Portland Raccoons (ABL)

[Westheim]

Raccoons (71-52) vs. Crusaders (57-67) – August 21-23, 2046

Beginning on Tuesday, we had another 3-game set with the Crusaders, who we were leading 9-3 in the season series. New York was out of ambitions, second from the bottom in runs scored (just under four runs per game), but with decent pitching and especially a stingy bullpen. Only infielder Frank Mujica was on the DL for them.

Projected matchups:
Jake Jackson (10-9, 3.50 ERA) vs. Paul Paris (8-12, 3.94 ERA)
Victor Merino (11-7, 2.67 ERA) vs. Carlos Malla (5-9, 4.27 ERA)
Jason Wheatley (14-4, 3.30 ERA) vs. Yataro Tanabe (5-4, 4.61 ERA)

The series would start with the right-handed Paris, then bring up a pair of left-handers that had both pitched in a double-header on Friday.

Game 1
NYC: SS Adame – LF E. Moore – 2B Briones – RF P. Rogers – C Alba – 1B Schneller – 3B Riario – CF Foss – P Paris
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Morales – LF Baskins – SS Waters – 2B Martell – P Jackson

Jackson ended up 3-0 behind in the second inning when he couldn’t ******* retire the opposing pitcher with two outs, but the drama started earlier with a Fernando Alba single and Dan Schneller getting nicked. Vittorio Riario flew out, Aaron Foss whiffed, and Paul Paris singled to center to score Alba… Alex Adame, the persistent annoyance, then whacked a 2-run double to right. Matt Waters tried to take off some of the sting with a 2-run homer to right in the bottom 2nd, but Jackson was whacked around for three more hits and another two runs in the third inning. Oh boy…

Mercado singled and Herrera doubled to bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom 3rd with nobody out. The Raccoons had already had those two on base in the bottom 1st before Maldo (foul fly caught by Phil Rogers) and Toohey (6-4-3) laid a pair of eggs and the chance evaporated. It didn’t get much better this time, Maldo flying out to Aaron Foss in shallow center, forcing the runners to hold, and Toohey bouncing out to Riario. At least Tony Morales was awake, singling up the middle for two and a 5-4 score.

Jackson was then trampled to death for good in the fifth. He walked Ethan Moore on four pitches to start the inning, and retired nobody from there. Mario Briones mashed a double, Phil Rogers an RBI single. The Coons went to Preston Porter to accelerate the fire. He threw a wild pitch and allowed a double to Alba to concede Jackson’s runners, then allowed a single to Schneller that Baskins overran for an error, because why not. He struck out the 7-8-9 batters, but by now we were buried by a swift pawful – awful. The Raccoons stopped pretending by the sixth, when a second double switch removed Armando Herrera, and we didn’t get Paris out of the game until the first three batters in the bottom 8th reached. Manny Fernandez drew a leadoff walk in the #8 hole, and John Castner doubled to right. Mercado hit an RBI single. Righty Matt May replaced Paris, giving up a sac fly, 9-6, to Pat Gurney, but the inning fizzled out after that. Julian Ponce would retire Baskins, Waters, and Fernandez in order in the ninth. 9-6 Crusaders. Mercado 3-4, BB, RBI; Herrera 2-4, 2B; Toohey 2-5; Castner 1-2, 2B; Hickey 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K;

Shambolic!

Game 2
NYC: SS Adame – 1B Schneller – 2B Briones – RF P. Rogers – 3B Nash – CF Foss – LF J. Simmons – C Bergomi – P Malla
POR: LF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Gonzalez – SS Waters – RF Pellicano – 2B Castner – P Merino

Merino allowed singles to Randolph Nash and Justin Simmons in the second, but also struck out Foss and Josh Bergomi to bail out of the inning, so things at least started better, despite Foss (and Malla) being the only lefty batter(s) in the New York lineup. Merino whiffed three the first time through, then got a lead when Mercado singled and Maldo crushed a homer to left in the bottom 3rd, 2-0. The Crusaders of course loaded the bases at once, getting Rogers to draw a walk, an infield single for Nash, and a proper single for Foss, all with one out in the fourth. Merino and Herrera held Simmons to a sac fly, and Bergomi’s fly was tracked down by Gene Pellicano to bail out of the jam, still up 2-1.

The game then entered a doozy phase in which nobody reached base whatsoever. Poor out after poor out, a string of offensive futility only ended when Matt Waters heroically singled in the bottom 7th. Pellicano forced him out, Castner popped out, and that was that.

Merino struck out Malla – his first K since the third inning – to begin the eighth, then was replaced with Nelson Moreno against the right-handed lineup. He had thrown 92 pitches. Alex Adame whiffed, Schneller walked and was run for by Riario as the tying run, but Briones struck out before anything could happen. And then the Coons ACTUALLY scratched out an insurance run in the bottom 8th against Malla, who allowed Mercado on with a soft single, then gave up a liner that Herrera buried in the gap in right-center well enough for a stand-up RBI triple! And then Maldo popped out on the infield and Toohey found third base again for another staggeringly stranded runner at third base… The Raccoons used Lynn in the ninth since Rella had been requisitioned to pitch a pointless ninth inning on Monday. He would axed the Crusaders in three batters, but the middle one, Nash, reached on a Waters error and advanced on Foss’ groundout. Simmons was rung up to correct the mistake. 3-1 Raccoons. Mercado 2-4; Merino 7.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, W (12-7);

Then, a plan change for the rubber game – the Crusaders evicted Tanabe from the start, preferring to go with right-hander Jeff Johnson (8-7, 3.22 ERA).

Game 3
NYC: SS Adame – LF E. Moore – 2B Briones – RF P. Rogers – C Alba – 1B Schneller – 3B Gates – CF Foss – P J. Johnson
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Morales – SS Waters – LF Fernandez – 2B Martell – P Wheatley

The Jason Wheatley Experience was back in town, and everybody hoped for something special. The first inning was certainly special… Adame and Moore opened with singles. Mercado threw away Moore’s ball for an error that allowed Adame to score, while Morales filed in a passed ball and Rogers drew a walk after Moore scored on a sac fly. Alba hit into a double play, which was for the better, given that I was already gasping for air. The deficit would be made up, slowly, with solo homers by Waters in the second and Mercado in the fifth, with not a whole lot in between. Wheatley had a chewy second inning before settling into groundball parade mode, which at least got outs, but still got taken deep by Ethan Moore in the sixth, falling behind again.

He remained behind through seven innings of work, being hit for with Baskins with one out and Manny on first base in the bottom 7th, but neither Baskins nor Mercado did anything writing home about. The tying run was granted second base with nobody out in the bottom 8th when Prince Gates threw away Herrera’s grounder. Maldo grounded out, Toohey flew out to right, but that was at least enough for a ******* sac fly and a 3-3 tie. Ibold, Curl, and Moreno patched together a scoreless ninth after a leadoff single for Rogers, giving the Critters a chance to walk off, still facing a gritty Johnson. Waters flew out to Moore, but the leftfielder couldn’t reach Manny’s gapper that fell for a 1-out double, putting the winning run in scoring position. Martell flew out, and Gurney barely scratched out an infield single when he hit for Moreno. Now the Crusaders went to Matt May, but he’d have to get Mercado first. The count ran full before Mercado hit a chopper into play, slowly up the middle. May swiped and missed while falling in the wrong direction, while Adame had to race in – overran the ball! Manny across home plate – it’s a walkoff! 4-3 Raccoons. Mercado 2-5, HR, 2B, RBI; Gurney (PH) 1-1;

The Indians matched our results every day so far, always staying four games behind.

Raccoons (73-53) vs. Bayhawks (62-65) – August 24-26, 2046

The Bayhawks were a very average team. Three games under .500, with a +2 run differential with middling rankings in both offense and pitching, and average defense… they were almost boring to talk about. Somehow they had a 4-2 lead in the season series though, so maybe don’t fall asleep on the field again? Starter Chris “Tuba” Turner and OF/2B Moises Avila were out for the season for them.

Projected matchups:
Bubba Wolinsky (3-3, 3.14 ERA) vs. Rafael Pedraza (13-8, 2.90 ERA)
Sadaharu Okuda (9-9, 4.09 ERA) vs. Kevin Nolte (7-15, 6.28 ERA)
Jake Jackson (10-10, 3.87 ERA) vs. Jesse Bulas (4-4, 3.83 ERA)

Only right-handed pitching coming up here.

Game 1
SFB: 2B Quiroz – 3B R. Sifuentes – SS B. Nelson – RF C. Cortes – C J. Hill – CF A. Marquez – LF Crum – 1B Hunter – P Pedraza
POR: RF Mercado – CF A. Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Morales – 2B Gurney – SS Waters – LF Fernandez – P Wolinsky

Wolinsky was worked into the mound by the Bayhawks right away. Ramon Sifuentes walked, Bob Nelson, Carlos Cortes, and John Hill hit a single, a double, and another single in order for two runs, and Alex Marquez groundout made it 3-0. In return, Wolinsky landed his first major league hit in the bottom 3rd after Pedraza had sat down the first eight Critters without significant resistance. Sifuentes singled home Ken Crum for a fourth run in the fourth inning, somewhat answered by the Raccoons when Maldo and Gurney hit singles in the bottom 4th and Toohey had at least had the decency to reach on an error. Maldo scored on the Gurney hit, 4-1, bringing up Waters as the tying run, but he struck out. In turn, Ken Crum’s 2-run homer to left basically put the game away in the fifth.

While I was moping and looking for things besides chocolate chip cookies to crumble into my Capt’n Coma, the Raccoons put Manny and Martell in scoring position with a single and a double to begin the bottom 5th. That was before piss-poor outs by Mercado, Herrera, and Maldo, in order, stranded them right where they were. Bottom 7th, Waters and Baskins hit singles, and so did Mercado, finding the hole on the right. Cortes threw out Waters at home plate as he tried to come home from second base, and Herrera calmly flew out to Marquez. … Maud, I think we should release the lions. – Then please call the zoo and ask if they have any lions!

No lions arrived in time, nor any appreciable amount of offense. While the bottom 9th began with Gurney and Waters reaching base, Manny jabbed into a double play. Ruben Gonzalez got home a sad consolation run with a pinch-hit single, but a K to Mercado ended the game, Pedraza pitching a complete-game 10-hitter. 6-2 Bayhawks. Waters 2-4; Martell (PH) 1-1, 2B; Baskins (PH) 1-1; Gonzalez (PH) 1-1, RBI; Hickey 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K;

Game 2
SFB: 2B Quiroz – 3B R. Sifuentes – SS B. Nelson – RF C. Cortes – C J. Hill – CF A. Marquez – LF A.L. Herrera – 1B Riley – P Nolte
POR: RF Mercado – CF A. Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Gurney – SS Waters – LF Baskins – C Gonzalez – 2B Martell – P Okuda

Okuda had been exploded two games in a row and I was wary enough that I started the game already slightly intoxicated and with Honeypaws in my firm clutch. Things certainly didn’t get easier with an early rain delay, although Okuda had thrown only 20 pitches before the rude interruption. The Coons’ offense the first time through included a Herrera walk and Maldo’s double play in the first, then a Gonzalez single and Martell’s double play in the third. Then they spooled off three straight 2-out singles, starting with Okuda, to take a 1-0 lead before Maldo flew out to left. The Baybirds flipped the score at once, with a Sifuentes single and a Bob Nelson homer in the fourth… ah, booze…!

The game was even at two after five innings, thanks to a Mercado homer to right in the bottom 5th. By this point, Okuda tried to wear out his middle infielders, getting countless groundball outs with them. He also hit a 1-out double up the leftfield line in the bottom 7th, but Nolte struck out Mercado and Herrera and that was that… Okuda pitched eight decent innings for a no-decision, then was taken out for Josh Rella in the top 9th, with the 1-2-3 hitters being put down in order. Right-hander Brad Barnes opposed the Raccoons in the bottom 9th – you might remember the kid as being forever leftover in St. Petersburg before getting wrapped up in the Aaron Curl trade. He had a 5.40 ERA, with 12 hits allowed in 6.2 innings. Boys? Go get ‘em! He struck out Baskins and Gonzalez before Martell grounded out…

Extra innings beckoned. Rella continued, getting Cortes to fly to Baskins… who dropped the ball for a 2-base error. Rella then nailed Hill, while Justin Kristoff ran for Cortes. Curl replaced Rella, but gave up a single to Marquez, although Mercado threw out Kristoff at home plate. The remaining runners reached scoring position. Ken Crum broke the tie with a pinch-hit sac fly, and Tony Hunter, ex-Coon, flew out to left. Barnes was still around in the bottom 10th, giving up a leadoff double to Manny in the cursed #9 hole. Mercado singled, putting the tying and winning runs on the corners. Herrera ran a full count against Barnes, then grounded to the left side, where Bob Nelson couldn’t reach the ball, and the RBI single tied the game, with Mercado to second. One more, boys! Maldo obliged, clipping a walkoff single near the rightfield line to end the game. 4-3 Blighters. Mercado 3-5, HR, RBI; Herrera 2-4, BB, 2 RBI; Fernandez (PH) 1-1, 2B; Okuda 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K and 2-3, 2B;

I know, Slappy, I know. They were much better in July. – Everything is better in July.

Game 3
SFB: 2B Quiroz – C Suggs – 1B Riley – CF A. Marquez – 3B R. Sifuentes – LF Crum – RF Kristoff – SS Hunter – P Bulas
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Gurney – 1B Toohey – SS Waters – C Morales – LF Fernandez – 2B Martell – P Jackson

The Bayhawks scored first, technically, Bulas throwing a wild pitch to score Mercado in the bottom 1st. the leadoff man had walked, Herrera had whacked a double, and then the 3-4-5 struck out, struck out, and popped out. Two were stranded in the second when Manny walked and Jackson singled, but Mercado now whiffed. Jackson then inexplicably loaded the bases in the top 3rd with a walk to Bulas, a Sergio Quiroz single, and a walk to Sean Suggs, before serving up a bases-clearing double to Dan Riley. Oh, the good lord… (opens bottle of Capt’n Coma)

Toohey’s error, a wild pitch, and a Sifuentes single with two outs in the fifth added to the Bayhawks lead, then 4-1. When Gurney flubbed another ball in the sixth, an inning Jake Jackson did not survive, the Raccoons had more errors (3) than base hits (2). Mike Lynn added a 3-run meltdown, walking everything with legs, and giving up screamers on top of that, in the seventh inning, burying the Raccoons for good. Porter and Ibold pitched the final innings without any more gruesome incidents, but on the other side of the box score no rally ever took place… 7-1 Bayhawks.

In other news

August 20 – The Falcons have to shut down SP Jerry Felix (11-13, 3.49 ERA) due to a herniated disc; he’s out for the season.
August 20 – It takes 10 innings for CIN INF Chris Strohm (.343, 1 HR, 23 RBI) to single home CF/LF Dan Mathes (.340, 12 HR, 79 RBI) and give the Cyclones a 1-0 win over the Blue Sox.
August 23 – ATL SP Brian Buttress (11-7, 3.53 ERA) is lost for the year with a torn rotator cuff.
August 24 – DAL OF Tylor Cecil (.365, 19 HR, 95 RBI) connects for a 20-game hitting streak with a first-inning single in a 9-5 loss to the Rebels.
August 25 – Thunder rookie OF/1B Steve Humphreys (.333, 1 HR, 4 RBI) hits a solo home run for his team’s only base hit in a 4-1 loss to the Canadiens.

FL Player of the Week: DAL 1B Jamie King (.287, 16 HR, 57 RBI), hitting .438 (7-16) with 3 HR, 6 RBI
CL Player of the Week: LVA LF/RF Bob Montana (.271, 6 HR, 38 RBI), batting .600 (12-20) with 2 HR, 7 RBI

Complaints and stuff

I am not having a good feeling about this. That was a 2-week homestand after which we had to consider ourselves lucky to somehow have gone 6-6. The Indians are coming – or more precisely, we’re coming to the Indians for four games next weekend after a stopover in Oklahoma.

I am filled with much foreboding.

Nobody is hitting, except Mercado, who has really nested in that leadoff spot now with neither Baskins nor Manny ever finding third gear this season. Everybody else is kinda neither here nor there right now, although Maldo and Toohey have gone disturbingly dry. They had a game against New York this week where they combined for a 12 LOB. They have a combined seven multi-hit games in August. And August is almost over. And it wasn’t like that was the only sequence of listless hitting with runners in scoring position…

Rosters will expand next Saturday, but I don’t see us bringing up any great treasures from St. Pete…

Fun Fact: Victor Merino is 3rd in ERA in the CL, and tied for 5th in the league as a whole.

It’s not entirely clear how he does it. A persistent groundballer with good sink on the 91mph fastball and a good slider, he only adds a decent changeup and a weak curveball. He’s rated 10/13/11 by our own Pat Degenhardt, which seems low for a league ERA leader candidate. OSA doesn’t even give him that much credit (10/12/11).

Of course, a low BABIP is part of his game, since strikeouts aren’t (5.0 K/9 this year, 4.8 last year). His BABIP is all the way down to .247 this season – which means everybody has as much luck against him as Manny Fernandez has had the entire ******** year (he also didn't find an RBI all week to break the all-time tie with Nunley). And look how frustrated Manny is. (points at Manny stirring with both paws in his food bowl, not finding anything that excites him)

Yes, Manny, you’re getting more fruit now! Your chubby cheeks need trimming!

[Westheim]

Fell out of bed at 4:45 today. Can it get worse?

+++

Raccoons (74-55) @ Thunder (69-59) – August 27-29, 2046

The Raccoons had a hard road week upon them – first they’d face the CL South-leading Thunder, and then the Arrowheads that kept creeping in. The Thunder were second in runs scored and runs allowed with a +119 run differential (Critters: +98). They were leading the CL in OBP (.355), but were mediocre in homers and bottoms in stolen bases. Starter Ray Thune and outfielder Cullen Tortora were on the DL. Portland led the season series, 4-2.

Projected matchups:
Victor Merino (12-7, 2.61 ERA) vs. Victor Marquez (6-9, 4.89 ERA)
Jason Wheatley (14-4, 3.33 ERA) vs. Josh Brown (11-4, 2.19 ERA)
Bubba Wolinsky (3-4, 3.81 ERA) vs. Juan Ramos (16-5, 2.70 ERA)

Two left, one right. There was also no shortage of lefty relievers, with three of them lingering in the pen.

Game 1
POR: LF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – SS Waters – C Gonzalez – RF Pellicano – 2B Castner – P Merino
OCT: SS R. Cox – CF DeMarco – RF Benavides – C Adames – 2B Ban – 3B Greer – LF Humphreys – 1B Levis – P V. Marquez

The Raccoons got 2-out singles from Gonzalez and Pellicano in the second, but no help from John Castner, who stranded the runners with a grounder to short. Merino imploded in the same inning, hitting Jesus Adames with a 1-2 pitch before getting singled to death by Jonathan Ban, Marshall Greer, and Steve Humphreys. He also threw a wild pitch. Doug Levis’ double play grounder and a K to Marquez held the damage to two runs. The misery continued in the bottom 3rd; Ryan Cox opened with a home run, and it continued with a throwing error by Toohey putting Juan Benavides at second base. Adames and Ban came up with RBI knocks. The Thunder ended up putting six runs in 4.2 innings on Merino, who was replaced with Ibold when there were runners on the corners in the bottom 5th, but Ibold gave up an RBI single to Marshall Greer anyway…

Marquez was untouchable, allowing no runners other than the two second-inning singles in the first five innings, and coasted with a 6-0 lead. It was 11-0 after the sixth, with Ibold and Porter drowning in that inning. Maldo and Toohey hit back-to-back singles in the seventh, only for Matt Waters to find a double play, and it was all just horrible. Marquez finished a 5-hit shutout, and the Raccoons looked completely incompetent once again. 11-0 Thunder. Pellicano 2-3, 2B;

Game 2
POR: RF Pellicano – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – SS Waters – C Gonzalez – LF Fernandez – 2B Castner – P Wheatley
OCT: LF Zurita – 2B Ban – RF Benavides – C Adames – SS R. Cox – 3B Greer – CF Humphreys – 1B Levis – P J. Brown

Something like a pitcher’s duel broke out early on Tuesday, which was already six steps up from Monday’s mauling. Benavides took Wheats deep in the bottom 1st, but Toohey doubled home Herrera in the fourth to get the teams even at one. Then Wheats had one of his patented brain freezes. After Jonathan Ban hit a leadoff single to center in the bottom 4th, he walked Benavides and Adames – three on, no out. Cox cooperatively grounded to short for a 6-4-3 and Greer flew out to Pellicano, which at least kept the damage to one run, now in a 2-1 Thunder game. Brown came back with nailing John Castner in the top 5th. Wheats bunted him to second for as many outs in the inning. Pellicano grinded out a walk, and Herrera tied the game again with a single shoved through the left side before Maldo went down on strikes to strand a pair.

Brown brushed Toohey’s uniform to begin the sixth, giving the Raccoons another free runner. That one, too, scored, when Ruben Gonzalez socked a 2-run homer to left-center, giving Portland a 4-2 lead in the game. The Thunder seemed to unravel as a whole now. Manny singled. Castner reached on a Greer error. Wheats singled through between the converging Ban and Cox, loading the bases with one out in the top 6th. Pellicano’s sac fly, 5-2, saw Brown yanked for right-hander Bobby Klopotek, who got Herrera to pop out and strand another pair. Not that the Thunder were done with Wheats, either – Benavides hit *another* homer off him in the bottom 6th, but this was again a solo shot, 5-3. Wheats was done after six taxing innings, and it wasn’t getting any easier with the pen. Porter logged an out with a K to Levis in the bottom 7th before Mike Lynn got two slow outs, walking PH Jose Aviles in the process. He also walked Benavides to begin the eighth. Moreno got a double play from Adames, then gave up a double to Cox, a walk to Greer, and somehow retired Steve Humphreys on a groundout before things could derail completely. When Josh Rella retired the Thunder in order in the ninth, it seemed almost too easy by comparison…! 5-3 Raccoons. Herrera 3-5, RBI; Morales (PH) 1-1;

Game 3
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – SS Waters – 2B Gurney – C Morales – LF Baskins – P Wolinsky
OCT: SS R. Cox – CF DeMarco – RF Benavides – C Adames – 2B Ban – 3B Greer – LF Humphreys – 1B Levis – P J. Ramos

The Coons went up 1-0 in the first when Ramos, after Herrera had hit a single, walked Toohey and Waters with two outs, then got crossed up with Adames for a passed ball that scored Herrera. Gurney grounded out calmly, while the top 2nd began with Morales singling to left and Baskins doubling to right. Bubba Wolinsky started to turn into a slugger, nailing his second career hit, an RBI single to left, 2-0. Mercado’s sac fly would add another run, as did Bryce Toohey’s 26th homer, a leadoff jack in the third. Wolinsky scattered three hits and a walk the first time through, but didn’t allow a run thanks to two double plays turned behind him that kept the Thunder runners to a manageable amount.

The Thunder lost Benavides to a bruised elbow by the fifth inning, replacing him with Jose Aviles. Otherwise the middle innings were mostly uneventful, neither team scoring a run from the fourth through the sixth. The Raccoons loaded the bases against Ramos and Jesse Allison in the top 7th, but scored only one run on a Gurney groundout, while Wolinsky was yanked after issuing two walks to Ban and Greer to begin the bottom 7th. Bob Ibold, not having a good series, surrendered the runs on two singles before getting out of the inning. Thunder righty Alan Fleming also issued two walks, to Baskins and Mercado, in the top 8th. Herrera flew out, but Maldo beat Nick DeMarco for a 2-out RBI double, 6-2, however, Toohey grounded out to end the inning.

Between Curl and Moreno in the bottom 8th, the bases got loaded, Curl putting on two for one out, and Moreno allowing a single to Greer to fill the bases. Humphreys popped out and Levis struck out, which the ex-Coon did a lot at this point in his career. The main problem was that Moreno limped back to the dugout, springing Dr. Padilla into action. I was dizzy and the ninth inning barely registered with me, but I’m told nobody reached base for either side… 6-2 Raccoons. Herrera 2-5; Maldonado 2-4, 2B, RBI; Baskins 1-2, BB, 2B;

The good news? The Indians lost two of three to the Condors, extending our lead to four games, so at the very worst we’d still be tied for first place on Sunday night.

And I was bracing for everything here.

Raccoons (76-56) @ Indians (73-61) – August 30-September 2, 2046

Ayyy, the pressure! The Indians were ninth in runs scored, fourth in runs allowed, had a modest +20 run differential, and somehow a 7-4 edge in the season series against the Critters. I didn’t know just why, why, why we couldn’t play them this year (we were 14-4 against them a year back!). It wasn’t their offense, who lingered in the bottom four in almost every category, except stolen bases, where they had 142 in 134 games. Yes, Andrew Russ was annoying, but that was almost all their tricks!? They had the best rotation by ERA, a week pen, and strong defense. They didn’t have their closer, Tommy Gardner, who was on the DL, along with starter Bill Drury, who was however expected back soon-ish, maybe during this series.

Projected matchups:
Sadaharu Okuda (9-9, 3.99 ERA) vs. Justin Roberts (4-2, 3.56 ERA)
Jake Jackson (10-11, 3.90 ERA) vs. Bill Nichol (14-7, 2.33 ERA)
Victor Merino (12-8, 2.80 ERA) vs. Tony Correa (2-0, 4.30 ERA)
Jason Wheatley (15-4, 3.37 ERA) vs. Luis Anzaldo (9-8, 3.89 ERA)

Only right-handers here!

Rosters would additionally expand on Saturday, September 1.

The Raccoons meanwhile dodged a bullet when Nelson Moreno was diagnosed with a mild calf strain that should leave him good to go in just a day or two.

Game 1
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – SS Waters – LF Fernandez – C Morales – 2B Martell – P Okuda
IND: SS Russ – 1B de Castro – CF B. Quinteros – LF D. Rivera – 3B Hutson – 2B Tindle – RF N. Galvan – C Nunez – P J. Roberts

The Raccoons opened with three singles, Maldo driving home Mercado, before farting and stranding the remaining runners. Okuda also didn’t retire any of the first three batters he faced, but after Russ singled, Alex de Castro homered to right, giving Indy a 2-1 lead… While the Raccoons scattered three more hits in the next two innings without scoring, the Indians got two more on Danny Rivera’s double in the bottom 3rd, driving home de Castro and Bill Quinteros. It was just not going to work, was it?

Top 4th, the Coons loaded the bases with singles by Manny and Okuda, then a 2-out walk drawn by Mercado. Herrera grounded out to Dan Hutson to strand another zillion runners. The next two innings were more about not getting on base at all, while Okuda seemed to be in trouble constantly, just without getting churned into butter. Mercado then opened the seventh with a jack to right, cutting the deficit to 4-2. Herrera’s single and a walk to Maldonado got Roberts evicted for right-hander Joel Macy, who was immediately cross with Nicolas Nunez behind the dish. A passed ball moved the tying runs into scoring position with nobody out! The Raccoons resolved this situation like only they could. Toohey struck out, Waters flew out to right, and Herrera was thrown out at the plate by Nelson Galvan when he dared to go for home.

Top 8th. A parade of relievers for the Indians contended with Tony Morales on base, who had reached on an error by Andres Avila. Gene Pellicano hit a pinch-hit single off Mike Wilt with two outs. Ruben Gonzalez was sent to hit for Mercado against the southpaw, but drew righty Armando Colmenarez instead and popped out to shallow right. Justin Johns retired the dismal Critters in order in the ninth. 4-2 Indians. Mercado 2-3, HR, RBI; Herrera 2-5; Maldonado 2-4, BB, RBI; Pellicano (PH) 1-1;

We left 12 on base, and that even AFTER hitting into FOUR ******* DOUBLE PLAYS.

Despair.

Game 2
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – LF Baskins – SS Waters – C Gonzalez – 2B Martell – P Jackson
IND: SS Russ – CF N. Galvan – RF B. Quinteros – LF D. Rivera – 3B Hutson – 2B Tindle – C Ebner – 1B S. Jennings – P Nichol

Mercado opened the day with a single, stole second, and scored on a Herrera single. Toohey also singled, but the pair was stranded, as was another pair in the second inning, while Jake Jackson, a persistent disaster in recent weeks, gave away the lead with three straight singles in the bottom 2nd.

The Coons had their next pair on in the fifth; Herrera walked in a full count and Maldo was habitually hit by a pitch again, all with one out. Toohey grounded out to Hutson on a 3-1 pitch, and Hutson also shagged Baskins’ liner to end the inning. It was hard to find words for the feelings that were rushing up and down my spine at the sight of all the wasted runners. The score was still 1-1, but Jackson finally found the disaster groove again in the bottom 5th. Leadoff walk to Sean Ebner, and I knew we were dead. Steven Jennings forced out the runner, but stole second, and then Nichol swung away and singled. Russ, the pest, popped out for the second out, but Galvan slapped an RBI single, followed swiftly by Bill Quinteros’ 2-run triple. Jackson walked the bases full after that before Tindle popped out to strand a full set in a 4-1 game.

Top 6th, Nichol allowed singles to Waters and Gonzalez to begin the inning, then got a comebacker from Martell that he threw past Russ for an error that filled the bases with nobody out. The Raccoons sent Manny Fernandez to hit for Jackson, the wimp. He grounded to Tindle for a fielder’s choice, which got a run home – it was the RBI that finally broke the tie with Matt Nunley for first place on the franchise list. Then Mercado hit into a double play… Few upsetting things happened after that, as the Raccoons just stopped getting on base entirely. Justin Johns was going to 1-2-3 them in the ninth inning – until Alex de Castro fumbled the game winner, Maldo’s grounder to second, for an error that extended the game and once more brought up Bryce Toohey as the tying run. Toohey struck out. 4-2 Indians. Herrera 2-5, RBI; Toohey 3-5;

Hey, we left only 11 runners on base today! Progress!

Rosters expanded, allowing us to be disappointed by even more bums on the roster. We added three relievers in Sean Marucci (duh), Kevin Hitchcock, and … Chuck Jones, who had spent most of the last five months in AAA without really catching himself.

Jimmy Dalton returned as third catcher, and we also added further sticks in Josh Floyd, Ken Mills, and Van Anderson.

Game 3
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – 2B Gurney – SS Waters – LF Mills – C Morales – P Merino
IND: 2B Tindle – 1B de Castro – CF B. Quinteros – LF D. Rivera – RF Hertenstein – 3B Hutson – SS Walley – C Ebner – P T. Correa

Maldo’s jack gave the Raccoons another 1-0 lead in the first, not that that meant something anymore. The second inning saw errors by Tindle and Maldo, but Tindle also drew a walk off Merino in the bottom 3rd, stole second, and was driven home by Bill Quinteros to tie the game.

Neither team progressed past a run on three hits in five innings. Toohey hit a single in the sixth, which led nowhere, with deep flies by Gurney and Waters caught by Rivera and Daniel Hertenstein, respectively. Merino held up his end so far, and things got more interesting in the seventh, which Ken Mills, a genuine outfield prospect with no room on the roster during the summer, opened with a single to right. Tony Morales worked a walk in a full count, before Merino cocked it all up with such a terrible bunt that the Indians got not only Mills at third base, but also Merino at first. Mercado then grounded out to strand Morales, too.

Merino maintained his 3-hitter through seven, while the Raccoons had another swath of runners in the eighth, Correa walking Maldonado and hitting Toohey with one out. Gurney singled over Hutson to load the bases. Come on! COME ON, DISAPPOINTMENT! HIT ME LIKE A ******** TRUCK!! The Raccoons took the lead when Gurney bowled over Chris Walley on Waters’ grounder to second, breaking up a likely 4-6-3 double play to get Maldo home, 2-1. The Indians brought in the pen, but sent a righty, Jonathan Osmond. Mills was unimpressed and hit a 2-out RBI single to center, although Morales did strike out. Alex de Castro would hit a triple off Merino in the bottom 8th, but it came with two outs and nobody on base. Merino popped up Quinteros to complete eight fine innings, then was pinch-hit for in the top 9th. The Coons got two on before Maldo found a double play to kill the effort. With Danny Rivera leading off the bottom 9th in a 3-1 game, the Coons sent Mike Lynn into battle. He struck out Rivera before giving up a single to the switch-hitting Hertenstein – who however was thrown out by Herrera trying to stretch himself a double! The Indians went down after that. 3-1 Raccoons. Toohey 1-2, BB; Gurney 2-4; Mills 2-4, RBI; Merino 8.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, W (13-8);

(gasps!)

Game 4
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – 2B Gurney – LF Fernandez – C Morales – SS Floyd – P Wheatley
IND: SS Russ – CF N. Galvan – LF D. Rivera – 2B Tindle – C Ebner – RF Hertenstein – 3B Walley – 1B S. Jennings – P Anzaldo

Indy scored first, the annoying pest Andrew Russ reaching with an infield single and stealing second base. While he was thrown out at home by Mercado on Rivera’s single, Rivera scooted up to second on that play, then came around on a Joe Tindle single… The Raccoons tied the score right away, Morales doubling home Gurney in the second, then got a 2-out single from Wheats to put runners on the corners for Mercado – who struck out. The runners were right back on the corners in the top 3rd, though, Herrera and Maldo jabbing a pair of singles off Anzaldo. Toohey ran a full count before looping a soft RBI single to center, giving the Critters a 2-1 lead. Gurney flew out to Hertenstein, but Manny got the ball behind Hertenstein on his fly to right – and also behind the fence! 3-run homer! COONS COONS COONS!!

Up 5-1, the Raccoons instantly developed mush on the brains. Russ hit another single with one out in the bottom 3rd before Maldonado and Floyd committed consecutive errors on Galvan and Rivera grounders. Bases loaded, tying run at the dish. Tindle’s grounder up the middle got home an unearned run for the second out, although Tindle did also procure the third out, getting caught stealing by Tony Morales to kill the inning. Wheats seemed to get back into control after that, give or take his inability to ******* sit down ******* Andrew Russ, who hit another single and got another stolen base, his 26th, in the bottom of the fifth, but was stranded with weak outs from Galvan and Rivera. Wheats then played with my heartstrings in the sixth, nailing Tindle to begin the inning, then walked Ebner. The Indians then popped out twice and struck out once, but the anxiety was tremendous…

Top 7th, the Raccoons loaded the bases with Toohey and Gurney singles, plus Manny walking, all with two outs against Colmenarez. Morales got to 3-1, then grounded out… Wheats completed seven, giving up another run in the last frame he pitched after a leadoff walk to PH Danny Diaz. Rivera hit a sac fly to get him home, 5-3. Macy was pitching in the top 8th, giving up pinch-hit singles to Baskins and Waters, who set up camp on the corners with nobody out. After Mercado hit a sac fly to center, Waters stole second base, then came around to score when Herrera doubled into the right-center gap. Maldo was then walked intentionally to get a double play from Toohey, a vicious plot that worked all too well for the Arrowheads…

Ibold and Lynn put down the Indians in the eighth, Lynn whiffing PH Mario Ochoa after Ibold had put a pair on base. And of course we turned the 7-3 into a save opportunity in the bottom 9th…! Marucci walked Russ, Curl walked Rivera, and Josh Rella appeared with two on base and only one out. He walked Tindle in a full count to fit in seamlessly, then got Hutson to pop out. Hertenstein batted with two outs, ran another full count, then grounded out to John Castner at second. 7-3 Critters. Herrera 2-5, 2B, RBI; Maldonado 2-4, BB; Toohey 2-5, RBI; Gurney 2-5; Morales 2-5, 2B, RBI; Baskins (PH) 1-1; Waters (PH) 1-1; Wheatley 7.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, W (16-4) and 1-3;

In other news

August 27 – TOP SP Carlos Vasquez (10-9, 4.25 ERA) 3-hits the Stars with five strikeouts in a 1-0 shutout.
August 28 – Blue Sox rookie LF/RF John Jager (.278, 2 HR, 18 RBI) is out for the year after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament.
August 29 – DAL OF Tylor Cecil (.364, 20 HR, 97 RBI) extends his hitting streak to 25 games with two hits in an extra-inning, 4-3 win over the Buffaloes.
August 29 – Another hitting streak in the FL West: SFW LF/RF Mario Villa (.399, 6 HR, 65 RBI) has connected in 20 straight games, including an RBI single in an 8-6 win over the Blue Sox today.
August 31 – ATL 1B Chris Delagrange (.254, 11 HR, 51 RBI) has his 2,000th base hit in a 2-0 loss to the Thunder. The milestone is a single off OCT SP Ignacio del Rio (15-8, 2.70 ERA). The 37-year-old Delagrange was on his fourth ABL team. The 2034 Rookie of the Year (FL) had won a Gold Glove and had made the All Star Game four times in his career. In 13 seasons, he was a .266 hitter with 276 HR and 1,127 RBI.
August 31 – The hitting streak of SFW LF/RF Mario Villa (.393, 6 HR, 66 RBI) ends at 21 games with a dry appearance in a 6-4 loss to the Stars.
September 2 – SAC SP Luke Moses (8-8, 3.04 ERA) allows three hits in a 4-0 shutout of the Pacifics.

FL Player of the Week: DAL OF Tylor Cecil (.372, 21 HR, 99 RBI), batting .500 (13-26) with 1 HR, 2 RBI
CL Player of the Week: VAN SP Mario Godinez (10-12, 4.67 ERA), going 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 14 IP

FL Hitter of the Month: SFW LF/RF Mario Villa (.393, 6 HR, 66 RBI), batting .387 with 5 HR, 21 RBI
CL Hitter of the Month: OCT OF Juan Benavides (.295, 23 HR, 94 RBI), hitting .353 with 5 HR, 18 RBI
FL Pitcher of the Month: CIN SP Carson Jarvinen (11-5, 2.89 ERA), pitching to a 4-0 record with 1.32 ERA, 20 K
CL Pitcher of the Month: OCT SP Ignacio del Rio (15-8, 2.70 ERA), pitching for a 5-1 record with 1.51 ERA, 29 K
FL Rookie of the Month: SFW INF Julio Moriel (.308, 1 HR, 16 RBI), hitting .282 with 1 HR, 9 RBI
CL Rookie of the Month: LVA UT Eddy Luna (.316, 4 HR, 35 RBI), slapping .337 with 1 HR, 10 RBI

Complaints and stuff

Escaping Indianapolis with a split and thus a 4-game lead with four weeks to play – decent enough, especially since it could have gone a lot worse. It was surely not the greatest of 4-3 weeks, but it was enough to stay at least a little bit in front of the Arrowheads (in fact, we gained a game again). Time for BNN to smear their mustard all over the pennant race:

Contenders with remaining games, strength of schedule, and playoff odds:
POR (78-58) – MIL (6), VAN (5), ATL (3), BOS (3), IND (3), LVA (3), NYC (3) – .470 – 85.5%
IND (75-63) – NYC (6), BOS (3), CHA (3), MIL (3), OCT (3), POR (3), VAN (3) – .481 – 14.1%
VAN (68-66) – BOS (7), POR (5), MIL (4), IND (3), NYC (3), SFB (3), TIJ (3) – .486 – 0.3%

Now we just have to get rid of the hitting swoon and find a third reliable starter in time for the playoffs, huh?

It’ll be the Loggers and Titans next week.

Fun Fact: 37 years ago today, the Warriors’ Raúl Bovane hit three home runs against the Miners.

The first-sacker Bovane was then 27 and seemed on the way to stardom. He had won the FL batting title the year before, hitting .350/.419/.503, and while he wasn’t keeping up with that lofty batting average in ’09 he at least hit 20 homers for the first time.

And then stardom … never really occurred. He hit .299 with 24 homers in 2010, but then left as free agent, and produced mostly average numbers for the Scorpions and Aces for the rest of his career. He hit 25 homers for Vegas in 2014, his age 32 season, after which he declined rapidly and was out of the league three years later.

He won five Gold Gloves, and for his career hit .293/.371/.432 with 165 HR and 897 RBI.

[Westheim]

Raccoons (78-58) vs. Loggers (61-75) – September 4-6, 2046

After barely making it out of Indy with a split and an off day on Monday, the Raccoons hoped to chop a few wins together in their relatively soft program for this week, which consisted of the Loggers at home and the Titans in Boston, although it had not really all been smooth sailing against Milwaukee this year. We only led the season series narrowly, 7-5, and somehow they knew how to tease us. They did come in having lost five in a row, which they had done a lot since July, however. They had failed their way to second from the bottom in runs scored, and fourth from the bottom in runs allowed in the CL, with a -107 run differential. (Critters: +95).

Projected matchups:
Bubba Wolinsky (4-4, 3.73 ERA) vs. Victor Padilla (5-4, 3.94 ERA)
Sadaharu Okuda (9-10, 4.04 ERA) vs. Ruben Guzman (9-13, 4.42 ERA)
Jake Jackson (10-12, 3.99 ERA) vs. Tony Ruiz (4-10, 4.24 ERA)

Left, right, left, we think. Monday was off for everybody here, enough chances to fool around with the rotation.

Game 1
MIL: LF Pate – 2B Davison – C Payne – SS R. Espinoza – 1B Brayboy – RF Platero – CF Reeves – 3B Paul – P V. Padilla
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – SS Waters – C Gonzalez – LF Pellicano – 2B Castner – P Wolinsky

Singles by Mercado, Toohey, and Waters put Wolinsky up 1-0 in the first, but the Loggers put people no base in each of the early innings against Wolinsky, who looked uncomfortable against a mostly right-handed lineup, yet managed to concede no runs from three singles, a walk, and a wild pitch in three innings. The Critters appeared on the corners with one out in the bottom 3rd when Mercado walked and Maldonado singled off Padilla. Toohey cracked a hard liner – right into Ricky Espinoza’s mitten for the second out. Matt Waters though beat Bill Reeves in deep center for a 2-out, 2-run double, extending the lead to 3-0, and all RBI’s were his so far, which changed a minute later with Ruben Gonzalez’ RBI single to right. Mercado doubled home John Castner the following inning to get the Critters to 5-0.

Wolinsky found consistency in the middle innings, and even a few strikeouts. A Scott Davison double aside, the Loggers had little to threaten him with in that part of the game, but regardless his pitch count got up there and he wasn’t going to last forever. He was in fact lifted just two batters into the top 7th, walking Jared Paul before whiffing pinch-hitter and former Critter Sal Ayala. Preston Porter got out of the inning before the eighth went to Sean Marucci, who allowed two hard singles to Espinoza and Aaron Brayboy, but also struck out everybody else that came across him, sorting out his own mess in the process. Still up 5-0, we then boldly grabbed Kevin Hitchcock for the ninth inning. After Paul hit a leadoff single off him, the young German righty retired the next three batters to finish out the game. 5-0 Raccoons. Mercado 2-3, BB, 2B, RBI; Waters 3-4, 2B, 3 RBI; Gonzalez 2-4, 2B, RBI; Wolinsky 6.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K, W (5-4);

Game 2
MIL: CF B. Allen – 2B Davison – C Payne – SS R. Espinoza – 1B Brayboy – LF Pate – RF Lovell – 3B B. Johnson – P Ru. Guzman
POR: RF Mercado – 2B Gurney – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – SS Waters – C Morales – CF Mills – LF Fernandez – P Okuda

Okuda struggled; Brent Allen hit a leadoff single in the middle game, stole second and reached third on Tony Morales’ shoddy throw, then scored on a groundout to put the Loggers up early. The Raccoons got Mercado and Gurney aboard to start their day before the 3-4-5 hitters all failed rather spectacularly. Okuda then drowned in runners. Brayboy socked a leadoff double in the second, with a walk to Pat Lovell and a Brad Johnson single filling the bases. Worse, Ruben Guzman hit an RBI single past Gurney, 2-0. Allen somehow found Matt Waters for an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play that stopped the game from getting away entirely already. After an uneventful bottom 2nd, the Raccoons got Okuda on base with a leadoff single in the third. Mercado grounded out, Gurney popped out, but Jesus Maldonado hit a bomb to right with two outs, his 21st of the year, to tie the game.

Okuda found more of a groove in the middle innings as the game became trench warfare, neither team gaining the upper hand through six. The Loggers did get Okuda out of the game in the seventh with back-to-back 2-out singles by Guzman (…!) and Brent Allen. Nelson Moreno entered in a double switch, struck out Davison to restore order, added another two strikeouts to begin the eighth, and then was replaced with Aaron Curl against Brayboy. The Loggers brought Kyle Edsell, a right-handed batter, to pinch-hit. Curl nailed him; Edsell was run for with lightning-fast Gerardo Peixinho, but Bob Ibold struck out John Pate to get out of the inning. Manny Fernandez hit a leadoff single in the bottom 8th, but nobody else got anything of value, and the game remained tied as Manny was stranded at second base.

Then the Loggers broke through against Josh Rella and his sinking star. Rella issued a leadoff walk to PH Jose Platero in the ninth. Mario Contreras ran for Platero, stole a base, and scored on two productive groundouts. Why can’t we ever have two productive groundouts, Slappy? …. Right-hander Caleb Martin got the task of saving the 3-2 game in the bottom 9th, facing the 4-5-6 batters. After two weak groundouts, Tony Morales singled to left. Armando Herrera hit for Ken Mills, foregoing the platoon advantage (which had netted the Critters two double plays and a strikeout in this game), and singled to center. At this point, Gene Pellicano pinch-ran for Tony Morales on second base. Manny was next, but grounded out to second to end the game. 3-2 Loggers. Gurney 1-2, BB; Morales 2-3; Herrera (PH) 1-1;

Game 3
MIL: CF B. Allen – 2B Davison – 1B Brayboy – SS R. Espinoza – C Payne – LF Reeves – RF Bush – 3B Paul – P T. Ruiz
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – SS Waters – C Gonzalez – LF Pellicano – 2B Castner – P Jackson

With that, it was closing the eyes and waiting for the hard impacts with Jake Jackson pitching. He had lost five of his last six outings, and every single one of those losses had been shoddy at best. He wasn’t the worst to start this game though, and held the Loggers to a Ricky Payne double the first time through, and no runs. Payne brought the pain soon enough, however – while the Critters were hitless after three innings, Payne found Scott Davison on base in the fourth inning and singled him home to give the Loggers a 1-0 lead. Then the bags filled up quickly with a Reeves single, a walk to Erik Bush, and then, somehow, Jared Paul struck out to strand all of them.

The Coons didn’t get a base hit until the sixth, when John Castner lobbed a leadoff single to shallow center. With Milwaukee not mounting much else in the meantime against Jackson, Castner was also the tying run. Jackson bunted him to second, and a soft Mercado single put runners on the corners against the lefty Ruiz. Herrera fell to 1-2, then socked a ball to center that dropped just in front of Allen, tying the game at one. Ruiz then kinda lost it. He walked Maldo in a full count to stock the bases, followed by a 4-pitch walk to Toohey, forcing in the go-ahead run with Mercado. All we needed now against Ruiz was a big knock! That never really came; he walked in another run facing Waters, struck out Gonzalez, then walked Pellicano to push another run across, and finally was yanked. Castner then hit a 2-run single off Walt Wright. Castner stole second before Jackson stuck a 2-run single into right-center. Mercado struck out, ending an 8-run inning.

Jackson pitched one out into the eighth with the 8-1 lead before Brayboy’s turn came up. The Raccoons had waited for a low-key chance to give Chuck Jones a shot and sent for him here. The Loggers were killjoys, however, and sent Kyle Edsell to pinch-hit, so now Jones, hardly able to retire a lefty anymore, faced a righty hitter. He walked him. Hickey then cleaned up behind him, and Sean Marucci pitched the ninth to claim the series. 8-1 Raccoons. Castner 2-3, 2 RBI; Jackson 7.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, W (11-12) and 1-2, 2 RBI;

No change at the top of the division after the midweek series, as the Indians had won two of three from the Crusaders in their series, which had started on Monday. They now had the Loggers on their plate, while we tingled to Boston.

Raccoons (80-59) @ Titans (57-83) – September 7-9, 2046

The Titans were freshly mathematically eliminated from postseason contention, not that the 23 1/2 game deficit hadn’t been a hint for them. 11th in runs scored and 7th in runs allowed, they had a -77 run differential. Both the rotation and bullpen were about equally lousy. They didn’t have a lot of power, although they were pretty good at base stealing. We had already scooped the season series, 11-4, and nothing good had ever happened in Boston, so there was all of that…

Projected matchups:
Victor Merino (13-8, 2.73 ERA) vs. Ricky Contreras (5-15, 3.80 ERA)
Jason Wheatley (16-4, 3.34 ERA) vs. Tommy Kubik (6-12, 4.24 ERA)
Bubba Wolinsky (5-4, 3.39 ERA) vs. Victor Mondragon (7-13, 4.56 ERA)

We’d run into two southpaws in this set – and none of them on Sunday! Scandalous! Titans, get your crap in order!

Game 1
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – 2B Waters – C Gonzalez – LF Pellicano – SS Floyd – P Merino
BOS: LF Mangual – C Whitley – RF C. Jimenez – 1B V. Chavez – 3B D. Richardson – CF T. Lopez – 2B Galaz – SS Ju. Rodriguez – P R. Contreras

Contreras walked Mercado and gave up two singles to concede the run before getting an out. Toohey was robbed by Chris Jimenez near the line, and Waters and Gonzalez made poor outs to strand a pair in the 1-0 game. Maldo (single) and Waters (walk) were stranded in the third when Gonzalez grounded out, and the lead dissipated the same inning when Merino had Contreras at 0-2 with one out and nobody on, managed to give up a corner-kisser for a double, and then moved the run across with a groundout and a wild pitch… That sequence would probably not make his season highlights reel…

A Victor Chavez single and Doug Richardson’s homer to left gave the Titans a 3-1 lead in the fourth, while Contreras sat down eight Critters in a row before Matt Waters hit a triple into the gap with one out in the sixth. Ruben Gonzalez followed that up with an RBI double up the rightfield line, 3-2, but was himself stranded by the bottom of the order. Merino retired the 3-4-5 hitters in the bottom 6th, then got in line for the W on Bryce Toohey’s 27th homer of the season, a real moonshot with two outs in the top 7th! It collected Maldo to give Portland a 4-3 lead. Merino pitched another inning, then was hit for in the top 8th, with Josh Floyd on first base (after forcing out Pellicano) and two outs. Derek Baskins pinch-hit and singled, sending Floyd to third base. Pat Gurney then hit for an 0-for-3 Nelson Mercado, but flew out to Tony Lopez…

Nelson Moreno appeared to blaze through the Titans in the bottom 8th, whiffing Joe Ritchey and Ruben Mangual before they got two 2-strike scratch singles in a row, putting Dan Whitley and Chris Jimenez on the corners. The Coons sent for Mike Lynn against Chavez, getting a fly to Pellicano in right to end the inning. A tack-on run in the ninth wouldn’t be the worst… the Raccoons faced lefty Casey Pinter, who gave up a leadoff double to Armando Herrera, who at this point tied Jerry Outram in the batting race. Maldo fouled out, Toohey lined out, and Waters eventually walked, with Herrera still picking his pokey black nose on second base. Gonzalez singled, but Ruben Mangual was right on that ball and Herrera had to retreat to third base. Bases loaded for Pellicano, a strikeout stranded everybody… The Coons stuck with Lynn for the bottom 9th, with Richardson singling on his first pitch. Lopez filed into a fielder’s choice, then reached second on Gerardo Galaz’ groundout. A strikeout to dime-a-dozen outfielder Carlos Salazar ended the game. 4-3 Critters. Herrera 2-5, 2B; Maldonado 3-5, RBI; Gonzalez 2-5, 2B, RBI; Baskins (PH) 1-1;

Game 2
POR: RF Pellicano – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – SS Waters – LF Baskins – 2B Castner – C Dalton – P Wheatley
BOS: 1B V. Chavez – RF C. Jimenez – C Whitley – 3B D. Richardson – CF T. Lopez – 2B Batista – LF Mangual – SS Ju. Rodriguez – P Kubik

Pellicano’s double and Toohey’s 2-out single gave the Raccoons a 1-0 lead in the top 1st on Saturday, but that was the team’s last hit until Maldo singled in the fourth. Toohey then popped out, Waters walked, but Baskins hit into a double play. Wheats in the meantime had already scattered a bunch of singles, and scattered a few too many in the bottom 4th, Tony Lopez doubling home Chris Jimenez to tie the game at one.

In a tense game, Maldo (walk) and Waters (single) made a bit of a stir in the sixth. Maldo made a bid for third base on Waters’ 2-out knock, and reached their safely ahead of Lopez’ throw. Waters scooted into second base behind him, which came up gold a second later when Derek Baskins shoved a 2-0 pitch through the right side for a 2-out, 2-run single, and a 3-1 lead in the top 6th. Castner also singled, but Jimmy Dalton flew out to Lopez in center.

Wheats had gone a bit dull at the point, stuck at three strikeouts for the game, and had all three batters in the bottom 6th at two strikes without erasing any of them with strike three. All three grounded out. Tony Batista opened the bottom 7th with a triple to right, which was a bit of an issue. Wheats got a bouncer to Maldonado from Mangual, which kept the runner pinned, then finally hung a K on Juan Rodriguez. The Titans didn’t hit for “Kitten” Kubik, but “Kitten” Kubik had also already singled off Wheats in the game. Here, he grounded out to Maldonado, however, and the Titans managed to strand the leadoff triple. At 100 pitches, Wheatley was done for the day, with Curl and Moreno putting together the bottom 8th. The Raccoons got singles from Dalton and Manny in the ninth, but that wasn’t enough to get another run across. So it was Josh Rella to get the ball in the bottom 9th. For once, we were spared an existential crisis with Rella, who retired Lopez, Batista, and Mangual in order. 3-1 Raccoons. Toohey 2-4, RBI; Fernandez (PH) 1-1; Wheatley 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, W (17-4);

Wheats! 10 wins without a loss!

Game 3
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Gurney – SS Waters – C Morales – LF Mills – 2B Martell – P Wolinsky
BOS: LF Mangual – C Whitley – RF C. Jimenez – 1B V. Chavez – 2B Batista – CF T. Lopez – 3B F. Cortez – SS B. Carter – P Mondragon

Ken Mills picked a Tony Batista drive off the top of the fence to spare Wolinsky early damage with two outs and runners on the corners in the bottom 1st, then batted himself with Gurney (double) and Morales (single) on the corners and one out in the top 2nd, hitting a sac fly to Mangual for the game’s first run. Al Martell hit another single, but Wolinsky grounded out to end the inning. He came back to the plate in the fourth, finding the 6-7-8 batters all aboard after three straight singles off Mondragon, and also two outs. Wolinsky was not a good hitter at all and I sighed with regret before he jabbed the first pitch into play. The bouncer eluded Batista into rightfield for a single, Morales scored, Mills came around from second, Jimenez’ throw was miles off the plate, and Mills scored, while the trailing runners reached scoring position while Mondragon collected the ball in foul territory. He then threw a wild pitch to score Martell before issuing a walk to Mercado, who stole second to keep annoying the Boston righty. Herrera grounded out to end the inning, Portland now up 4-0.

Batista was on base, but was caught stealing in the bottom 4th, and otherwise Wolinsky did not experience much traffic at this point in the game. Mills stole the first base of his career in the sixth inning, then scored on *another* 2-out single by Wolinsky, this time to left! What a hitting menace! Up 5-0, Wolinsky continued to tick away hitters until PH Joe Ritchey hit a 1-out double off him in the bottom 8th. Suddenly, a runner in scoring position. Mangual popped out to short, but Whitley singled to left, scoring Ritchey and breaking up the shutout.

Wolinsky came back for the bottom 9th with a complete game still on the table in the 5-1 contest, but walked Chavez and was then immediately whisked off the mound. Bob Ibold appared, briefly, just enough to walk Batista, too, and now it was a save situation for Josh Rella, with right-handed batters galore drawing up. He struck out Lopez while Fernando Cortez flew out easily to Mills. Bobby Carter also flew to left, Mills having to come in, and he made the catch to complete the sweep. 5-1 Raccoons. Herrera 2-5, 2B; Morales 3-4; Mills 2-3, RBI; Martell 2-4; Wolinsky 8.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, W (6-4) and 2-4, 3 RBI;

In other news

September 3 – The hitting streak of DAL OF Tylor Cecil (.368, 21 HR, 99 RBI) ends at 28 games with a hitless appearance in a 3-2 win over the Gold Sox.
September 3 – A strained back muscle will cost the Federal League home run leader DAL RF/LF Joreao Porfirio (.280, 25 HR, 90 RBI) three weeks’ worth of games.
September 3 – The Falcons beat the Knights, 10-9 in 15 innings, on a walkoff single by CHA INF/LF/CF Shintaro Watanabe (.239, 0 HR, 19 RBI).
September 4 – Dallas’ SP Arthur Pickett (13-7, 3.16 ERA) 3-hits the Gold Sox while striking out nine in a 5-0 shutout.
September 4 – DEN SP John Kennedy (15-6, 2.33 ERA) has his season end with a strained hamstring.
September 4 – Falcons outfielder Joe Besaw (.336, 13 HR, 76 RBI) is out for the season with a broken ankle.
September 6 – Pittsburgh 3B/SS Jon Ramos (.253, 0 HR, 24 RBI) singles home Keith Liedtke (.246, 0 HR, 13 RBI) for a 17th-inning walkoff against the Capitals, nailing down a 4-3 Miners win.
September 7 – SFB SP Rafael Pedraza (15-8, 2.74 ERA) is lost for the season and will require the entire offseason to heal a broken elbow.
September 7 – Rebels LF/RF Pablo Gonzalez (.291, 24 HR, 86 RBI) is out with a broken foot that will probably end his season.
September 7 – The Wolves beat the Stars, 6-1 in 11 innings. All the runs score in that last inning, after the first ten had been scoreless.

FL Player of the Week: DAL OF/1B Omar Gonzalez (.325, 3 HR, 54 RBI), batting .471 (16-34) with 3 RBI
CL Player of the Week: NYC C Fernando Alba (.334, 9 HR, 54 RBI), mashing .588 (10-17) with 2 HR, 9 RBI

Complaints and stuff

The best news? The Indians went under on the weekend, getting swept by the Loggers.

The Loggers!

That extends the Raccoons’ lead in the division to seven games, by far the most comfy it has been in a while, and just in time for the final meeting with the Arrowheads this year, that will begin on Tuesday.

Contenders with remaining games, strength of schedule, and playoff odds:
POR (83-59) – VAN (5), ATL (3), IND (3), LVA (3), MIL (3), NYC (3) – .480 – 98.9% (+13.4)
IND (77-67) – BOS (3), CHA (3), NYC (3), OCT (3), POR (3), VAN (3) – .494 – 1.1% (-13.0)

Apart from that I still hope we can somehow ignite the offense before October hits us like a truck loaded with bricks. Between the Thunder and the Condors I would have no favorites, we handled both fairly well in the respective season series (6-3 and 7-2, respectively). But a team that barely wargs out 12 runs against that Boston team might have troubles against anybody in the CLCS…

The final regular season homestand begins on Tuesday. We will have the Indians, Aces, and Knights in town in that order. The rest of the schedule will have to be complete on the road after that, although a return home for Game 1 of the CLCS looks increasingly likely.

Fun Fact: The Raccoons won the season series against the Titans *twice* from 2022 through 2041.

We won 10 games against them in 2028 (which you might remember as a Year of the Ring-Eyed Rats), and a whole 11 games in 2035 (playoffs, but not very far). Those two years, and four 9-9 ties sprinkled throughout aside, it was mountains and more mountains of failure against the Titans in that timeframe.

Since then we have owned their ****** place, with the last five years ending up with these totals in the season series between the two teams:

11-7
12-6
13-5
14-4
14-4

If this can continue for a few more years, we might actually reach .500 all time against them. They are one of three teams we are sub-.500 against all-time, two of them in the CL (the other one being the damn Elks), and the third one being the Warriors. The all-time tally against Boston stood at 616-645, which might look odd to you, but recall the 1995 tie-breaker we played for the division – that’s the extra game in there.

[Westheim]

Raccoons (83-59) vs. Indians (77-67) – September 11-13, 2046

After spending a month of stalking the Raccoons to about the tune of four games back, the Critters’ sweep in Boston and themselves getting swept by the Loggers on the prior weekend had widened the gap to seven games for the first time in a while. Of course, nothing had gone particularly well in this season series for the Critters, who were down 6-9 against the Arrowheads. Something about their ninth-ranked offense, fourth-ranked pitching, and +3 run differential just didn’t play against for the Raccoons… Dan Hutson was on the DL at this point, taking one tooth out of their lineup for this series.

Projected matchups:
Sadaharu Okuda (9-10, 3.93 ERA) vs. Bill Drury (14-12, 3.50 ERA)
Jake Jackson (11-12, 3.88 ERA) vs. Justin Roberts (5-3, 3.94 ERA)
Victor Merino (14-8, 2.77 ERA) vs. Bill Nichol (15-8, 2.51 ERA)

Only right-handed pitchers to worry about in this series.

Game 1
IND: SS Russ – 1B de Castro – CF B. Quinteros – LF D. Rivera – RF Hertenstein – 2B Tindle – C Ebner – 3B Walley – P Drury
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – SS Waters – C Morales – LF Fernandez – 2B Martell – P Okuda

Maybe it was the inability to keep ******* Andrew Russ, firstly, off base, and secondly, on first base. Russ hit an infield single for the 100th time this year against the Critters, scored two bases before the Raccoons could yell “HO!” and scored on Alex de Castro’s groundout. A run in six pitches. Bill Drury then went on to walk the bags full in the bottom 2nd, putting Toohey, Morales, and Manny all aboard with free passes. Martell batted with one out, hit a sac fly to Danny Rivera to tie the game, and then Okuda brought out the pincer with two outs, running a full count before singling up the middle to score Morales for a 2-1 lead. Mercado popped out to Joe Tindle to end the inning. Hits then put Maldo and Toohey on the corners with one out in the bottom 3rd. Drury lost Waters to another walk, filling the bases again, but Tony Morales hit a perfect 6-4-3 grounder to short for the inning to end – except that Tindle fumbled Russ’ throw, nobody was out, and a run scored. Manny flew out to shallow left, too shallow to run on Danny Rivera, but Martell coaxed out another walk, pushing home Toohey to score anyway. Okuda struck out, the first K for Drury in a 4-1 game.

By the fifth, Russ batted with two outs and Chris Walley on second base. He annoyingly singled to right, but the inning ended when Mercado threw out short to second base as Russ was going there, expecting the Raccoons to go home. He was out – but not until after Walley slid across safe, 4-2. Manny then drew a leadoff walk in the bottom 6th, the sixth free pass out of Drury, and also the last one as he was put in wrappers after another Tindle error allowed Manny to score with one out. The bags filled up with Okuda, Mercado, and Herrera after the latter’s single to right, but then Maldo found a double play to hit into to end the inning…

And then it fell apart for Okuda, too, with two outs in the seventh. Sean Ebner singled, Walley walked, and Nelson Galvan stuck a ball into the leftfield corner for a 2-run double, shortening the score to 5-4. And with Russ at the plate! Nelson Moreno was ordered into the game, got a pop from the top-of-the-order pest, and we narrowly dallied on. More trouble arrived in the eighth after the Critters stranded another pair of runners in their half of the seventh. Alex de Castro hit a leadoff single off Moreno, Rivera hit a single off Mike Lynn, and they were on the corners while Bill Quinteros and Daniel Hertenstein struck out. Lynn remained in for the right-hander Tindle, a mistake, as his RBI double proved. Bob Ibold came on, walked the bags full, then got PH Mario Ochoa on a grounder to short to at least keep the game tied at five. At least the Coons were on the corners right away in the bottom 8th with leadoff singles from Derek Baskins, hitting for Ibold, and Mercado against Jonathan Osmond. Herrera ran a full count and a long at-bat before singling to center, giving Portland a new 6-5 lead. Mercado was then caught stealing third base by Ebner, followed by an intentional walk to Maldo and a non-intentional walk to Toohey to fill the bases once again. Waters hit a sac fly to center, 7-5, while Morales lined out to Ross. The Raccoons descended on Josh Rella again, who had the tying runs in scoring position by the time there was one out in the ninth…! Russ singled (hits repeatedly on table with fists until cautioned by Maud), and PH Steven Elkin doubled to left. Quinteros struck out, and the Raccoons now gave Rivera (.277, 18 HR, 102 RBI) the four-fingered salute to go after Hertenstein (.229, 9 HR, 48 RBI). Hertenstein fell to 1-2, then dropped a ball into shallow right-center to tie the game. Tindle hit an RBI single, 8-7. That was the end, but it was pretty damning. I was preparing my boxing gloves with plaster for my later discussion with Josh Rella during the bottom 9th, in which Tommy Gardner struck out three to end the game. 8-7 Indians. Herrera 3-5, RBI; Fernandez 0-1, 3 BB; Baskins (PH) 2-2;

I was bleeding from the corner of my snout, but soon enough Rella would be as well…

Game 2
IND: SS Russ – 1B de Castro – RF B. Quinteros – LF D. Rivera – CF N. Galvan – 2B Tindle – C Ebner – 3B Walley – P Nichol
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – SS Waters – C Morales – LF Fernandez – 2B Martell – P Jackson

Bryce Toohey tried to provide some healing with a first-inning, 2-run homer on Wednesday, taking Nichol deep to center with Maldonado (who had forced out Herrera). That was all the early offense in the game, but Jackson was pretty suffocating on the Indians, allowing just a first-inning single to Quinteros through five innings, and absolutely nothing to Andrew Russ, the demon child. While Martell and Mercado hit back-to-back doubles in the fifth to extend the lead to 3-0, the Raccoons were also exceptionally silent at the plate, amassing only four hits through six innings. No further Indians reached base until Rivera singled to right with two outs in the seventh! He was then caught stealing by Tony Morales. Jackson continued his 2-hit shutout through eight innings, but the game was too important for silly games (why is Kevin Hitchcock warming in the pen!?), and since he led off the bottom 8th and we would like to tack on runs after Tuesday’s nightmare, please, he was hit for with Baskins, who flew out to Quinteros in deep right. Mercado walked, with Nichol hanging on (having thrown 84 pitches). He got a double play grounder from Herrera to bail out. So the Raccoons now faced the 8-9-Pest batters, all nominally right-handed, Rella was unavailable, having to nurse a sore snout, so we went to Nelson Moreno. Seriously, can somebody sit down Hitchcock in the pen? He makes me nervous! Mario Ochoa hit a pinch-hit single from the left side with one out, but Moreno rung up Russ, who had not reached base once in the game. That left switch-hitter Steven Jennings, and otherwise Mike Lynn against Quinteros and Rivera. No switch was necessary, Jennings going down on strikes. 3-0 Raccoons. Jackson 8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, W (12-12);

Mathematically, the Loggers were eliminated on this day, but we all know they eliminated themselves in July.

With the worst staved off, the rubber game would go to Merino. The Raccoons also stuck with Martell at second base rather than the more offensive Gurney, solely to help against the #1 pest…

The Raccoons drew Luis Anzaldo (9-10, 4.15 ERA) for this one, still a righty, as Justin Roberts was skipped to the end of the line. But in the end, nobody pitched. Persistent rain killed the rubber game, but thankfully the two teams had a safe landing spot for a makeup date, a common off day exactly one week from now. The Indians would thus come in again after the Aces and Knights series, appearing twice in Portland on the same homestand.

No more off days then! All business from here!

The Raccoons not playing on Thursday didn’t stop the Crusaders from eliminating themselves from mathematical contention.

Raccoons (84-60) vs. Aces (63-83) – September 14-16, 2046

The Aces were the team with the most runs allowed in the CL, which put them into last place in the South, since their eighth-ranked offense was not going to keep up. Their run differential was a mildly inconveniencing -146 (Coons: +115), and in addition to bottom three rotations and bullpens, they also had a defense adjudged as second-worst. The only thing they did reasonably well was hitting homers and stealing bases. We led the season series, 4-2.

Projected matchups:
Victor Merino (14-8, 2.77 ERA) vs. Natsume Adachi (0-4, 6.86 ERA)
Jason Wheatley (17-4, 3.26 ERA) vs. Josh Henneberry (9-13, 4.70 ERA)
Bubba Wolinsky (6-4, 3.16 ERA) vs. B.J. Brantley (5-4, 5.58 ERA)

Southpaw Sunday! The others were right-handers, and as usual I was wary of a 3-hit shutout coming from the nominal pushover in the opener…….

Game 1
LVA: SS Montes de Oca – C F. Gomez – LF Montana – 2B Landstrom – 1B A. Quintana – CF Garbutt – 3B A. Rodriguez – RF F. Torres – P Adachi
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – SS Waters – 2B Gurney – C Gonzalez – LF Mills – P Merino

Adachi was at least to Toohey’s taste; after Mercado walked and stole a base, and Maldo was brushed, Toohey fired a 3-run homer to left for the early lead. Merino walked a pair the first time through, then gave up a solo homer to Angel Montes de Oca in the third. Bob Montana added a 1-out triple to center, but Josh Landstrom popped out to offer Merino a way out, and a strikeout to Angel Quintana took care of the inning.

Montana was later caught stealing third base to short-circuit the Aces’ sixth, after Merino had struck them in order in the fifth. More annoyingly, though, the Raccoons seemed intent on letting Adachi live after all, doing next to nothing against him after the first inning until Maldonado finally hit a leadoff jack to left in the bottom 6th, 4-1. That put him and Toohey even at 93 RBI, slowly creeping towards a 100.

The seventh got unexpectedly tight. Angel Rodriguez led off with an infield single for Vegas, then stole his way around to third base and scored on Fernando Torres’ sac fly – which was the first career RBI for the September call-up Torres. After that PH Carlos Jimenes and Montes hit singles. Felipe Gomez grounded out, putting the tying runs in scoring position, and Merino lost Montana on balls. Josh Landstrom, with three on and two down, flew out cozily to Mercado. The Coons then used three relievers to sit down the right-left-right quagmire of 5-6-7 in the eighth, with Porter, Curl, and Hickey all getting their man out. The Coons got Maldo and Waters on in the bottom 8th against Pablo Paez, but ultimately Pat Gurney grounded out to waste yet more runners. And the ninth? Here was Mike Lynn for today, entering the ring with a 4-2 lead and striking out Torres, Ray DeFrank, and Montes in order to nail down the win! 4-2 Raccoons. Maldonado 1-2, BB, HR, RBI; Mills 1-2, BB; Merino 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, W (15-8);

The Indians beat the Falcons, 4-1, staying seven behind.

Game 2
IND: SS Montes de Oca – C F. Gomez – CF M. Roberts – RF Montana – 3B E. Luna – 2B C. Jimenes – LF Stern – 1B Speth – P Henneberry
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – 2B Gurney – C Morales – LF Fernandez – SS Floyd – P Wheatley

Montes opened the game with a double to left-center, but Wheats retired the next three without giving even another 90 feet. He in fact retired the next 10 batters in order before Mike Roberts legged out a fourth-inning triple with one out, and tore some knee or other in the process of sliding into third base. Brent Cramer replaced him, but there was the go-ahead run with one out, at third base. Wheats struck out Montana and Eddy Luna to dismiss the Aces for the inning.

Unfortunately, the Raccoons were just as hopeless at the plate to begin the game. Henneberry retired the first eight batters before Wheats and Mercado hit back-to-back singles in the bottom 3rd, which led nowhere when Herrera flew out to Roberts. A 1-out walk to Toohey and a Gurney single put two on again with one out in the fourth, and while Tony Morales found the shortstop in the general disorder on the field, Montes flubbed the ball for an error instead of a potential 6-4-3. The bags were full for Manny, who hit a comebacker to get Toohey out at home, before ironically Josh Floyd came through with a 2-out, 2-run single to left for the first runs on the board. Wheats struck out, then conceded a run on a Jimenes double and a Tim Speth single in the fifth. Argh. Worse yet, Morales fired away Henneberry’s bunt for two bases, putting the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position with one out. Wheats, we need more strikeouts! He rung up Montes, while Gomez grounded out, stranding the runners.

Mercado drew a leadoff walk in the bottom 5th, then was caught stealing before Herrera doubled and Maldo legged out an infield single to put runners on the corners. Toohey found a double play. Gurney and Fernandez got on in the sixth, just in time for Floyd to hit into another inning-ending double play. Instead, Vegas tied the game on a leadoff triple to center by Jimenes and Landstrom’s sac fly in the seventh… A no-decision threatened for Wheats, who completed the inning, but led off the bottom 7th and we needed runs. Mills, Mercado, and Herrera were retired in order, in fact ending Wheat’s hopes for a win (and especially for 20 wins). Ibold, Curl, and Moreno fumbled the eighth together (mostly Moreno…) to keep the game tied, while the Raccoons had two on again in the bottom 8th, Toohey and Gurney singling, and again couldn’t get anybody home. Lynn got around a Quintana single in the ninth, still allowing for a walkoff in the bottom of the ninth…! Andy Pedraza faced the 8-9-1 hitters, … or replacements… and only the 8-9 hitters, in fact. Baskins hit for Floyd and singled to center, and Pellicano hit for Lynn and also singled to center. Baskins bid for third base against Chris Whalen’s arm, Whalen made an attempt, the attempt was wild, and Baskins dashed home to end the game. 3-2 Critters! Gurney 2-4, 2B; Baskins (PH) 1-1; Pellicano (PH) 1-1; Wheatley 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K and 1-2;

The Arrowheads clubbed the Falcons early, then held on at the end, 8-6, keeping the gap at seven games.

Bad news on Sunday then: both Maldonado and Pellicano came down with flu-like symptoms. Both would technically be able to play, but weren’t pretty to look at with their dripping noses and half-closed eyes, and wouldn’t feature in the lineup on Sunday. The original plan had been an off day for Herrera, but I didn’t want to go entirely without offense…

Game 3
LVA: SS Montes de Oca – C F. Gomez – CF Cramer – LF Montana – 1B A. Quintana – 3B E. Luna – 2B B. Owen – RF Cannizzard – P Brantley
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – SS Waters – 1B Toohey – LF Baskins – C Gonzalez – 2B Castner – 3B Martell – P Wolinsky

Wolinsky was firmly on the struggle bus to start this game, putting the first two batters on base in the first inning, and after narrowly escaping that threat when Herrera raced down a Quintana drive in center, he put the first three batters on in the second. Eddy Luna and Brandon Owen hit singles, and Tim Cannizzard got nicked. Brantley hit into a run-scoring double play before Montes whiffed to strand a runner on third base. The first two – Luna and Owen – got on again in the fourth, but again the Aces then found the defenders as the major obstacles to scoring runs. The Raccoons had only one base hit in the first three innings, and didn’t get another hit until Baskins singled to right to begin the bottom 5th. Hey, the tying run was on…! Brantley walked Gonzalez, but got a double play from Castner, and the inning fizzled out with Wolinsky after a free pass to Al Martell…

A Matt Waters home run finally tied the ******* game in the bottom 6th. The contest dragged out mercilessly while Wolinsky was no longer around, relieved after six mushy innings. Hickey, Curl, and Marucci juggled the next two innings, keeping the game tied, before the Raccoons actually had something like a threat in the bottom 8th, putting Mercado and Herrera on the corners with a pair of 1-out singles. Herrera took no prisoners on Brandon Owen when Waters grounded to short, taking out the second-sacker to break up the double play and allow Mercado home with the tie-breaking run.

When the inning fizzled out we went to Lynn for the third day in a row, specially with Speth and Luna leading off the ninth, two left-handed hitters. Luna drew a 1-out walk, prompting right-hander Carlos Jimenes to hit in the #7 hole. The Raccoons brought out Josh Rella after all. Luna stole second, but Jimenes walked anyway as I despaired. Landstrom pinch-hit, flew out, and the runners were on the corners for another lefty pinch-hitter, Cole Garbutt. He hit a grounder to left that Waters cut off – but had no play on. The tying run scored, and Rella had cocked up another save. Montes grounded out, ending the inning, and I was exceedingly unhappy – we had already hauled in Toohey for defense, so our lineup lacked any sort of bite now. Rella, apparently broken, issued two more walks in the top 10th, but escaped on a 6-4-3 double play. Willie Gonzales was in his second inning in the bottom 10th, allowing a leadoff single to Martell. Groundouts from Gurney and Mercado advanced the runner to third base, which meant we needed a knock from Herrera. A knock we got – a walkoff single over Eddy Luna’s head to complete the sweep! 3-2 Blighters. Herrera 2-5, RBI; Baskins 2-4; Martell 2-3, BB;

The Indians laid an egg with a 2-1 loss on Sunday, getting nearly annihilated by Evan Henshaw and Antonio Prieto. This added an eighth game to our lead.

In other news

September 10 – Dallas’ LF/RF/1B Govaart van Eijk (.302, 3 HR, 28 RBI) scores on a walkoff balk by the Warriors’ Jose Colon (4-8, 4.72 ERA, 17 SV), giving the Stars a 5-4 win in nine innings.
September 12 – DEN SP Gary Perrone (19-6, 2.49 ERA) 3-hits the Wolves in a 9-0 shutout, recording six strikeouts.
September 16 – DAL OF/1B Omar Gonzalez (.328, 3 HR, 58 RBI) has a 20-game hitting streak following a first-inning single in a 6-4 win over the Blue Sox.

FL Player of the Week: LAP LF/CF/2B Alfonso Cedillo (.304, 16 HR, 47 RBI), batting .400 (10-25) with 3 HR, 4 RBI
CL Player of the Week: TIJ RF/LF/1B Rikuto Ito (.258, 14 HR, 92 RBI), hitting .684 (13-19) with 1 HR, 4 RBI

Complaints and stuff

On the surface it’s a 4-1 week, but the team played pretty badly. Rella’s off the rolls, and we probably have to go with Lynn to close in the playoffs when I hoped to use those two and Moreno as wickedly as possible. That also narrows down our mid-game lefty choices to only Aaron Curl. And nothing against Curl, but he might not be enough against either the Thunder or the Condors, all with multiple left-handed bats that promised danger.

On the other paw, we’d use at least two left-handed starters, so Curl would rarely be the first guy out of the pen.

We swept the Aces, barely scoring ten runs against their free-for-all pitching. I am a bit concerned…

At least the Indians didn’t cause a major upset.

Contenders with remaining games, strength of schedule, and playoff odds:
POR (87-60) – VAN (5), ATL (3), MIL (3), NYC (3), IND (1) – .483 – 99.9% (+1.0)
IND (80-69) – BOS (3), NYC (3), OCT (3), VAN (3), POR (1) – .486 – 0.1% (-1.0)

BNN also considers the two Federal League divisions over, with only the South providing late drama.

Armando Herrera’s bat has gone south this week especially, and he is now eight points behind Jerry Outram in the batting title race. Given that Outram gets another 20 shots at Raccoons pitching, that race is probably lost.

There wasn’t much playing time for the scratch-outs this week, but that might change once the division is won. – Slappy, we need somebody to remove the cobwebs from Van Anderson. It’s a bad look.

Maybe I should talk less cockily about “once” the division is won as long as we still have five games in Elk City on our plate…

Next week, Knights first, Crusaders last, and that make-up game against the Arrowheads in between on Thursday. Wheats is scheduled to pitch in that one.

The minor league seasons are over - the Alley Cats finished second, the Panthers and Beagles bottoms in their divisions. None of them turned a winning record.

Fun Fact: We are 11-2 in September.

Which answers the question for how many months in a year you actually have to try to get a whiff at the playoffs: two.

[UltimateAverageGuy]

Do OKC and Tijuana have any head to head games left?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Westheim]

Originally Posted by UltimateAverageGuy

Do OKC and Tijuana have any head to head games left?

All of the top 3 still play each other. The Thunder play the Condors for three next weekend, then four against the Bayhawks while we'll be in Elk City... (brrr), all at home for Oklahoma. To finish the season, the Bayhawks host the Condors for three.

[Westheim]

Raccoons (87-60) vs. Knights (74-75) – September 17-19, 2046

Seven games out in the South, the Knights had only hypothetical playoff chances anymore. They ranked fourth in offense in the CL, but had conceded the third-most runs, which had allowed some of the wheels to come off. Both starters and rotation were in the bottom four by ERA, and their defense was even the worst in the CL. They also had a number of pitching injuries, including starters David Farris and Brian Buttress. Regardless, the Raccoons had not played Atlanta well this year, and trailed in the season series, 4-2.

Projected matchups:
Sadaharu Okuda (9-10, 3.99 ERA) vs. Blake Sansone (6-6, 3.77 ERA)
Jake Jackson (12-12, 3.71 ERA) vs. Brad Santry (6-1, 1.83 ERA)
Jeremy Chaney (0-0) vs. Kurt Olson (10-12, 5.18 ERA)

The opposition was exclusively right-handed here. Meanwhile, the Wednesday start would have been Merino’s, but the Raccoons brought up a sixth starter (needed anyway next week) in Jeremy Chaney, who had gone 9-10 with a 4.01 ERA in AAA. The 25-year-old groundballer had been brought over from the Capitals the prior fall and had appeared in relief 27 times for the Caps. Chaney would get three starts in these last two weeks, maybe including the season finale.

Game 1
ATL: CF Alade – 1B Delagrange – RF Marz – LF Hester – 3B Crim – C Cass – SS J. Gonzalez – 2B Sprague – P Sansone
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Morales – SS Waters – LF Fernandez – 2B Martell – P Okuda

The Knights opened with three straight singles against Okuda. John Marz drove in Jon Alade, while Billy Hester’s sac fly brought in Chris Delagrange, too. While Manny Fernandez singled home Tony Morales in the bottom 2nd to reduce the gap to 2-1, the 1-2 batters were on base again to begin the top 3rd, now with a single and a walk. Marz flew out, but Hester singled to left. Manny threw out Alade at home plate, and Joe Crim grounded out to keep the Knights off the board for that inning. The Raccoons got their scoring opportunity in the bottom 3rd late, with two outs. Sansone walked Armando Herrera, nicked the nicked-often Maldonado, and then conceded the tying run on a 3-2 RBI single by Bryce Toohey. Tony Morales flew out to Hester, keeping the game tied.

However, the Knights’ 1-2 batters kept tearing up Okuda. Alade hit his third single of the game in the fifth inning, just in time for a Delagrange homer to give them a 4-2 lead. Okuda was done after six, while the Raccoons stirred in the bottom 6th. Maldo singled to open the inning, and while Toohey flew out, Morales and Waters hit singles to move him around, 4-3, with two aboard for Manny, who rolled into a double play instead… The team instead tied the game in the seventh with Herrera’s 2-out RBI double, chasing home Derek Baskins from second base. Maldo flew to deep right afterwards, but couldn’t beat the range of John Marz. But the lead was taken in time with a leadoff jack smashed by Bryce Toohey in the bottom 8th, his 30th homer of the season. The Raccoons found a way to load the bases against Mario Benavidez through Matt Waters walking, plus singles from Gene Pellicano and Ruben Gonzalez after that, and Pat Gurney hit a pinch-hit 2-run double to provide some cushion before Bob Ibold took the ball for the ninth inning – neither Rella nor Lynn were available, and Moreno had pitched a scoreless eighth before being pinch-hit for. Jorge Gonzalez and Glenn Sprague promptly assaulted Ibold with singles to begin the ninth. Ibold rung up Manichiro Toki, but Alade hit another single to left. The Knights were too greedy, though, and Gonzalez was sent around. Bryce Toohey had ended up in leftfield by then and became the second Critter in the game to notch an assist from position #7. Delagrange flew out to Herrera to end the game. 7-4 Raccoons. Gurney (PH) 1-1, 2B, 2 RBI; Toohey 2-4, HR, 2 RBI; Morales 2-4; Pellicano (PH) 1-1; Baskins (PH) 1-1; Gonzalez (PH) 1-1;

The Indians lost a 10-inning squeezer to the Thunder, 1-0, increasing the Raccoons’ lead to nine games. The magic number was five.

Game 2
ATL: SS J. Gonzalez – 1B Delagrange – RF Marz – LF Hester – 3B Crim – 2B Sprague – CF Price – C Toki – P Santry
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 1B Gurney – 3B Maldonado – C Morales – SS Waters – LF Baskins – 2B Martell – P Jackson

The middle game was scoreless through five, with precious little going on. Jackson allowed one hit against five strikeouts and didn’t bother his defense too much, while the Raccoons had two Gurney singles and really not a whole lot more than that. Jackson removed the 9-1-2 batters with two strikeouts in the top 6th then, after which the Raccoons loaded the bases with nobody out. Herrera was nicked by Santry, Gurney singled, both pulled off a double steal, and Maldonado was walked with intent immediately afterwards. As the next three Critters in line made a predictably poor string of three outs, the only run in the inning scored on a wild pitch by Santry… That was all the runs any team could muster through eight innings. Jackson had a 2-hitter with 9 strikeouts going, but with the top of the order back up in the ninth, the Raccoons went to Josh Rella with the 1-0 lead, despite probably being able to know better. He hit Gonzalez right away to put the tying run on base. Delagrange bunted the runner to second, but Marz then grounded out to Maldonado and Hester grounded out to Martell to end the game anyway. 1-0 Blighters. Gurney 3-4; Jackson 8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K, W (13-12);

While this W mathematically eliminated the damn Elks, the Indians blew a 5-0 lead against the Thunder and took a 7-5 loss instead. The gap was 10 games, and the magic number was three.

Game 3
ATL: SS J. Gonzalez – 1B Delagrange – RF Marz – 3B Crim – CF Alade – 2B Sprague – LF E. Hernandez – C Toki – P K. Olson
POR: LF Baskins – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – SS Waters – C R. Gonzalez – RF Pellicano – 2B Martell – P Chaney

Chaney got around a Gonzalez single to begin his first career start, then was spotted a 4-0 lead in the bottom 1st, which looked like nothing much initially. Baskins singled, was forced out by Herrera, and while Herrera stole second, it took Toohey’s 2-out single to score him. But Waters then whacked a homer, an Ernesto Hernandez error put Ruben Gonzalez on base, and the catcher scored on two singles by the 7-8 hitters after that. The Knights made two more errors in the bottom 2nd, allowing for a Toohey sac fly to go up 5-0.

The Knights did get to Chaney soon enough, poking him to near-death with six singles for three runs in the third inning before the inning ended on a base-running blunder by Joe Crim. The Knights went down in order in the fourth, buying the Raccoons debutee some more time, while the Coons began the bottom 4th with a Baskins single, a Herrera double, and thus a fat scoring chance. Maldo’s 2-run double to right-center extended the lead to 7-3 again and chased Olson in the process, but Maldo was left on base by the next three, but two more runs scored in the fifth against Danny Guzman. Pellicano singled, Martell walked, and both were bunted over by Chaney. One scored on a passed ball, the other on Baskins’ groundout. Chaney got stuck in the sixth inning, but the Raccoons pooled five relievers together for scoreless ball from then on out, easily nailing down the sweep in the end. 9-3 Raccoons. Baskins 2-5, RBI; Herrera 2-4, 2B; Maldonado 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI; Pellicano 2-4; Martell 2-3, BB, RBI;

The Indians also completed their sweep at the hands of the Thunder, 7-4, on Wednesday. This meant that Wheats could clinch the division in the makeup game on Thursday.

Raccoons (90-60) vs. Indians (80-72) – September 20, 2046

The Indians had won the season series, 10-7 so far, but nobody was asking for that anymore. The Indians had lost four in a row, while the Raccoons had won seven straight. It truly was a must-win game for the Indians – the magic number was one, and all the Raccoons needed was to prevail in the battle of the right-handed Jasons, as Jason Wheatley (17-4, 3.24 ERA) would face Jason Palladino (11-10, 3.90 ERA) in the Indians’ potential go-home game.

IND: SS Russ – 1B S. Jennings – RF B. Quinteros – LF D. Rivera – CF N. Galvan – 2B Tindle – C Ebner – 3B Walley – P Palladino
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Morales – SS Waters – LF Fernandez – 2B Martell – P Wheatley

Scoring was at a premium, and only the Raccoons had a base hit the first time through, Nelson Mercado getting a single to begin the bottom 1st. Wheatley only allowed a single to Danny Rivera to begin the fourth, but had already walked a pair and nicked Nelson Galvan along the way, so he wasn’t in prime form in this start, and needed over 70 pitches to complete four innings and strand Rivera at second with a K to Sean Ebner. Bottom 4th, Maldo and Morales hit singles to set up camp on the corners with one out. Matt Waters was next and raked the first pitch up the rightfield line, where it eluded Bill Quinteros for an RBI double, the first run on the board. Manny slapped a single over Andrew Russ, the most annoying bugger, to bring home Morales, then tried to snipe second base by surprise, but was thrown out by Ebner. The Indians nevertheless replaced him with Martell on the bags, but Wheats poked a bouncer through between Russ and Joe Tindle for another RBI single. Palladino walked Mercado to fill the bases, but Herrera was rung up to end the inning with three stranded.

I then fainted into the prepared clinching buffet in the fifth inning. Wheatley struck out Chris Walley, then got Palladino on a grounder … then signaled for Dr. Padilla and was taken out of the game. While Maud did her best to revive me, Sean Marucci replaced Wheatley, retired Russ on a single pitch, and that would be his claim to a clincher W, with Aaron Curl replacing him in the sixth, and Preston Porter adding a seventh that only saw an Arrowhead on base for a Maldonado error. Bottom 7th, Mercado (single), Herrera (double), and Maldonado (walk) loaded the bases with nobody out. Toohey grounded to short, Russ going home to get Mercado out and saving a run for the moment, but Tony Morales’ 2-run double to right would soon negate the success. Al Martell added a 2-out, 2-run single after an intentional walk to Manny, and the Indians’ Mike Wilt melted for another run in the eighth. Hickey and Hitchcock saw out the final two innings for Portland to complete a six-pawed 1-hitter for a clincher. 8-0 Furballs! Mercado 2-4, BB; Herrera 2-5, 2 2B; Morales 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI; Wheatley 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K and 1-2, RBI;

Oh the bitterness of baseball – the Raccoons were in the playoffs … and had shed their ace in the process. And Dr. Padilla put on his doubtful face.

The clincher buffet went mostly uneaten…

Raccoons (91-60) @ Crusaders (69-83) – September 21-23, 2046

The Raccoons had already taken the season series, 11-4, and were now just playing out the string after clinching on Thursday. New York had a -36 run differential, sitting tenth in runs scored, but fourth in runs allowed.

Projected matchups:
Victor Merino (15-8, 2.76 ERA) vs. Jim White (11-11, 3.66 ERA)
Bubba Wolinsky (6-4, 3.04 ERA) vs. Paul Paris (11-13, 3.77 ERA)
Sadaharu Okuda (9-10, 4.06 ERA) vs. Yataro Tanabe (8-4, 4.28 ERA)

Southpaw Sunday. Not that anything could console me or save the Critters if Wheats was lost for the playoffs.

Game 1
POR: RF Mercado – 2B Gurney – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – LF Fernandez – CF Mills – SS Floyd – C Dalton – P Merino
NYC: C Alba – 1B Schneller – SS Adame – 2B Briones – RF Willie Ojeda – LF Garris – 3B Gates – CF Rico – P J. White

A Mercado single and stolen base, Maldo walking, and then Toohey beat Danny Rico for an RBI double in the top of the first, inching to 98 RBI for the year (Maldo had 96). We ended up with the bases loaded and two outs after Manny whiffed and Ken Mills walked, upon which Josh Floyd dropped a ball behind Alex Adame for a 2-run single. Jimmy Dalton popped out to keep it at 3-0 for now. Merino allowed only one hit the first time through, but the bottom 4th saw the Crusaders flock onto the bases; leadoff walk for Alex Adame, then two singles by Mario Briones and Willie Ojeda, and of course nobody out. Josh Garris brought in a run with a groundout. Prince Gates hit an RBI single. And then Merino flubbed Rico’s grounder for an error, tying the game. The Crusaders failed to take the lead, White being out bunting, and Fernando Alba being out to Gurney on a grounder.

The game then lingered in the 3-3 tie, with both starters chewed up after six laborious innings. Maldo hit a leadoff single in the seventh, but was never moved on. Merino began the bottom 7th, but retired none of the two left-handed batters, Aaron Foss and Alba hitting singles off him. Foss had already stolen a base, and scored on the second single to break the tie. Adame would score the second run with a sac fly against Bob Ibold. The Raccoons did nothing in the eighth, but brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth against Julian Ponce, when Maldo hit a 2-out single to right with Toohey waiting behind him. Toohey flew out to Rico, however, and the Raccoons lost. 5-3 Crusaders. Maldonado 3-4, BB; Mills 1-2, 2 BB;

Game 2
POR: RF Mills – CF Herrera – 1B Gurney – 3B Maldonado – C Morales – SS Waters – LF Baskins – 2B Martell – P Wolinsky
NYC: LF Riario – 1B Schneller – 2B Briones – RF Willie Ojeda – C Alba – SS Gates – 3B Nash – CF Rico – P Paris

Wolinsky drowned early, and Wolinsky drowned quick. The Crusaders opened with a single, double, single, which was already two runs, and Willie Ojeda reached when Martell threw his grounder away for a 2-base error, allowing another run. The drubbing continued, Wolinsky allowing five hits, a walk, and ultimately six runs, the last two on a 2-out double by the ******* opposing pitcher. Only three of the runs were earned, but that was cold comfort at this point. In the bottom 2nd, Wolinsky nailed Briones, then walked the bags full and was unceremoniously yanked with two outs and the bases full for Randolph Nash. Bob Ibold got a pop to short to end the inning, then hit a single to left to begin the top 3rd. He reached third base on a Mills double, then scored on Armando Herrera’s sac fly, putting a brown blip on the scoreboard. Gurney added a sac fly to score Mills. The bags were empty again with two outs, but now Maldo walked, then scored on Morales and Waters singles, 6-3, but the string ended with Baskins, who fouled out behind home plate. Bottom 3rd, Ibold was yoinked with the bases loaded and two outs, but Aaron Curl rung up Ojeda to keep the Crusaders from scoring. Busy game.

Top 4th, Mercado hit for Curl and scratched out a 1-out single, then scored on Herrera’s double in the left-center gap with two outs. The tying runs were on with nobody out the inning after, when Maldo and Morales opened with singles. Paris had Waters at 1-2, then gave up an RBI double to right, walked Baskins, but rung up Martell. No relief appeared in sight for New York, but the Raccoons, with three on, one out, and a 6-5 deficit, sent Bryce Toohey to bat in the #9 hole. He struck out, but not until after a wild pitch almost took off his legs and scored the tying run. Right-hander Jeff Frank now replaced the fallen Paris, who fell even deeper when Ken Mills got a double through between Danny Rico and Vittorio Riario, driving home Waters and Baskins, 8-6. Herrera flew out to left to end the inning.

Now was absolutely the time for some shoddy relief, so the Raccoons turned to Sean Marucci, who unexpectedly sparkled by throwing three scoreless innings against the Crusaders, getting the 8-6 lead through seven. Nelson Moreno retired the Crusaders’ 9-1-2 in order in the eighth inning, but the Raccoons never tacked on after taking that lead, either. The Crusaders had the meat of the order up in the bottom 9th, which included two left-handed bats, so the Raccoons went for ex-Crusader Mike Lynn. Briones grounded out, but Ojeda drew a walk. Adame hit in the #5 hole, grounded to short, but the Raccoons only got the lead runner, pulling up the .189 hitter Prince Gates. He also found Waters with a grounder, ending the game. 8-6 Raccoons. Mills 2-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI; Herrera 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI; Morales 4-5; Waters 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI; Mercado (PH) 1-1; Marucci 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K;

By Sunday, darkness then consumed me.

Dr. Padilla reported that Wheats was done for the year with a ruptured finger tendon.

All hope – smashed.

Game 3
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – SS Waters – C Gonzalez – LF Pellicano – 2B Castner – P Okuda
NYC: C Alba – 1B Schneller – 2B Briones – 3B Mujica – RF Willie Ojeda – LF Garris – SS Nash – CF Foss – P Tanabe

Dan Schneller hit a 410-footer for a solo homer, and more hits by Briones and Ojeda, plus a throwing error by Armando Herrera, allowed a second Crusaders run across in another rotten first inning. Okuda issued a leadoff walk in the second, then stopped sucking briefly, before resuming to do so in the fourth. He walked Ojeda to lead off, and a Josh Garris single and another walk to Nash filled the bases with nobody out. Aaron Foss’ sac fly and Tanabe smashing into a double play limited to damage to one more run, while the Raccoons were still looking for their first base hit off Tanabe. John Castner obliged with a 2-out single in the fifth, which led predictably nowhere.

While Okuda remained terrible and was taken deep by Mario Briones in the bottom 5th, 4-0, the Raccoons got leadoff singles from Mercado and Herrera in the sixth. Maldo then cruelly found a double play to hit into, but the Raccoons still scored on back-to-back RBI doubles by Toohey and Waters before Ruben Gonzalez struck out. Willie Ojeda shrugged and hit another solo homer to right in the bottom of the inning, 5-2.

The seventh was scoreless, but the Raccoons got Maldo and Waters on base against the New York pen in the eighth, albeit then already with two outs. Tony Morales pinch-hit for Gonzalez against the right-hander Matt May, and hit an RBI single to center. Pellicano was not hit for, fell to two strikes, then struck an RBI double to left. That scored another run, and put the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position, now with Jeff Frank pitching. Pat Gurney hit for Castner, but struck out. While the Coons’ pen held on, the 5-4 Crusaders lead went to southpaw Julian Ponce in the ninth. He struck out Ken Mills in the #9 hole, but Mercado singled. Herrera found Briones, with the lead runner forced out on the play. Maldonado grounded out to Nash. 5-4 Crusaders. Mercado 2-4, BB; Morales (PH) 1-1, RBI; Fernandez (PH) 1-1;

In other news

September 17 – The Stars beat the Miners, 7-2, in Dallas, but the Miners hold DAL OF/1B Omar Gonzalez (.325, 3 HR, 58 RBI) to an 0-for-5 line and end his hitting streak at 20 games.
September 19 – Denver SP Roberto Pruneda (17-8, 2.77 ERA) wins his 200th career game in a 7-3 over the Capitals. The 37-year-old right-hander is 200-148 with a 3.56 ERA and 2,090 strikeouts for his career, all of which was spent in the Federal League.
September 19 – The Rebels score 10 runs in the top of the first and then sort of hang on as they beat the Pacifics, 14-6.
September 20 – DEN SP Israel Mendoza (17-11, 3.55 ERA) 3-hits the Capitals in a 6-0 shutout, striking out nine along the way.
September 20 – CIN 3B Jesus Burgos (.300, 7 HR, 91 RBI) is out for the season after having suffered a knee sprain.
September 21 – The Aces’ SP Josh Henneberry (10-13, 4.33 ERA) 3-hits the Knights in a 3-0 shutout. He walks four and strikes out as many.
September 21 – Pacifics LF/CF Jayden Lockwood (.282, 13 HR, 59 RBI) is out for the year with torn ankle ligaments.
September 21 – The Loggers beat the Titans, 3-1 in 16 innings. Both teams chain up 11 innings without scoring a run from the 5th through the 15th innings.
September 22 – The Cyclones and Gold Sox clinch their respective Federal League divisions. Cincinnati beats the Blue Sox, 5-4, while Denver wins over the Scorpions, 3-2, to seal their respective deals.

FL Player of the Week: CIN CF/LF Dan Mathes (.343, 15 HR, 94 RBI), hitting .500 (13-26) with 1 HR, 4 RBI
CL Player of the Week: SFB RF/LF/1B Alex Marquez (.320, 10 HR, 47 RBI), batting .455 (10-22) with 1 HR, 3 RBI

Complaints and stuff

(gently strokes framed black-and-white photography of Wheats winding up, with a black band draped across one of the corners)

In these bitter days, the Raccoons will need another spot starter to make up what would have been Wheats’ final regular season outing on Tuesday. We’ll opt for 25-year-old lefty and #7 pick in the 2043 draft, Jeremy Baker, who had an unimpressive minor league career and went 9-14 with a 3.92 ERA this year with the Alley Cats. Too many walks, not enough strikeouts. Steven Johnston was yoinked off the 40-man roster to make room.

(hugs Honeypaws a little tighter)

Fun Fact: For 11 straight years, the Raccoons have ended up with an even wins total against the Crusaders.

After a 9-9 tie in ’35, it’s been 8 season series for Portland, 3 for New York, and always 10-8, 12-6, or 14-4.

Man, aren’t we having fun around here?

[Westheim]

Final week. I flew home directly from New York, while the team (minus one) went straight to Elk City. Normally we’d start road trips to Elk City or Salem on the morning of the opener from Portland, but the Monday double header demanded a bit of urgency.

The one that didn’t go to Vancouver was Jason Wheatley, sent home to Portland by Dr. Padilla. Even on the flight I scoffed at the ridiculously tiny bandage on his right middle claw. What was that supposed to be? That’s why you can’t pitch??

He ended up in the unhappy assembly on the trusty brown couch with Slappy and Maud to watch the games in my company. – That is a ridiculously tiny bandage!

(goes around to his desk and picks up his old black rotary phone) Maud, call Dr. Padilla in Elk City for me.

Yes, hello, Dr. Padilla? – I have one more question with Wheatley. – Yeah, I did some thinking, and how about we just cut off the stupid claw and then he can pitch in the playoffs? – Why would he need it? He seems to gobble food just fine as is. – To throw which pitches? – All of them? – Fine, Dr. Padilla, I’ll think of something else…! (clonks speaker back onto cradle)

Raccoons (92-62) @ Canadiens (78-76) – September 24-27, 2046

These games didn’t matter, which is why I was doubly apprehensive about them, especially in the frozen wastes of the north. The damn Elks had an 8-5 lead in the season series, which was maybe scratching our pride, but hadn’t prevented us from clinching the division the week before. They were first in runs scored, but were giving up almost as many, with a +22 run differential (Critters: +136). They really needed to get some pitching… There were five games in this set, including a Monday double header, a makeup date for a rainout all the way back on April 15.

Projected matchups:
Jake Jackson (13-12, 3.56 ERA) vs. Hisami Furuya (8-11, 3.67 ERA)
Jeremy Chaney (1-0, 4.76 ERA) vs. Juan Ramos (5-7, 3.87 ERA)
Jeremy Baker (0-0) vs. Mario de Anda (12-8, 3.98 ERA)
Victor Merino (15-9, 2.86 ERA) vs. Aaron Jones (14-10, 4.87 ERA)
Bubba Wolinsky (6-4, 3.30 ERA) vs. Mario Godinez (13-13, 4.47 ERA)

The only southpaw in this set was de Anda; of course the Raccoons by now had four left-handers in a 6-man rotation that partially looked more like the Volkssturm’s last hurrah rather than a playoff team just playing out the string.

Game 1
POR: RF Mills – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Morales – SS Waters – LF Fernandez – 2B Castner – P Jackson
VAN: CF Escobido – 3B Malkus – RF Outram – C Julio Diaz – LF C. Robinson – 2B O. Aguirre – SS Price – 1B Bejarano – P Furuya

Hits for Herrera and Maldo and a walk to Morales loaded the bases in the first inning for Portland, but both Toohey and Waters struck out and everybody was stranded. Top 3rd, Herrera and Maldo were in scoring position AGAIN with one out, after hitting a single to left and a double to right-center, respectively (Jerry Outram, only 32 years old, hitting .338 to enter the series and singling off Jackson in the first, REALLY started to look long in the tooth on defense). Toohey did better this time, whizzing a liner past Furuya’s head for a 2-run single in center, putting him at 101 RBI (Maldo was still at 96). Furuya, slightly out of shape after the near-death experience, hit Morales and walked Waters to fill the bases for Manny, who dropped an RBI single into shallow left, 3-0. Castner singled in another pair, Jackson bunted, and Ken Mills flew out precisely to Outram to end the inning.

The 5-run inning sucked the air out of the opener. Jackson cruised through seven innings, allowing only two hits and as many walks, continuing his fine September form. The Elks never found something to rally against him, and the Raccoons had runners, including pairs in the sixth, eighth, and ninth innings, and never managed to score anybody. Only in the bottom 9th did the Elks raise their ugly heads again. Sean Marucci got the first out (for four total) before Chuck Jones was tossed in against a string of lefty hitters. He walked Outram and Chris Robinson scratched out a 2-out single. Bob Ibold was then called on as replacement, but conceded an RBI single to Oscar Aguirre. Rick Price then flew out to end the game. 5-1 Raccoons. Herrera 3-5; Maldonado 2-5, 2B; Jackson 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K, W (14-12);

After a quick turnaround, the Raccoons sent out an almost entirely different lineup for the second game of the double-header.

Game 2
POR: RF Mercado – CF Mills – 2B Gurney – 1B Toohey – LF Baskins – SS Floyd – 3B Martell – C Dalton – P Chaney
VAN: CF Escobido – 3B Malkus – RF Outram – LF C. Robinson – 2B O. Aguirre – SS Price – C Meteyer – 1B Bejarano – P Ju. Ramos

That team looked to go under right away. The first two defensive plays by the Raccoons in the bottom 1st were a pair of 2-base throwing errors by Jimmy Dalton and Josh Floyd, conceding a run right away, and Robinson would plate Travis Malkus with a single later on, putting the Raccoons in a 2-0 hole. After Mercado stranded Martell and Chaney in the second, Pat Gurney singled, stole second, and scored on a Baskins single in the top 3rd, but Robinson homered off Chaney to restore the 2-run gap in the same inning.

The tying runs were in scoring position with one gone in the fourth, as Ramos allowed a leadoff single to Martell, walked Dalton, and then had to accept Chaney’s bunt to advance the runners. Only one run scored, however, on Mercado’s groundout. Mills’ drive to center was caught by Angel Escobido to end the inning.

Chaney was done after only five innings, his chief problem being getting to two strikes on many, but three strikes on precious few, giving up 2-strike singles instead. The damn Elks had seven hits off him in five innings, and he whiffed a grand total of one, needing 102 pitches to complete five in a 3-2 deficit that was mostly unearned. The Critters put Dalton on via hit-by-pitch in the sixth, and Manny reached on a walk hitting for Chaney, but the team stranded runners on the corners. Gurney’s leadoff single in the seventh went nowhere nice, while Al Martell drew a leadoff walk off Alex Lewis in the eighth. Dalton struck out, while Maldonado hit for the pitcher (Curl) and singled past Rick Price. Pellicano hit for an 0-for-4 Mercado and drew a full-count walk, loading the bases with one down. The bases partially emptied on a wild pitch that tied the score at three, and with two outs Gurney singled home the other runners. The 5-3 lead was held by Mike Lynn in the bottom 8th, then was filed for saving with Josh Rella. Leadoff walk to Dustin Fruman… Pedro Colon flew out to center, but Malkus singled to center, and Josh Rothrauff (who?) hit an infield single to fill the bases. The only thing that saved Rella from drowning at that point was PH Kenichi Saito stepping over his own bat and hitting into a 6-4-3 game-ender… 5-3 Coons. Gurney 5-5, 2B, 2 RBI; Martell 2-4, BB, 2B; Maldonado (PH) 1-1;

Tuesday was upon us.

That would have been your turn, Wheats!

(Wheats slides a bit further away on the couch)

Game 3
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – SS Waters – C Gonzalez – LF Pellicano – 2B Castner – P Baker
VAN: CF Escobido – 2B Malkus – RF Outram – SS O. Aguirre – LF C. Robinson – C Meteyer – 1B K. Saito – 3B Price – P de Anda

Baker walked the first two batters in his debut, prompting an instant adjustment with a tire iron from the pitching coach. The next three Elks were sat down, and they didn’t score. Portland scored in the top 2nd through Waters and Pellicano doubles, going up 1-0, while de Anda left with an apparent injury and plunged the damn Elks into their destitute pen.

But before long we had to lament another injury ourselves, with Ruben Gonzalez pulling up lame after hitting a leadoff double in the fourth. Dalton replaced him and was stranded on second base. Bottom 4th, Baker walked another pair in Ryan Meteyer and Saito, then allowed a 1-out single to Price, who had the first time through been his first ABL strikeout victim (and was still the only one). Ismael Jaramillo pinch-hit for the pitcher, lined out to Castner, and Meteyer was completely oblivious of the play and raced for home, being easily doubled off third base to end the inning. Waters doubled home Herrera and Maldonado with two outs in the fifth to extend the lead to 3-0, but Baker was melting yet again in the bottom 5th. Escobido singled, he threw a wild pitch, Outram singled, and a 2-out walk to Robinson loaded the bases for Meteyer. Full count, the catcher singled to left to drive in a pair, before Saito sailed out to center…

The Raccoons hung with Baker until the Elks tied the game on back-to-back 1-out doubles by Ricardo Bejarano and Angel Escobido in the bottom 6th. Aaron Hickey provided no relief whatsoever, issuing two walks, a wild pitch, and two singles to explode the inning into a whole thing, four runs scoring for Elk City to give them a 6-3 lead. The lead didn’t live for long, though. Right-hander Raul Velasquez also had an inning to forget in the top 7th. Maldo singled off him, he walked Toohey, and then Matt Waters cranked a 3-run homer to knot the score at six. The Elks came back immediately to turn Sean Marucci and Aaron Curl inside out in the bottom 7th. Marucci walked two and allowed the go-ahead run to score on a pinch-hit single by Felix Rojas, while Curl shuffled the bases full, then gave up a 2-out grand slam to Chris Robinson. That one sorta put the game away despite Derek Baskins’ eighth-inning pinch-hit homer off Jordan Antonio. That one counted only for one run. 11-7 Canadiens. Herrera 2-4, BB; Waters 3-4, BB, HR, 2 2B, 5 RBI; Gonzalez 1-2, 2B; Baskins (PH) 1-1, HR, RBI;

No immediate news about Ruben Gonzalez, no matter how often I called Dr. Padilla in Elk City.

Game 4
POR: RF Mercado – CF Mills – 1B Gurney – 3B Maldonado – LF Fernandez – C Morales – 2B Martell – SS Floyd – P Merino
VAN: CF Escobido – 2B Malkus – RF Outram – SS O. Aguirre – LF C. Robinson – 1B Fruman – C Meteyer – 3B K. Saito – P A. Jones

Vancouver went up 1-0 in the first as Merino walked Escobido, who stole second, then scored on Travis Malkus’ single and Mercado’s throwing error. The run was earned though, thanks to an Outram single afterwards. A K to Aguirre and a double play from Robinson had Merino waggle out of the bottom 1st with most whiskers still attached, but the last thing we needed now was our replacement ace getting roughed up…

Unfortunately the Elks seemed to have his number, hitting five base knocks off him in four innings, while the Raccoons did precious little besides with the bottom of the order. Martell and Floyd hit pairs of singles in both the third and fifth innings, although the first time Martell was caught stealing before anything good could happen. The second time they were on the corners with one out for Merino, who hit into a double play, fumbled his way into a bases-loaded situation in the bottom 5th with a single, a walk, and a belter to Jerry Outram, and then somehow got a pop from Aguirre and a groundout from Robinson to escape the whole mess.

Merino persevered with himself for seven innings, never getting off that early 1-0 hook, since the rest of the Critters looked entirely content with having him lose that one. They then got Floyd on second base to begin the eighth inning when Robinson dropped his liner and had to chase the carom down near the leftfield line. Baskins grounded out in Merino’s spot, as did Mercado. Floyd was at third when Mills hit a fly to right that Outram meandered underneath helplessly, eventually having the ball drop a foot behind him for the second 2-base error in the outfield in the inning, and THAT tied the game for Portland… And then Gurney struck out… Lynn held the fort in the bottom 8th, while Preston Porter got the bottom 9th and also bombarded by lefty pinch-hitters. Bejarano hit a single, was run for by Jaramillo, who stole second, and then scored on Colon’s 2-out single to end the game. 2-1 Canadiens. Martell 2-3; Floyd 2-3; Merino 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K;

More good news, anyone? Ruben Gonzalez was out with a sprained ankle, which would definitely keep him out of the CLCS, and he’d be highly questionable for the World Series, should we fail our way there.

Game 5
POR: RF Mills – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Morales – SS Waters – 2B Martell – LF Anderson – P Wolinsky
VAN: CF Escobido – 2B Malkus – C Julio Diaz – RF Outram – SS O. Aguirre – 3B Price – LF van der Zanden – 1B P. Colon – P Godinez

Ken Mills opened the rubber game with a triple to center, while Herrera walked. Maldo singled home a run, and Morales brought in another with a groundout for an early 2-0 lead. Angel Escobido left injured in the first inning, replaced by Josh Rothrauff. Godinez went on to hit Maldo in the third inning – the 25th welt on Maldo’s body this season – then walked Toohey and threw a wild pitch to advance the runners. Tony Morales had another RBI groundout before Waters chipped in an RBI single to left. He stole second, then came around on Martell’s single, 5-0. Ken Mills then hit his first career homer in the fourth, a solo shot for a 6-0 lead, before Godinez hit Maldonado again. This time there was considerable barking between the two benches, but no brawl yet. Godinez got to 0-2 on Toohey before nicking him softly, and the Raccoons were bickering louder now. Unfortunately, Morales grounded out to end the inning rather than ram another 3-run homer up Godinez’ stupid ******.

Wolinsky meanwhile struck out four the first time through, against a hit and two walks, as well as an exploding pitch count. He had a long fourth inning, allowing a double and a walk, but still no runs, then struck out against Matt Fries when Godinez was finally out of the ******* game after Waters and Martell singles in the fifth. Mills landed a 2-out RBI single, though, Herrera walked, and Maldo came up with the bases loaded, unretired but hurting. He flew out to Outram. Wolinsky didn’t make it much further. Three hits, five walks, eight strikeouts and another pair on base had him out of the game in the bottom 6th. Bob Ibold sat down Colon to end the inning. Kevin Hitchcock threw a quick seventh, before something truly special happened in the eighth. Chuck Jones, the old wreck, and after a career-destroying season with 16 hits and 7 walks against him in 6.0 innings, came on and struck out (!!) Julio Diaz. It was his first of the season. He also got Outram out and even finished the inning…! Hickey would complete the shutout in the ninth. 7-0 Raccoons. Mills 3-5, HR, 3B, 2 RBI; Martell 2-5, RBI;

So, what was going on in the South? The Bayhawks had been eliminated by now, losing three of four to the Thunder. Same for the Condors against the Knights, giving the Thunder a 2-game lead with three games to play. The Condors had the Baybirds to play on the final weekend. The Thunder were up against the Aces.

Raccoons (95-64) @ Loggers (68-91) – September 28-30, 2046

Assured of fifth place in the division after getting swept out of New York, the Loggers just wanted to escape into October anonymity. And we wanted to no longer get ******* drilled at the plate. They were bottoms in runs scored, tenth in runs allowed, and anybody remember that they had led the division as late as July 6? We led the season series, 9-6, but just wanted to pass through town without major commotion.

Projected matchups:
Sadaharu Okuda (9-11, 4.17 ERA) vs. Tony Ruiz (4-13, 4.44 ERA)
Jake Jackson (14-12, 3.43 ERA) vs. Sergio Piedra (9-12, 4.01 ERA)
Jeremy Chaney (1-0, 3.38 ERA) vs. Victor Padilla (6-8, 3.89 ERA)

Southpaw to start the set, and a Southpaw Sunday to close out the regular season!

Game 1
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – LF Pellicano – C Dalton – 2B Castner – SS Floyd – P Okuda
MIL: LF Pate – 2B Davison – C Payne – SS R. Espinoza – 1B Brayboy – RF Platero – CF Reeves – 3B Paul – P T. Ruiz

After two calm innings, Ruiz seemed to lose it a bit in the third inning. While Herrera hit into a double play after a Mercado leadoff single, he then allowed a single to Maldo, walked Toohey after an 11-pitch battle, walked Pellicano on five pitches, and Dalton on four, pushing home a run finally. Then John Castner was impatient and grounded out…

Okuda was perfect the first time through, then had another inning from hell in the fourth. John Pate homered to tie the game right away, after which Okuda shambolically allowed another two walks, two hits, and somehow only one run on an RBI single by Aaron Brayboy to fall 2-1 behind. Another two runs scored in the sixth, with hits by Ricky Payne, Brayboy, and Jose Platero, while the Raccoons drew no fewer than EIGHT walks from Ruiz, and still couldn’t bowl him over. Top 7th, though, bases loaded with one out when Herrera got nicked, Toohey singled, and Pellicano walked. Gurney and Manny hit for Dalton and Castner against righty Cesar Suarez, but struck out and flew out to left, respectively. And thus went the Raccoons’ last good chance in this one… 4-1 Loggers. Toohey 2-2, 3 BB; Dalton 0-0, 3 BB, RBI;

Game 2
POR: RF Mills – CF Herrera – 1B Gurney – C Morales – SS Waters – LF Baskins – 3B Martell – 2B Castner – P Jackson
MIL: RF Platero – CF M. Guerrero – 1B Brayboy – SS R. Espinoza – C Payne – LF Reeves – 2B S. Pena – 3B Paul – P Piedra

Piedra pitched only two innings before retiring with injury, making me feel queasy again. The Loggers also took a lead in the bottom 2nd, getting a double from Bill Reeves and an RBI single from Jared Paul. That looked like the final score as the innings breezed by and the Raccoons couldn’t get the ball to fall in. They scattered three hits in six innings, which was not nearly enough to topple Loggers long man Luke Schwartz, who however departed after a leadoff walk to Matt Waters in the seventh. Baskins singled past Sergio Pena, putting runners on the corners in the 1-0 yawner. Martell hit a sac fly to tie the game, while Castner singled. Jackson tried to bunt, but had to jump out of the way of a wild pitch that advanced the runners, then swung away for another sac fly and a 2-1 lead. Suarez threw another wild pitch that moved Castner to third before finally striking out Mills.

Jackson pitched almost flawlessly into the eighth inning, but was eventually chased by a 2-out single by Jose Platero. The Loggers sent Gerardo Peixinho to pinch-run, and Erik Bush, a left-hander, to bat for Mario Guerrero. The Coons shrugged and grabbed Mike Lynn. Bush popped out to Mills in shallow right, and Lynn added two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 ninth. 2-1 Blighters. Baskins 2-4; Jackson 7.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, W (15-12);

One more!

Game 3
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – LF Pellicano – C Dalton – 2B Castner – SS Floyd – P Chaney
MIL: RF Platero – 2B Davison – SS R. Espinoza – C Payne – SS Reeves – CF Pate – 1B Edsell – 3B Paul – P V. Padilla

Chaney shuffled the bags full with an Espinoza single and two walks, all with two down, in the bottom 1st, but John Pate grounded out to strand everybody, while the Raccoons landed singles with Pellicano, Dalton, and Floyd in the top 2nd, scoring the game’s first run. Chaney then had his skull beaten in in the bottom of the same inning. The Loggers saw everything coming, hit it, and hit it hard. Six base hits, four runs, and utterly rough to watch. Chaney was yanked after he allowed another two sharp singles to Kyle Edsell and Jared Paul to begin the bottom 3rd. Bob Ibold conceded a fifth run on a sac fly.

The Coons, more concerned with additional bruises than a hard-nose rally, sent Jeremy Baker in for long relief, which somehow worked out for three unpretty, but scoreless innings, while the offense did absolutely nothing. The game looked like it was over until Padilla issued leadoff walks to Pellicano and Dalton in the seventh inning. Castner struck out, but Josh Floyd hit an RBI single to right, 5-2. Matt Waters hit for Baker – straight into a double play….. That was the game, safe for another run that fell out of Sean Marucci in a shoddy bottom 8th. The Raccoons never threatened again. 6-2 Loggers. Dalton 1-2, BB; Floyd 2-3, 2 RBI; Baker 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K;

In other news

September 25 – Crusaders 1B/2B Mario Briones (.292, 14 HR, 75 RBI) has two homers, a triple, a single, and two walks, along with 11 RBI as the Crusaders destroy the Loggers, 22-4.
September 26 – A single by 2B/3B Tony Batista (.246, 9 HR, 51 RBI) keeps the Titans from getting no-hit in a 5-0 loss to the Indians’ Justin Roberts (6-4, 3.28 ERA) and Tommy Gardner (5-6, 2.11 ERA, 34 SV).
September 27 – The Thunder lose OF Juan Benavides (.288, 28 HR, 109 RBI) for the season; the 31-year-old is down with an elbow sprain.
September 28 – The Wolves’ John Gano (6-13, 5.41 ERA) and Jake Cusick (8-6, 4.60 ERA, 9 SV) pitch a combined no-hitter against the Scorpions, with Salem winning the game 3-1. The only Sacramento run is unearned.
September 28 – The Falcons score 11 runs in the seventh as they down the Knights, 16-6.
September 29 – The Thunder are rained out, but clinch the CL South anyway when the Condors lose their game with the Bayhawks, 5-4.
September 30 – VAN SP Juan Ramos (6-7, 3.58 ERA, 1 SV) shuts out the Titans on Closing Day with a 3-hitter. The Canadiens win 4-0.

Complaints and stuff

Armando Herrera against Jerry Outram looked like the duel for the batting title in this final week. In the end they both faded badly, and Charlotte’s Joe Besaw stormed past them to take the title for himself.

We’ll have to console ourselves with Bryce Toohey as CL home run champion.

So we reach the playoffs without our 1-2 starters going into the season and also without Ruben Gonzalez, at least in the CLCS. Now there’s no problem with Tony Morales catching all the games, and make Jimmy Dalton a dugout decoration like Van Anderson in September… It’s just that I’m annoyed with all the injuries…

So we’re up against the Thunder again. Same as last year – and for the sixth time overall in our playoff history, breaking the tie for most playoffs matchups with the Bayhawks, whom we faced five times in the CLCS.

Fun Fact: Mario Briones’ 11 RBI on Tuesday tied the ABL record set by Tijuana’s Jose Flores in 2034.

But then again it was against the Loggers…

The Loggers!

[Westheim]

PLAYOFF ROSTER

A word or two needed to be lost on the playoff roster for the CLCS. The Raccoons had shed Ryan Person in July and Jason Wheatley (sob) in September, plus Ruben Gonzalez inches from the end of the regular season. The pitchers were done for the year (and Person, whose 4-month stint in the rotation was nothing short of tumultuous, as a Critter, since he was a free agent); Gonzalez was a “maybe” for a potential World Series.

As things stood, nobody else had been on the DL on August 31, so under strict rules we only had 23 players eligible for the playoffs, but of course the ABL allowed substitutions. One of those was easy: Jimmy Dalton, because you gotta have two catchers. This also gave us 13 position players together with Tony Morales, infielders Toohey, Gurney, Maldo, Waters, and the unholy pairing of Castner and Martell at second; and outfielders Herrera, Manny, Baskins, Mercado, and Pellicano.

So far so good. Now for the pitchers. Only four starters had survived the season, so we had no hard decisions to make about who got to rot in the pen in October. Merino would lead the charge, followed by Jackson, Wolinsky, and the recently regularly irritating Okuda. Note that Jake Jackson was the only right-hander in there. In addition to that we had our seven relievers: Hickey, Porter, Ibold, Curl … and then the three at the hard end, Lynn, Moreno, and Rella, although in Rella’s case it was all too often now “hard to watch”.

We saw no reason to add a starting pitcher to the mix – the only options were the two Jeremys who had filled in some holes in late September, neither of them being utterly brilliant. Another lefty reliever wasn’t in the cards, since the only option on the expanded roster was Chuck Jones, and he was entirely washed up, and also, going back to the starters’ group, with three lefty starters for the playoffs we were much more likely to first go to a right-handed reliever rather than a left-hander. So the two we had gobbled up during the year should be enough. The Raccoons ended up going with Sean Marucci in the end as extra right-hander. Yeah, the walks were gross – but he also knew how to strike out a guy if he had any command over his stuff…

[Westheim]

2046 CONTINENTAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Portland Raccoons (96-66) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (89-73)

On paper, this was a favorable matchup. The Raccoons had won the season series, 6-3, and while the Raccoons had allowed the fewest runs (under 600!) and scored the fifth-most in the CL, the Thunder were second in the CL in OBP, they were bottoms in stolen bases – speedy teams seemed to have our numbers, and the Thunder were surely not one of them. They had finished second overall in runs scored and runs allowed with a +154 run differential (Coons: +138) – but they had also taken a crucial hit in the last week of the season, losing Juan Benavides to a sprained elbow. The outfielder was far and away the best batter in their lineup, hitting .288 with 28 homers and 109 RBI. That was a quarter of their homers gone (nobody else hit more than 14, Jesus Adames), and left them with probably only four really dangerous batters. Jonathan Ban and Adames had hit over .310, and Ryan Cox and Cullen Tortora were in the high .200s at least, with 11 homers apiece. Elsewhere they plugged holes with the likes of old Doug Levis (.235, 5 HR, 44 RBI) – not the only ex-Coon on that roster.

Two of their four starters (all with ERA’s between 2.69 and 3.56) were ex-Critters, including Josh Brown (who ruined a triple crown for teammate Juan Ramos by beating him by two notches in ERA), who had been acquired in July, and Ignacio del Rio, the last survivor of that pitching trio with Bernie Chavez and Raffaello Sabre that would totally lead the Raccoons to greatness and rings in the 2030s and totally didn’t, and who by now hadn’t been a Critter for over a decade.

One mild issue could be that the Benavides injury added a righty bat to the Thunder lineup, and we had three lefty starters. However, they carried three righty starters (Brown the exception), and we had no issues putting a lineup with five lefty hitters together.

The Raccoons held homefield advantage for the CLCS this time – in last year’s meeting, the Thunder had held homefield. This was the sixth CLCS meeting for these two teams, four of the previous ones the Raccoons had won, but only once (2026) had they also won the World Series after beating the Thunder in the CLCS.

While the Raccoons had five World Series titles, most recently winning out in ’44, the Thunder had not won the World Series in a while – their last rings had come in 2000.

2046 CONTINENTAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Portland Raccoons (96-66) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (89-73)

Game 1 – Victor Merino (15-9, 2.81 ERA) vs. Juan Ramos (18-7, 2.71 ERA)

Merino looked grimly determined, which was nice enough, and we went with our sort-of-standard lineup against right-handers for the opener, with Manny Fernandez being the flavor of the day in leftfield. In two starts against Oklahoma this year, Merino had gone 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA. Ramos also faced the Critters twice, with a 1-1 record and 3.14 ERA.

For the ceremonial first pitch, the Raccoons would reach back to the 20-year anniversary of the 2026 title campaign for good luck. For the series opener, that meant getting a pair of deliveries from Mark Roberts and Rico Gutierrez.

Gutierrez consulted Dr. Padilla afterwards.

OCT: RF Zurita – 2B Ban – C Adames – SS R. Cox – LF Humphreys – 3B Greer – CF Tortora – 1B Levis – P Ju. Ramos
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Morales – SS Waters – LF Fernandez – 2B Martell – P Merino

Merino struck out Angelo Zurita and retired the Thunder in order in the first, while Armando Herrera hit a 1-out single to center before Ramos hit Maldonado with a pitch. Maldo had been hit 26 times in the regular season and clearly was sick of this game, but would abstain from tearing Ramos’ head off right here and now. Ramos meanwhile also hit Morales after Bryce Toohey K, then popped out Matt Waters, so there were our first three stranded runners in the playoffs – golly good!

Nothing happened in the second, while Doug Levis became the first Thunder on base in the top 3rd, singling with one out. He would also score the first run, following a bunt by Ramos, an infield single by Zurita, and Jonathan Ban’s clean single to right. Jesus Adames grounded out to strand two. The Raccoons got the game tied again almost immediately; Herrera hit a leadoff single in the bottom 3rd, advanced on Maldo’s grounder, then scored when Toohey singled up the middle.

Meanwhile the problem with Merino was – too many 3-ball counts. He had a few of them the first time through, and then glitched into walking the bases full with the 6-7-8 hitters and two outs in the fourth, one of the more annoying innings, the saving grace being hanging a K on Ramos at the end to escape the mess. His pitch count however was well up there, and the Raccoons’ pen started to get ready for the sixth or so. At least we got our first lead in the bottom 4th on Manny Fernandez’ leadoff jack to right-center.

After Ryan Cox killed Ban and Adames singles with a 6-4-3 double play in the top 5th, Maldo led off the bottom of the order with a double to center. The Thunder already had seen enough of Toohey and put him on first right away, just in time for a double play from Morales (4-6-3) and a K on Waters…

Merino went six, getting hit for by Baskins, but the score remained 2-1 through six. The Coons went to Preston Porter to begin the seventh, in which Ramos’ turn to bat came up with one out and nobody on, and the Thunder let him take the K. Porter only walked Zurita, but then struck out Ban to sort it out himself. Herrera hit a 1-out double to right in the bottom 7th, and now Maldo was getting the intentional walk. Toohey struck out, and Morales grounded out.

And then Nelson Moreno stumbled. Top 8th, Ryan Cox dropped in a soft single with one out, then scored to tie the game when Steve Humphreys beat the range of even Armando Herrera for an RBI triple… Moreno struck out Marshall Greer, then was replaced with Aaron Curl against Cullen Tortora, who was hit for by Kevin Weese, who struck out anyway, leaving the go-ahead run on third base. The ninth was Rella’s; he allowed a 2-out single to Zurita, but Zurita was then caught stealing. So we only needed one in the bottom of the ninth…! The #9 spot led off against righty John Steuer, Pat Gurney pinch-hitting and grounding out. The Coons were sat down in order and right away we had extra innings on our paws…

While Bob Ibold had a quick and clean top 10th, the Raccoons got a leadoff double to right from Maldo! Toohey asked whether he needed the stick at all, and the Thunder told him no. Tony Morales flew out to Nick DeMarco in center, but Maldo scooted to third base on that play. Another one like that from Waters and …! First pitch, hit high to left, not *deep* enough to end it instantly, but pretty deep still! Maldo tagged, Maldo went, and Maldo scored …!!

Raccoons 3, Thunder 2 (10) – Raccoons lead series 1-0

Herrera 3-5, 2B; Maldonado 2-3, BB, 2 2B;

Squeezer!

Game 2 – Jake Jackson (15-12, 3.35 ERA) vs. Josh Brown (14-8, 2.69 ERA)

Both teams then used their odd-one-out starter in the second game, for which the ceremonial first pitches were delivered by Matt Nunley (who had several food establishments in the ballpark by now and was greeted raucously by fans high on steak sandwiches and the like), and Rafael Gomez, whom people at least remembered.

Jackson had not faced the Thunder this year. Brown was 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA, with his no-decision coming when he was still with the Aces. In fact he pitched more often against the *Thunder* this season than the Raccoons. 1-1 with a 3.71 ERA.

Not sure how that was gonna help us, but Cristiano Carmona had ALL THE STATS.

OCT: RF Zurita – 2B Ban – C Adames – SS R. Cox – LF Humphreys – CF Tortora – 3B Greer – 1B Levis – P J. Brown
POR: RF Pellicano – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Morales – SS Waters – LF Fernandez – 2B Castner – P Jackson

There were a couple of things I didn’t like about Jackson’s first inning, including three full counts, three singles, and one run given up on Steve Humphreys’ 2-out single. Humphreys was the Benavides replacement, and so far he was working wonders for Oklahoma City. The game was tied again in the bottom 1st, which Gene Pellicano opened with a double to left, then scored on what Herrera thought was a double, was really a single, and he was thrown out at second base for it. Brown walked the big guns after that, struck out Tony Morales, but then gave up an RBI single to Waters, moving Portland into the lead, 2-1, before Manny grounded out.

That lead also didn’t last as the top 2nd spiraled into disaster territory. Everybody and their mother got hits off Jackson. Greer led off with a double, Brown singled after faking a bunt, and Zurita and Ban just added more singles. By now we were tied, and the bases were loaded. Pellicano dropped Adames’ fly for an error and the go-ahead run, and Cox hit an RBI single. Jackson rung up Humphreys, then got Tortora out to short, barely escaping the inning with all the rings still on his tail (but for how much longer?)

Not much longer. Jackson ached through the third, then was yanked after a walk to Adames and a single to Cox to begin the top 4th. The Raccoons went to Hickey for length. He conceded another run on a Greer sac fly, 5-2. Hickey pitched a total of three innings, the fourth through sixth, allowing another run on a Cox double, while the Raccoons looked out of ideas.

Preston Porter had another clean seventh, then was hit for with Nelson Mercado to begin the bottom 7th. Mercado chased Brown with a single to left, but the Raccoons never got that run off first base. Matt Waters homered off Ryan McConnell in the eighth, but that was with nobody on base, only cutting the gap to three runs. Mike Lynn was beaten up in exchange, issuing three walks and a 3-run homer to Adames in the ninth inning as the Raccoons got routed out of their park. Victor Marquez retired them in order in the bottom 9th, tying the series.

Thunder 9, Raccoons 3 – series tied at one

Pellicano 2-4, 2B; Waters 2-4, HR, 2 RBI; Mercado (PH) 1-1;

Not good…

[Westheim]

2046 CONTINENTAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Portland Raccoons (96-66) @ Oklahoma City Thunder (89-73)

The series shifted to Oklahoma City with that, where goal number one was to stop the bleeding, and maybe score some runs for a change.

Game 3 – Bubba Wolinsky (7-4, 3.09 ERA) vs. Ignacio del Rio (18-9, 3.25 ERA)

While del Rio never came up against Portland in the regular season, Bubba Wolinsky faced the Thunder once and beat them with six innings of 2-run ball.

I think we need better than that…!

POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Morales – SS Waters – LF Fernandez – 2B Martell – P Wolinsky
OCT: RF Zurita – 2B Ban – C Adames – SS R. Cox – LF Humphreys – 3B Greer – CF Tortora – 1B Levis – P del Rio

To add to all the other aches and pains, rain was on the way in for the Oklahoma opener. The Raccoons seemed to be aware, going down fast in the top 1st in the hope they’d stay dry, but nobody seemed to have told Bubba, who had three 3-ball counts in the bottom 1st, walked Adames, and somehow got out of there on only 22 pitches.

Toohey drew a walk off del Rio to begin the top 2nd, swiftly followed by a no-doubter by Tony Morales to right, giving Portland a 2-0 lead. A leadoff walk to Humphreys in the bottom 2nd was cleaned up with Greer’s grounder to short for two, but I was eyeing Wolinsky with great concern.

Mercado and Herrera hit 1-out singles in the third, before Maldo grounded into a fielder’s choice. Del Rio struck out Toohey – but not until after he plated Mercado with a wild pitch, extending the Coons’ lead to 3-0. That was not a safe distance, as Wolinsky showed in the bottom 4th, where he walked Adames and Greer, the nailed Tortora with a 1-2 pitch that should have ended the inning and instead brought up Doug Levis with the bases loaded. He grounded out to Maldo, fortunately, and the Thunder left three on.

The rain did not come in time to chase Wolinsky, who walked five in six innings, but also allowed only two base hits, and escaped punishment for his wildness that way. (Mind that he’s our Game 7 bum) Not that the Raccoons were hitting the lights out at the ballpark – they had only three hits themselves against del Rio through six. Ibold and Curl got the Coons through the seventh inning for a Zurita single off the latter, and then it started to drizzle. Pellicano singled in the #9 hole to open the top 8th, was forced out by Mercado, but at least Mercado reached third base on Herrera’s 1-out single. Maldo and Toohey countered the lefty Victor Marquez, but the first popped out, the second walked, and the runners were still there on base. Tony Morales grounded the first pitch over to Levis, which would have ended the inning if not for a fumble by the 39-year-old, allowing Mercado to score, 4-0.

Then the tarp came on and stayed for about 50 minutes with a 1-0 count to Matt Waters, who struck out when play resumed. Nelson Moreno was next hit by a truck, allowing a leadoff single to Adames in the bottom 8th, then a 2-run homer to Greer with two outs. The Raccoons called for Lynn for a 4-out save – Gurney replaced Toohey for defense in a ballsy double switch. Tortora went down on strikes to end the eighth for the time being, while Gurney’s offensive contribution was an inning-ending 4-6-3 in the top of the ninth.

Lynn was up against the 8-9-1 in the bottom 9th. He struck out Levis. Kevin Weese grounded out to short. And Zurita popped out in foul ground.

Raccoons 4, Thunder 2 – Raccoons lead series 2-1

Herrera 2-4; Toohey 0-1, 3 BB;

Raccoons batted .133 (4-30) as a team in this game and somehow still stole it.

Game 4 – Sadaharu Okuda (9-12, 4.20 ERA) vs. Brad Blankenship (5-6, 3.80 ERA)

Were the Thunder trying to confuse us with Blankenship as Game 4 starter? He had made only 13 starts in the regular season (in 48 appearances for two teams), and they had better personnel available. At least he was still right-handed. He did make a start against Portland this year, bleeding five runs in six innings for the loss. Okuda’s only outing against Oklahoma had been a W, six innings of 4-run ball (we scored that day…).

Okuda took the ball exactly two months after his most recent ABL win on August 7 against the Titans…

POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Morales – SS Waters – LF Fernandez – 2B Martell – P Okuda
OCT: RF Zurita – 2B Ban – C Adames – SS R. Cox – LF Humphreys – 3B Greer – CF Tortora – 1B Levis – P Blankenship

Through three innings, absolutely nothing happened. The Raccoons were processed in order by Blankenship (shock…), while Okuda issued a walk along the way, but also allowed no hits the first time through and whiffed three.

By the fourth the Raccoons lineup consisted entirely of sub-.182 hitters in the series, except for Armando Herrera (.429, somehow). Mercado opened with a single to right, though, before Herrera rammed a ball through the diving Greer for an RBI double all the way into the corner. Maldonado singled home Herrera, but the Thunder got to Okuda with a Ban double and a Cox RBI single in the bottom 4th, reducing the gap to 2-1 right away. Manny opened the fifth with a single, but was forced out by Martell. At that point I wondered whether we had been in a single bunt situation in this series with all the non-hitting; apparently not, as the Thunder were rusty and Blankenship misfielded the bunt for an error, putting runners on second and first. He then threw a wild pitch, allowing Mercado to bring in a run with a groundout, 3-1. Herrera flew out to center.

Okuda had a clean fifth, then scattered two hits in the sixth, but worked out of it himself, popping out Humphreys with the tying runs aboard. When Manny and Martell opened the seventh with back-to-back singles, the Raccoons chose violence and batted for Okuda with Derek Baskins. He looped a single into shallow left to load the bases… with nobody out. (looks gloomy) Blankenship departed after losing Mercado in a full count, which pushed home Manny, 4-1. Marquez appeared once more, but was taken into the leftfield corner by an unrelenting Armando Herrera for a bases-clearing double!! After that Maldo walked and Tony Morales singled home Herrera, running the score all the way to 8-1.

Okay, let’s pick from the shallow end of the pen then! That almost went wrong when two singles and a Martell error had Aaron Hickey surrounded by Thunders in the bottom 7th, but he struck out Zurita and got Ban to pop out to Toohey to elope. On the other end, in the top 8th, the Raccoons loaded the bases without a base hit entirely when Jesse Allison walked two and poor old and almost-blind Doug Levis fumbled another grounder. That brought up Toohey with two outs, and boy, did he need something, hitting 1-for-11 in the series. He struck out. And then he was removed in another double switch for Gurney and Sean Marucci, the hope being for the last two innings from the last guy in the pecking order. He did just that, allowing only one single.

Raccoons 8, Thunder 1 – Raccoons lead series 3-1

Herrera 2-5, 2 2B, 4 RBI; Maldonado 2-3, 2 BB, RBI; Morales 3-5, RBI; Fernandez 2-3; Baskins (PH) 1-1, BB; Okuda 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, W (1-0); Marucci 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

Game 5 – Victor Merino (15-9, 2.81 ERA) vs. Juan Ramos (18-7, 2.71 ERA)

Neither of these two had pitched to a decision in the opener, which had gone 10 innings. The Raccoons were one win away from the World Series, and I would hate to see them drag it out.

We were close to giving Pat Gurney a start at first base, but I just about could control myself.

POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Morales – SS Waters – LF Baskins – 2B Martell – P Merino
OCT: RF Zurita – 2B Ban – C Adames – SS R. Cox – LF Humphreys – 3B Greer – CF Tortora – 1B Levis – P Ju. Ramos

Mercado opened the game with a single and was then caught stealing, which cost a run after Herrera’s single and Maldo’s homer to right. Ban and Cox (who was the Thunder’s Herrera, braving the storm of futility made in a skiff of .471 hitting) hit singles off Merino in the bottom 1st, but Humphreys struck out to strand them.

The tying runs were back on the corners in the bottom 2nd with a Tortora double and a Levis single. Ramos struck out, the second out in the inning, and so did Zurita after some battle. Then a chance for the Critters in the top 3rd, as Merino and Mercado reached base on a single and a walk to begin the inning. They advanced on Herrera’s groundout, and Merino scored as Maldo grounded to short, where Cox fumbled the ball for an error. At the same time it started to rain again.

After the Coons whiffed themselves out of the inning, Adames took Merino deep to left to get them on the board, 3-1, in the bottom 3rd. Tortora singled to center in the fourth, but was doubled up easily by Levis. The Raccoons scratched out another run in the fifth; Herrera hit a 2-out single, stole second, and was singled home by Maldo, 4-1. Things looked pretty good now!

Until Merino left the game with an apparent injury in the bottom 5th, having retired Ramos on strikes. So there went the rest of our pitching! Goody goodness! Our take-as-long-as-you-need pitching change then fell together with a rain delay of 30 minutes or so, after which Aaron Curl finally finished the goddamn inning. I felt old and tired regardless.

Then Bob Ibold was torn up in the sixth. Cox single, Ibold error, Greer single – bases loaded with one out. Tortora legged out an infield single to cut the score to 4-2, and Levis hit a sac fly. When the Thunder sent lefty Jose Aviles to pinch-hit, the Raccoons snapped and threw Mike Lynn at him, getting a groundout to short to preserve the 4-3 lead. He also pitched the seventh.

The Coons’ bats were silent at this stage, and it was still 4-3 in the bottom 8th for Moreno, who had been whacked good in this series (20.25 ERA), but retired the 5-6-7 in order in the inning. When lefty Tom Spencer pitched in the ninth, the Raccoons countered with Castner and Dalton as pinch-hitters at the bottom of the order. Castner singled, Dalton found a double play. And THEN Mercado and Herrera got on… Come on, Maldo – do it one more time! Nope, the count ran full and he had to console himself with ball four in the dirt. When righty Alan Fleming replaced Spencer, the Raccoons hit Pat Gurney for Toohey. He flew out to Humphreys…

Which shifted the attention to Josh Rella, who was up against a pile of lefty hitters (but we were out of lefty pitchers). First up was PH Mal Phinazee, ex-Critter, who struck out. Brad Simon singled to left. Angelo Zurita sailed out to Baskins. One more out needed, preferably from .304 hitter Jonathan Ban – who fell to 0-2, then singled through the right side of Castner and Gurney. Simon made for third base, hurt himself, and was run for by Nick DeMarco. Jesus Adames, maybe? At least a right-handed batter! He had also done most of the damage in this series. Rella ached into a 1-2 count before Adames put the ball in play – a high pop on the infield. Castner meandered under it, Castner made the catch!

Raccoons 4, Thunder 3 – Raccoons win series 4-1

Mercado 2-3, 2 BB; Herrera 3-5; Maldonado 2-4, BB, HR, 4 RBI; Castner (PH) 1-1; Merino 4.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K and 1-2;

[Westheim]

FEDERAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Meanwhile in the FL there were two 100-win teams opposing each other, and there could only be one that would progress to the World Series.

The 100-62 Cyclones had won their division by 11, scoring the most runs in the league, while conceding the second-fewest with a +186 run differential. They were neither into homers nor stolen bases, instead just hitting away at the opposition with a .280 team batting average. Dan Mathes (.347, 16 HR, 101 RBI), Chris Delgado (.312, 7 HR, 96 RBI), and Chris Strohm (.322, 5 HR, 45 RBI) all hit over .300, an Alvin Zuazo added 22 homers and 117 RBI. The only piece missing (on the DL) would be Jesus Burgos (.300, 7 HR, 91 RBI). Pitching-wise they relied on magic from Carson Jarvinen, Bill McMichael, and Willie Gallardo in the rotation, while the pen was fairly sturdy. They all leaned to the right side, McMichael being the only lefty starter, and most of the lineup was right-handed.

Opposing them were the 110-52 Gold Sox, who by now had a reputation for winning the FL West by a mile and then farting in the FLCS and going home. They had scored the third-most runs, but had conceded by far the fewest of any team in the league, with a staggering +277 run differential. They were near the top in almost all hitting and pitching categories one would care for, including the best rotation and the best defense, and they were stealing more than a base per game. Ivan Villa (.308, 27 HR, 92 RBI) was the anchor in that lineup with more .300 hitters in Tim Turner and Ronnie Thompson. Jeremy Hornig, Troy Greenway, and Sandy Castillo all hit 14+ homers. The middle of the lineup was mostly left-handed, while the fringes were right-handed, while ALL their starters were righ-handers, led by Gary Perrone (22-6, 2.51 ERA) and Roberto Pruneda (19-8, 2.78 ERA).

This was the Gold Sox’ third postseason in a row and seventh overall. They had won the World Series twice (1985, 2003). The Cyclones were in the FLCS for the fourth time in six years, and the 14th time overall. They also had two titles, taking it all home in 1977 and 2010.

The teams had met in the FLCS once, in 2044, when the Cyclones upended the Gold Sox only to get swept by the Raccoons in the World Series.

+++

CIN @ DEN … 1-8 … (Gold Sox lead 1-0) … DEN Sandy Castillo 2-3, 2 BB, RBI; DEN Tim Turner 3-3, 2 BB, 4 RBI;

CIN @ DEN … 3-4 … (Gold Sox lead 2-0) … CIN Chris Delgado 3-5; DEN Devin Phillips 1-3, BB, HR, 3 RBI; DEN Roberto Pruneda 8.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, W (1-0) and 1-2, BB, 2B;

The Cyclones out-hit the Gold Sox 10-3 in this game, and still find a way to lose it.

DEN @ CIN … 6-0 … (Gold Sox lead 3-0) … DEN Sandy Castillo 2-3, BB, 2B; DEN Ivan Villa 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI; DEN Devin Phillips 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI; DEN Israel Mendoza 9.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K, W (1-0);

DEN @ CIN … 5-2 … (Gold Sox sweep 4-0) … DEN Ivan Villa 2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI; DEN Troy Greenway 2-2, BB, 2 2B;

+++

Meanwhile, here’s the Raccoons‘ playoff roster shambles after taking their third straight pennant.

This World Series might go quicker than the last one. And in the last one we were swept.

[Westheim]

So, where did the World Series with the Gold Sox go? Well, it's not been played yet. I went back to the hospital on Monday for what I thought would be one slide through the hell machine that takes pictures of the side of your body you never want to see (the in-side), but ended up staying overnight, then having surgery again. And then all the subsequent misery and so on and so on...

Sorry for being so brittle.

The World Series will follow when I feel like I can a) properly focus, b) play it to its merciless conclusion in one go. This could be a few more days.

You should perhaps start to elect someone from your midst to inherit the save file upon my surely inevitable demise and who will then continue the Raccoons' tale.

Til then...

[Westheim]

2046 WORLD SERIES
Portland Raccoons (96-66) vs. Denver Gold Sox (110-52)

They had scored more runs than us, they had allowed fewer runs than us (and we had led the CL in the latter category). It would have been an uphill battle against a team with a run differential twice as big as ours anyway, but losing Jason Wheatley and Victor Merino in the end destroyed the Raccoons’ rotation for good. The only people left now were Jackson, Okuda, Wolinsky, … and then pray for rain?

Merino was not diagnosed by the time the series began, but there was no point in carrying a corpse when we needed more arms than ever before. He was moved to the playoff DL, while Jimmy Dalton was also removed from the roster, with Ruben Gonzalez rejoining in time for the World Series.

And the pitching replacement? Our best whiff was to put Hickey in Game 4, then add whatever arm was still left out there to stuff out the bullpen. And that is how 23-year-old Kevin Hitchcock made it onto the playoff roster….

Oh boy oh boy oh boy …………

Denver brought only righty starters, although our left-handed bats had done a whole lot of nothing in the CLCS, so I was not exactly encouraged.

We lost two of three in the regular season to the Gold Sox, with one L taken by Bubba Wolinsky in seven innings of 3-run ball. The other Raccoons starters that had faced the Sox this August were deceased by now…

The Gold Sox were one of four FL teams we had never faced in the World Series.

2046 WORLD SERIES
Portland Raccoons (96-66) @ Denver Gold Sox (110-52)

Game 1 – Jake Jackson (15-12, 3.35 ERA) vs. Gary Perrone (22-6, 2.51 ERA)

We continued in line from where we had left off in the CLCS, with Jackson taking the ball in the opener. As a friendly reminder, he had been whacked in his start against the Thunder.

POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Morales – SS Waters – LF Baskins – 2B Martell – P Jackson
DEN: SS R. Thompson – 1B E. Miller – CF S. Castillo – 2B I. Villa – LF T. Turner – RF Greenway – C D. Phillips – 3B Hornig – P Perrone

The Raccoons’ bats continued to do nothing from the start, while the Sox got a Tim Turner double to left-center to open the second inning for them. Ex-Coon Troy Greenway advanced him with a groundout, and Devin Phillips hit an RBI single for the series’ first run. Worse, a wild pitch advanced Phillips, and Jackson allowed a 2-out RBI single to Perrone, then walked Ronnie Thompson before getting a K in on Eric Miller. He was at almost 60 pitches after just two innings.

After an uneventful third, safe for another Turner double with two outs and nobody on, the Raccoons’ Armando Herrera opened the fourth inning with a single to center – the first base knock for the wannabe contenders from the CL. The Coons’ 3-4-5 went down with a strikeout, a groundout, and a popout, and nobody was surprised. They hadn’t hit in the CLCS, why would they start now?

Perrone also chewed up Jackson in the same inning, hitting another ******* 2-out single. This time Thompson also singled, sending Perrone to third base, from where Jackson balked him in before allowing another RBI single to Miller, 4-0. Miller was caught stealing, not that that could probably figure into the result now.

The Raccoons went to Sean Marucci for length in the fifth, which was also a white flag, then opened the top 6th with singles from Mercado and Herrera. But Maldonado struck out again, Toohey flew out to Turner, and Morales grounded out. Instead, Marucci engaged in walking the 7-8 batters, hitting Thompson, and giving up a run on a Miller single in the bottom 6th.

All that was left to see from there was a scoreless inning from Bob Ibold, and Kevin Hitchcock being tossed into the flames in the bottom 8th, giving up a single to PH John Fink and a 2-run homer to Sandy Castillo.

Gold Sox 7, Raccoons 0 – Gold Sox lead series 1-0

Herrera 2-4;

Not pitching or not hitting is always one thing, but doing neither is a bit of a problem…

Game 2 – Bubba Wolinsky (7-4, 3.09 ERA) vs. Roberto Pruneda (19-8, 2.78 ERA)

The Raccoons went for Pat Gurney with force by Game 2, defense be damned. Never mind that we were sending a bloody rookie into the Denver hellscape.

POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Morales – 2B Gurney – LF Baskins – SS Waters – P Wolinsky
DEN: 2B I. Villa – RF E. Miller – CF S. Castillo – SS R. Thompson – LF T. Turner – C D. Philips – 1B J. Robinson – 3B Hornig – P Pruneda

Gurney was the first man on base in the game, hitting a 2-out double in the top 2nd to present himself in scoring position for Derek Baskins to fly out to Tim Turner. The Sox in turn drew a leadoff walk from Ronnie Thompson in the bottom 2nd and rushed from there, Devin Phillips taking the bloody rookie deep to left for a 2-0 score. Jason Robinson and Jeremy Hornig reached base as well, but were stranded after a bunt and Ivan Villa’s groundout to Maldonado.

But – hear, hear! – the Raccoons actually reached the board in the third inning. Pruneda struck out Waters and Wolinsky, but Nelson Mercado singled through the right side, and Herrera found the corner in right for an RBI double, then was thrown out at home on a Maldonado single (as if we could count on .100 Bryce Toohey by now…) Toohey promptly legged out an infield single to begin the top 4th, advanced on a wild pitch, but not by any action by a Critter, and was stranded in scoring position …

At least Wolinsky tried to hold up the team’s colors, not allowing the Sox much on base at all after the Phillips homer. That was, at least, until Tim Turner hit another leadoff double in the bottom 6th and then Jason Robinson managed to fool Armando Herrera in center for an inside-the-park home run. At that point I tore up my sample of the 2046 World Series Winners booklet we had produced in anticipation…

The tying run came to the plate in the seventh, with Gurney (forced out by Baskins) and Waters landing singles, but when Manny Fernandez pinch-hit for Wolinsky, he struck out. The Sox tacked on a run with Villa and Castillo singles (off Preston Porter and Mike Lynn) in the bottom 7th, 5-1, but the Raccoons had one last flick of the striped tail in them before going home to lose the series there. Pruneda offered a leadoff walk to Mercado in the eighth, then gave up a double to Herrera. Here came the middle of the order again. Maldonado poked the 1-0 over Hornig for an RBI single, 5-2, putting runners on the corners for Bryce Toohey – who was the tying run, and popped out to Eric Miller in shallow right. Tony Morales popped out on the infield, and Gurney was out to Villa with a grounder…

The Sox pulled the run back off Josh Rella in the bottom 8th, Phillips going deep to center off him. The Raccoons’ Baskins, Waters, and Gonzalez went in order in the ninth against Javy Santana.

Gold Sox 6, Raccoons 2 – Gold Sox lead series 2-0

Herrera 2-4, 2 2B, RBI; Maldonado 2-4, RBI; Gurney 2-4, 2B;

Bleakness.

[Westheim]

2046 WORLD SERIES
Portland Raccoons (96-66) vs. Denver Gold Sox (110-52)

The Raccoons brought the damn trophy home – even though it was only to look at for them and even though the Sox would likely celebrate on this very field within a couple of days.

Save for a Sadaharu Okuda gem in the third game of the series, there was nothing that could still be done for the Critters, since offense was not something they enjoyed dabbling in anymore.

The ceremonial first pitch was thrown out by Ken Holzwurm, Portland performance artist, who mostly burned money for effect and the like.

Game 3 – Sadaharu Okuda (9-12, 4.20 ERA) vs. Israel Mendoza (18-11, 3.49 ERA)

They kept bringing up right-handers, we kept sticking to our lineup.

Not like it was working or anything.

DEN: 2B I. Villa – RF E. Miller – CF S. Castillo – SS R. Thompson – LF T. Turner – C D. Philips – 1B J. Robinson – 3B Hornig – P I. Mendoza
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – C Morales – 2B Gurney – LF Baskins – SS Waters – P Okuda

If the “gem” included a solo homer by Eric Miller in the first before Okuda would hit two homers himself to win the game on his own terms, so be it. Maybe that much would not even be necessary, with a leadoff single by Derek Baskins in the bottom 3rd! Alas, Waters doubled him up, 4-6-3, and then Okuda rather pointlessly singled to center. Mercado popped out.

Miller, Thompson, and Turner all hit singles off Okuda in the fourth, but Miller was caught stealing before the others reached base, and nothing adverse happened there. Armando Herrera hit a leadoff single in the bottom of the fourth, before being expertly stranded with three weak-bum outs. I grabbed Slappy’s arm for comfort and strength, Honeypaws not being enough anymore to help suffer all the burdens.

Okuda hit another single in the bottom 5th while holding the Sox to their one run. This one also came with two outs, but Baskins was still on base and dashed for third successfully, representing the tying run. Mendoza ended up walking Mercado in a full count to load the bases for Herrera, hitting .485 with 6 RBI in the playoffs. If anyone – Herrera! He ran another full count, grounded up the middle, and Villa made a great play to quell the uprising…

While Okuda kept the bases largely clean in the middle innings, the Raccoons kept littering. Mendoza hit Maldo to begin the bottom 6th, then allowed a single to left to Toohey. Morales flew out to Miller. Gurney popped out to short. Baskins flew into the right-center gap – and the ******* BASEBALL ACTUALLY DINKED IN. Maldo scored, tying the game, while Toohey was too slow and had to stop at third on the RBI double. The Sox wanted no piece of the .100 menace Matt Waters, preferring to force the Raccoons to remove Okuda. But the Raccoons didn’t. Okuda was 2-for-2 off Mendoza in the silly game, surely he could find another one. The Raccoons faithful in the stands gnawed on their hats as Mendoza ran a full count on the Critters’ hurler. Finally, Okuda jabbed a 3-2 into play. Up the middle, through between Thompson and Villa, and two runs scored …!!!

The inning fizzled out after that with a walk to Mercado, Mendoza’s exit, and Herrera’s foul pop to strand three. Okuda got around a Thompson single to begin the top 7th, but ran his pitch count to nearly a 100 in lengthy battles against the next three batters. He got a groundout from Jeremy Hornig to begin the eighth, then faced the left-handed PH John Fink, who also grounded out. Villa went down on strikes to complete eight, but that would surely have been all from Okuda for today. Indeed, the 3-1 lead went to Nelson Moreno in the ninth inning. The Sox alternated bats throughout most of their lineup and it started with a righty hitter, Miller, and Rella had been unconvincing in garbage time in Game 2. 1-out singles by Castillo and Thompson led to a change of pitcher, now Lynn. Turner grounded to Gurney, but the Coons could only get the out at second base, leaving the tying runs on the corners. Lynn walked Phillips to fill the bases, then faced righty PH Pacio Torreo in Robinson’s place. Torreo hadn’t seen action in all of October so far. Mound conference. Pat on the bum. You better have this, Lynn!

He had it, on strikes.

Raccoons 3, Gold Sox 1 – Gold Sox lead series 2-1

Baskins 4-4, 2B, RBI; Okuda 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 8 K, W (2-0) and 3-3, 2 RBI;

Game 4 – Aaron Hickey (1-1, 2.50 ERA, 2 SV) vs. Edward Flinn (16-10, 3.84 ERA)

Oh right, did we mention that we ran out of pitchers a while ago? Hickey hadn’t started a game all year long, and had been run out in long relief mostly to the tune of 82 innings.

No, Okuda was not available to reinforce the offense.

The ceremonial first pitch was thrown out by Mrs. Cindy Walburn, president of the Portland Flower Day committee for 32 years and still going strong.

DEN: SS R. Thompson – 1B E. Miller – CF S. Castillo – 2B I. Villa – LF T. Turner – RF Greenway – C D. Phillips – 3B Hornig – P Flinn
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – LF Baskins – 2B Gurney – C Morales – SS Waters – P Hickey

Hickey hit Ronnie Thompson with his very first pitch, but then got three groundballs to bail out of there. Flinn walked Mercado to begin the bottom 1st, and the Critter stole second off a doozy duo between Flinn and Phillips (who had more power in the stick than the arm). Two groundouts didn’t help, but Bryce Toohey continued his slow defrosting process with an RBI single, marking the first time that the Raccoons scored first in a game in the series.

Hickey then nailed Turner to begin the second inning, which was not in the official game plan and at best would make the Sox angrier… Thompson and Miller reached without welts in the third, but Hickey struck out three others to get through the inning.

Bottom 3rd, the Raccoons put three Critters on base… with nobody out. Mercado walked, Herrera and Maldo singled. Toohey launched a big fly to left – but too high and not deep enough. The park held it, Tim Turner held it, but it was good enough for a sac fly. Baskins and Gurney made unproductive outs to end the inning.

Hickey gave his all – which amounted to five innings of 1-hit ball with three walks, five strikeouts, and no runs against him – wildly better than what I would have dared to dream for. The rest would have to be patched with the pen, starting with Aaron Curl, since the Sox bunched their left-handed bats in the middle of the order against righty pitching. Curl struck out Villa, but gave up a triple to Turner, then dropped Toohey’s feed at first base on Greenway’s grounder, the run scoring, and the tying run now being on base. Portland went for Porter, who gave up a single to Phillips before ringing up Hornig and getting Flinn with a weak comebacker…

When the Coons went 1-2-3 with their 6-7-8 in the bottom 6th, Porter returned for the top 7th. He removed the Gold Sox’ first two hitters, then arrived at a conundrum. Burn Mike Lynn in the seventh inning? It could just about work out… Double switch – Lynn went in the #6 hole, while Martell would lead off in the bottom 7th, taking over second base. He did so still barely with a 2-1 lead after Lynn put Castillo on base with a single, and Villa by means of balls. Turner struck out. The Coons did absolutely nothing in the bottom 7th, while Greenway grounded out to Toohey to open the eighth. The Raccoons now went to Josh Rella, clearly indicating their preference to live or die by Nelson Moreno in the ninth again – this time the best bet to pull him out of anything would be Bob Ibold. Phillips popped out to center, Hornig whiffed, and the eighth was done with.

Baskins singled in the bottom 8th, which was otherwise a waste of time. Nelson Moreno then appeared against PH Jason Robinson, a lefty. He was out to short, but Thompson annoyingly doubled to center, representing the tying run. PH John Fink whiffed, but that brought up Castillo again, .379 in the playoffs, after .277 in the regular season. It didn’t matter that he was also left-handed. We had no lefty relief left over. It was Moreno or die. Moreno fell behind 2-0 before Castillo hit a fly to center. Herrera on the spot – takes it!

Raccoons 2, Gold Sox 1 – series tied 2-2

Mercado 0-1, 3 BB; Hickey 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K, W (1-0) and 1-2;

Well, there’s one guy that needs a prominent place in the 2046 yearbook…! – Yes, Slappy, he looks good next to the janitor, but he has done a lot more work this year than the janitor!

HIC-KAY…!!

Game 5 – Jake Jackson (15-12, 3.35 ERA) vs. Gary Perrone (22-6, 2.51 ERA)

The downside was that we were back with a qualified starting pitcher in Jake Jackson, who had been hideously rolled for the second time in the playoffs in Game 1. His ERA was 9.00 in the postseason. And no, we could not just throw Kevin Hitchcock against the wall and see whether he’d stick and dry.

An offensive change was made though. Matt Waters was hitting 1-for-26, but was still an asset at short. Tony Morales hadn’t landed a hit in ages, and maybe Ruben Gonzalez could stir it up…

DEN: SS R. Thompson – 1B E. Miller – CF S. Castillo – 2B I. Villa – LF T. Turner – RF Greenway – C D. Phillips – 3B Hornig – P Perrone
POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – LF Baskins – 2B Gurney – C Gonzalez – SS Waters – P Jackson

The first inning was busy – Jackson started with a walk to Thompson, then couldn’t fight that runner, who stole second, off, with Sandy Castillo’s single putting runners on the corners. Maldo had only a play at first base on Ivan Villa’s grounder, and Thompson scored. In the bottom 1st, the first two Critters made outs before Maldo, Toohey, and Baskins singled away merrily. Maldo was sent on Greenway’s arm, a bold choice if you once employed Troy Greenway especially, but was ruled safe in a collision with Devin Phillips – but he also hurt his back and had to leave the game he had just tied. Al Martell replaced him, while Gurney grounded out to Miller to end the inning in a 1-1 tie.

While I was crying, Matt Waters woke up, doubled in the bottom 2nd, and scored on a Mercado single to put Portland in front. Mercado was caught stealing to end the inning. Jackson held up better than in previous games – the Sox made plenty of weak outs off him in the early-to-mid innings, like three easy grounders to Gurney (who was thankful for every easy grounder to come his way) in the fourth. Jackson then added some Okuda to his repertoire – finding Ruben Gonzalez in scoring position after a fourth-inning double, Jackson singled him home with two outs, 3-1.

Jackson shone all the way to the sixth when Thompson hit a 1-out double to right off him. While Miller popped out, that got us into the danger zone, #3 through #6. Castillo had the only other hit off him, but we had also already used Mike Lynn in both Portland games and not always to greatest effect. Curl couldn’t come on twice. Jackson had to get this one himself. Castillo went down on strikes. Ruben Gonzalez showed he was worth the time and effort then, homering off Perrone in the bottom 6th to make it 4-1.

When Waters got on base after the Gonzalez homer, the Coons took the final out with Jackson, banking on a good seventh from him. Turner singled with one out, but that was it – Jackson completed seven in a return to September form. Now the easy part – mix and shuffle the pen to keep it all together!

We’d also mix in some defense. Toohey, who ended the bottom 7th on strikes against ex-Coon Nate Norris, was gone. Gurney went to first, John Castner appeared from the far end of the bench to play second base, while Bob Ibold went into the #4 hole, then retired Jeremy Hornig, Dylan Wright, and Ronnie Thompson in order. The Coons did nothing on offense in the inning, then went to Josh Rella. The twice-used other stalwarts were on standby. Rella INSISTED on putting Miller and Castillo on the corners with a walk and a single to begin the inning. That put the tying run at the plate. Villa struck out. Against Turner, we went to Lynn, who ran a full count before getting a grounder to Castner, but the only play was at first base, as a run scored. Left-hander John Fink pinch-hit, singled to center, scored Castillo, and brought about another pitching change. Moreno again! Jason Robinson then hit for Phillips, just to be annoying.

Moreno struck him out anyway.

Raccoons 4, Gold Sox 3 – Raccoons lead series 3-2

Maldonado 1-1; Gonzalez 3-4, HR, 2B, RBI; Jackson 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, W (1-2) and 1-3, RBI;

How the heck…!?

We’re going back to Denver??

With a game in hand???

Oh yes, we are being outscored 18-11 in the series…

[alexsimon99]

*perks up*

One more ...

[Westheim]

2046 WORLD SERIES
Portland Raccoons (96-66) @ Denver Gold Sox (110-52)

Game 6 – Bubba Wolinsky (7-4, 3.09 ERA) vs. Roberto Pruneda (19-8, 2.78 ERA)

Okay, we’re here, the trophy is here, the Sox are also here, still not quite sure what happened to them in Portland.

The good news was that Jesus Maldonado’s back was barking, but he would be able to play and maybe even soldier through it before being overcome and consumed by agony. Dr. Padilla listed him as day-to-day and injected everything he legally could administer to make Maldo’s back hold up.

Now we just needed Bubba Wolinsky to do the same.

POR: RF Mercado – CF Herrera – 3B Maldonado – 1B Toohey – LF Baskins – 2B Gurney – C Gonzalez – SS Waters – P Wolinsky
DEN: 2B I. Villa – RF E. Miller – CF S. Castillo – SS R. Thompson – LF T. Turner – C D. Philips – 1B J. Robinson – 3B Hornig – P Pruneda

Mercado opened the game with a singe to right, but was doubled up by Herrera, which was a weird sight to behold of. Wolinsky didn’t start very well, giving up a double to Ivan Villa on the first pitch. A grounder by Miller and Castillo’s sac fly scored the runner, and the Raccoons were a-trailing. At least Thompson was thrown out stealing after drawing a 2-out walk. Turner got a leadoff walk off Wolinsky in the second, but was doubled up by Phillips.

The Raccoons did precious little for their next run through the lineup, but Toohey had already had a deep fly out in the second, and hit an even deeper fly in the fourth. That one went out and tied the game at one!

Wolinsky lacked stuff, striking out nobody in the early going, but at least kept the Sox to a manageable distance in the field. Herrera had to hustle back on a Turner drive in the fourth, but the game remained tied. Top 5th then, with Gurney opening with a single to center, raising his October average to .136, which still counted as the offensive option over Martell and Castner. The Coons played hit-and-run with Gonzalez, who singled through the left side, allowing Gurney to reach third base with nobody out. Matt Waters fell to 1-2, but slapped a ball over Ivan Villa for an RBI single right after, and the Coons took a 2-1 lead! In a perfect world, Wolinsky then would not have fudged up the bunt attempt, but he did, and the Sox got an out at third base, *maybe* costing a run on Mercado’s single to left-center which now only scored Waters, with Wolinsky holding at second base. Herrera grounded to Hornig for a 5-3 out, but Maldo shoved a ball through the right side! Miller overran the ball, two runs came home! Toohey lined out, but the Raccoons now had a 5-1 lead.

And Wolinsky still had no strikeout – until he rung up Villa to end the fifth with Pruneda on first, where he had ended up on a bad bunt, at least. Things went less well in the bottom 6th. Waters fumbled Miller’s grounder for an error, and Sandy Castillo remained annoying with a single to right. Maldo contained Thompson’s grounder for an out at second base, conceding a run. But Wolinsky then lost Turner in a full count and the Raccoons went to Bob Ibold. He struck out Phillips and Hornig … but unfortunately leaked an RBI single to Robinson in between. It was 5-3 after six.

The #9 spot came up with one out in the seventh. The Coons broke out Manny, who had lost out against Baskins in the World Series, and Manny ripped a triple to center! The Coons left him there – Pruneda nailed Mercado, but Herrera popped out and Maldo flew out… Aaron Curl then put up a zero, getting around a leadoff hit by John Fink in the bottom 7th.

After a fruitless top 8th, the Coons steered clear of the tired top three in the pen and instead brought out Preston Porter. Turner and Robinson hit singles off him with one out. Robinson grounded out to Toohey, the out being made at second base. Hornig had not hit much of anything in the entire series and didn’t start now, either, striking out against Porter to strand the tying runs.

Top 9th, right-hander Matt Simmons being tasked with keeping the Raccoons in reach. Gonzalez singled. Waters walked. Nobody out, Tony Morales batted for Porter and drew another walk, loading the bases for the top of the lineup. Despite veteran Yeom Soung coming on in due time, the Raccoons refused to make outs. Mercado forced in a run with a walk. Herrera singled home a run. Maldo singled home two! Toohey doubled in two more! All the runs! Where had they been!?

Soung retired the next three, but plenty of damage had been done – SIX runs for the Critters, who were now ahead by eight! And who probably made a fatal error by forgoing the top three and instead sending Sean Marucci to the mound. Marucci struck out Pacio Torreo before Ivan Villa bunted his way on. Miller whiffed. One more! Just one more! Castillo hit a fly to right, it beat Mercado, and bounced away funnily to give him an RBI triple. Okay, technically, still just one more…! Thompson – a grounder on the infield. Al Martell, in for defense, to Gurney, at first for defense – and that was it!

Raccoons 11, Gold Sox 4 – Raccoons win series 4-2

Mercado 2-3, BB, 2 RBI; Maldonado 2-5, 4 RBI; Toohey 2-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI; Gonzalez 2-5; Waters 1-2, BB, RBI; Fernandez (PH) 1-1, 3B;

(SQUEAK!)

+++

2046 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS
Portland Raccoons
(6th title)

[Westheim]

The aftermath?

World Series MVP: Ruben Gonzalez, who didn’t start until Game 5, but then hit .500 with a homer and an RBI.

That’s probably gonna drive up his arbitration price, huh?

Apart from that I do not know, nor will I ever know, how that team performance – not even our top three relievers were remotely up to snuff! – sufficed to take home the trophy, but I’ll be damned if I don’t lift it up and jump around with it screaming like an idiot like the next guy in line!

Who needs pitching? Next year we’ll save in that regard and put more money into better booze!

[UltimateAverageGuy]

What. A. Win!

[alexsimon99]

Let's gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo