7-5. Next up was Berrios, Mr. No-No, but this time he was rapped early for four runs in two innings. He went five without further damage, and the Raccoons tied it by the seventh. Brett Justice pitched the next two. With two outs in the top 8th, Tim Anderson (who had PH’ed for Berrios earlier) walked, bringing up Justice. What the heck – I signaled a hit and run for Justice’s first career at bat. He zinged the wall through the gap into centerfield and the speedy Anderson dashed home for the 5-4 run. Next, Lopez, Sánz, Swift (who had replaced Ed Sullivan, who was injured in a collission at 2B) each produced RBI XBH, capped off by a 2-run homer by Johnston for a 10-4 lead! Justice went four innings, surrendering a solo homer with two out in the ninth, but the 10-5 win was ALL his!
The bad news were that Ed Sullivan would miss two to three weeks with a knee sprain. He was the first Raccoon to end up on the 15-day DL. Greg Swift moved into the lineup in SS, Simon shifted to 2B, and an infielder was called up from AAA in Hector Mendez, a solid fielder, but a poor hitter.
The last game in Pittsburgh became a streak snapper, when Ray went seven with a 4-2 lead, but Padilla and Hatfield failed to get him out of a two on situation in the eighth and allowed three runs across, allowing the Miners to win 5-4.
Still, the Raccoons had shown life, maybe not all was lost. They would return home for a 3-game interleague series against the Pacifics, then hit the road for two weeks, visiting the Indians, Titans (4), Aces, and Falcons.
Standings and roster below. Missing is of course Ed Sullivan, who was hitting .278 with 5 HR and 10 RBI when injured.
In other news:
May 1 – The Salem Wolves’ Rafael Quinones pitches a 1-hitter against the Sacramento Scorpions.