Los Angeles Leopards (SVMLB)

[pauwoo]

Miami Herons (47-70, .401, 6th NL East) @ Los Angeles Leopards (90-37, .683, 1st NL West)
After showing some low-key promise last season, when they finished at 78-84 on the year, to be trending at only 65 wins in 2080 must feel like a gut punch for the Herons faithful… gone is yesterday’s promise, replaced by today’s troubles. And the list of their troubles is long, not worthy of typing up in its entirety, and indicative of a larger problem within their organization. Offensively, the Herons have been weak, are ranked 11th in runs scored and average, 12th in bWAR, and no better than 9th anywhere else… and when you pair this poor offensive performance with a 9th ranked pitching staff and a defensive unit last in efficiency, zone rating, and errors there is no way to solve for X that doesn’t equal a negative. Even with 45 games to go, 2080 feels like a lost season for Miami, one where instead of taking even a small step in the right direction they found new and creative ways to wilt under the pressure, overheat under the bright lights of Major League Baseball, and turn in the type of season so far that only serves to erode an already erosion prone fanbase.

118 of 162: Russell Ash (2-5, 2.88) @ Jan Hernandez (10-5, 2.05)
Win, 1-0. Oh Hong’s solo homer coupled with a rock-solid performance from our staff, namely Jan Hernandez’s 6.2 innings of 1-hit work, would be all that was required to earn the victory in this one. OH HONG, after finishing 3-for-3 with the aforementioned TANK, now has 33 HRs on the year which is good enough for 2nd in the Majors behind Tom Franzone’s 34 on the year. The Pittsburgh masher was recently able to catch up to, and surpass, OH HONG after he’d posted 6 JACKS in his last 5 games, winning Player of the Week for his efforts in the process.

119 of 162: Russell Wooten (7-8, 3.89) @ Merl Crawford (11-7, 3.19)
Win, 2-1. Ethan Mullens donned his cape during the bottom of the 9th, hitting a dramatic, run-scoring double that sent Miami reliever, Dominic Hornbrook, scurrying off along with the rest of his Miami teammates, heads hung low in shame, on their way back to their hotel to take a good, hard look at themselves in the mirror after being unceremoniously walked-off in La La Land. William Henderson was responsible for our other run, on a single, bringing his RBI total up to 40 on the year, and Merl Crawford pitched a near-gem in 5-innings of 4-hit, 1 earned work. Sepulveda earned the win in relief, his 4th, as we’ve now run our latest consecutive win streak up to 3 so far…

120 of 162: Steven Parkin (5-7, 4.43) @ Ram Chen (6-3, 1.77)
Loss, 1-3. It’d be a bold faced lie to suggest that I’ve not had any misgivings about the fact that we’ve played Miami so close to the bone so far… and it should come as no surprise that, after doing it again tonight, I threw my iPhone against the wall when we came undone during the top of the 11th, all but handing the win to Miami on a silver platter… Sepulveda, after performing so admirably yesterday, got caught hanging a curve in this one as Don Blasko hit a 2-run double off him during the top of the 11th that proved to be the game winner as we went down, in order, during the bottom of the frame.


And, to add insult to injury, Ethan Mullens left the game early with an undisclosed ailment… diagnosis is, as ever, pending… Kyle Weaver will get the start in RF tomorrow as we await word from Hidetoshi Hasegawa.

121 of 162: Cathal Magill (8-7, 3.12) @ Dontrell McNeil (4-3, 4.20)
Loss, 6-7. Sepulveda was the culprit again, this time walking in the tying run during the top of the 8th, and T-Rex Stiles followed suit, allowing what turned out to be the game-winning, 362 ft, 2-run homer, during the top of the very next frame. And while Oh Hong would do his level best to help our club mount a comeback with his bottom of the 9th run-scoring single that brought us within one, Otto would hit a shallow pop up to end it in our very next AB. OH HONG finished 3-for-5 with 2 TANKS and 4 total RBI in a wasted effort, Weaver went 1-for-4 in Ethan’s stead, and every pitcher we trotted out to the mound in this one allowed at least one runner to plate. Splitting against the likes of Miami, at home? Yeah, not a good look.

In a bit of better news… the diagnosis is in and Ethan will be listed DtD for 3-days with a mild abdominal strain. We’ll take it.

Record: 82-39, .677, 1st NL West
Up Next: The home stand continues with the AL’s Buffalo Nickels headed our way…

[pauwoo]

Buffalo Nickels (62-59, .512, 2nd AL East) @ Los Angeles Leopards (82-39, .677, 1st NL West)
After finishing 1st in the AL West in 2078, losing the League Championship against Boston in 7-games, Buffalo took a step back in 2079, finishing 4th in their division at 76-86. So far in 2080, the Nickels are looking to rebound with designs on earning the last wildcard bid in the American League, where, as of today, they find themselves operating just a scant ½ game off Denver’s pace. They’ve powered this 62-win season on offense where they rank 2nd in AVG, 3rd in RS, OBP, and OPS, and no worse than 5th anywhere else, while their defense is 10th for runs allowed, 11th in efficiency, and 12th in ZR. Honestly, that their lot in life is this good is something of a low-key surprise… by my math, they should be, at best, on the periphery of the conversation, not in the middle of it. With a better defensive Catcher, a second baseman capable of turning more than just routine DP’s, and some defensive depth for when their starters need a rest, Buffalo could be formidable. As it stands, without those things, I can’t find a route to the playoffs for these guys that would make much sense. My guess is that they will find themselves on the outside looking in once the dust has settled… and, after the foreboding passes in the front office, will need to come up with a plan, and fast, to turn this club into a winner.

122 of 162: Mike Augustine (7-9, 3.84) @ Stephen Estevez (10-4, 2.33)
Win, 7-3. We gave Buffalo the business early, pouring 5 of our 7 runs on prior to the start of the 6th frame, and, despite giving two back during the top of the 6th (EJ Wilson took Beasley yard with a man on) would still manage to win by our early margin later in the game. Otto finished 2-for-2 with a run-scoring double, a 2-run TANK, and 3 runs, Ono drove two in on a JACK of his own, and we’d find a way to get it done in this one despite Buffalo’s suspect defense completing two expertly crafted double-plays.

Injury Alert… Dwight Beasley was diagnosed with dead arm and will miss 2 weeks of action as a result. He’ll head off to the IL with Major Hansen returning to the fold in his stead.

123 of 162: Roddy Dubey (5-11, 6.92) @ Jan Hernandez (11-5, 1.95)
Win, 6-2. Dom Cooke’s run-scoring double, off Delon Benjamin during the bottom of the 5th, put us up for good, and Jan Hernandez’s 5-inning, 2-hit, 1 earned effort was rewarded with a win after Turnbull (who left with an injury after 1-inning of work) and Sepulveda closed the show during the 8th and 9th innings. Otto hit two doubles and drove one in during a 3-for-4 day at the plate, we’d field two clutch DP’s, and D-Rod ran our run total up to 6 with a SAC BUNT that gave us more than enough cushion to close this one out stress free. Two in a row against these guys with an opportunity to close this homestand out with a sweep tomorrow.


And now, some bad news… Donovan Turnbull was hurt throwing a pitch in a game against the Buffalo Nickels. After the game, the team trainer reported Turnbull might have to spend a lengthy time on the injured list. Today doctors confirmed it, ruling the 27-year-old reliever out for the rest of the season with a torn biceps. They indicated it would take Turnbull at least 3 months to heal. Ramiro Marte will return to the fold from Compton, slotting in as a middle reliever for us out of the arm barn…

124 of 162: Vince Welcome (8-6, 4.15) @ Merl Crawford (11-7, 3.14)
Loss, 3-4. T-Rex blew it for us, giving up a 2-run TANK to Austin Rollins (26 on the year now) during the top of the 8th that knotted things up and Don Haag would be saddled with the loss, his 5th on the year, after giving up the go ahead run to Buffalo’s EJ Wilson during the top of the 11th. Otto, OH HONG, and Walt each drove in a run, Isaac swiped his 7th bag, and we’d field two clean DP’s but our pitching sprung a leak, capsizing our efforts to secure the sweep and sending our hometown faithful off into the night with a bad taste in their mouths.

Record: 84-40, .677, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll head out to North Carolina for a 3-game set against the Imperials in Charlotte.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (84-40, .677, 1st NL West) @ Charlotte Imperials (53-71, .427, 5th AL East)
Operating at just 6 games ahead of the worst team in the American League, and currently in the midst of a 4-game skid, the Charlotte Imperials need to have a good set against us at home to maintain their standing as only the second worst team in the AL. As it stands, with the New York Sluggers nipping at their hills, and currently trying to pull themselves out of a free fall, Charlotte is hoping that their 5th ranked offense will have enough in the tank to outrun their 8th ranked staff as we bring the National Leagues 3rd ranked offensive outfit to town on a mission to raze the Imperials castle, leading nothing but a trail of dead and rubble in our wake.

125 of 162: Ram Chen (6-3, 1.66) @ Alan Barrientos (5-10, 5.76)
Loss, 5-6. Charlotte’s offense did the dirt, with Logan Greene’s 2-run TRUCK off Sepulveda during the bottom of the 8th being the ultimate difference-maker, as we dropped our second contest in a row, allowing the Imperials to put an end to their 4-game skid in the process. Ram Chen gave up 3 runs in 4.1 innings of work with Duarte, Armendariz, and Sepulveda (charged with the L and a BS in this one) each allowing the home team to score an additional run. Meanwhile, our offense, despite hitting two, two-baggers and Ethan swiping a couple of bags, was unable to meet and exceed Charlotte’s output and ultimately came up lame against them to kick off this 3-game set.


Elsewhere: SP Wilfredo Felix, currently getting in reps with the Compton Raiders down on the farm, turned in a stellar complete-game, 6-hit shutout that included 12 K’s as our Triple-A outfit entered a hard-earned, 2-0 victory over the Kent Comets into the permanent record. Wilfredo is now 11-10 with a 3.42 ERA, 94 ERA+, and 3.7 WAR so far this season… if the Guatemalan’s changeup would magically develop, he’d really been something… but, alas, at 25 that’s unlikely to happen.

126 of 162: Dontrell McNeil (4-3, 4.17) @ Cameron Fletcher (2-8, 5.21)
Win, 8-4. We’d score 6 runs, spread evenly across the 7th and 8th frames, to double Charlotte’s output in this one, dismantling their bullpen after starter Cameron Fletcher failed to come out for the 4th due to injury, to knot this set up at one game each, and earning a shot at winning the series tomorrow. T-Rex was credited with the win despite allowing a run in only 1.2-innings of work, Paulino opened our scoring with a SAC FLY during the top of the 4th, Otto sent TWO TANKS into the cheap seats, and Haag finally secured his 45th save on the year, his first of those since the 19th… 8 short days ago.


Elsewhere: Terrible Tony Voorhis, the straw that stirs the drink in Detroit, hit his 300th CAREER HOMERUN during a 7-4 win over the Mexico City Jaguars. He finished 3-for-4 during the game with his 300th coming on a 2-run DING DONG off Lanny Dvorak during the game-deciding bottom of the 7th. For his career, Tony has hit for a .283 average with 1735 hits, 316 doubles, 11 triplets, 300 TANKS, and 981 RBI… he’s been nothing if not consistent.

127 of 162: Stephen Estevez (11-4, 2.36) @ Rudolf Caldwell (3-5, 5.12)
Win, 8-2. We’d hit 4 DINGERS as a club prior to the 4th with 3 of those coming off Starter Rudolf Caldwell back-to-back-to-back with two outs already on the board in the 3rd inning. Otto brought one in on a double, we fielded a dastardly Rodriguez-Hutchinson-Ono double play, Estevez continued to pad his stats with win #12 on the year, and we managed to get 8 bad ones across while leaving 6 more stranded. It’s always nice to walk away with a series win in Otto’s home state… the Greensboro, NC native went 3-for-9 during the series (he sat for game one) with 2 TANKS, 4 total RBI. And 2 runs.

Record: 86-41, .677, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll head back to Los Angeles where the Austin Grackles await our arrival for a 4-game series in our hood.

[pauwoo]

Austin Grackles (70-57, .551, 3rd NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (86-41, .677, 1st NL West)
The hard-charging Austin Grackles are operating at a respectable clip so far in 2080, are currently enjoying a 2 ½ game lead over the Brooklyn Citizens for the 2nd of 3 WC slots and arrive in town on a 7-3 run over their last 10 with a smash mouth, 10-3 victory over the Boston Shamrocks in their last time out. So far, Austin has delivered these results on balance, with the 6th ranked offense and 8th ranked staff in the National League, powering them to a more than respectable spot in the standings, and, while they’ve not fared well against us so far (2-8 head-to-head against our club) will look to lull us to sleep with their workmanlike approach and attempt to take 2 or 3 of these next four off us in our park.

128 of 162: Matheo Trachtenburg (7-6, 4.49) @ Jan Hernandez (12-5, 1.94)
Loss, 2-4. Austin first baseman, DJ Wilders, finished 2-for-4 with a 2-run TRUCK and 3 total RBI to lead the Grackles to victory as the 3 runs they scored during the top of the very 1st frame would hold up all the way to the end. We’d hit a double, a couple of homers, and even field another clean double play… but, it was all for naught as Jan got lit up over 4.2-innings of work while our offense was found wonting against the Grackles 8th ranked staff. Oh, and before I forget, Satoru Ono was particularly dreadful at the plate today, securing a GOLDEN SOMBRERO in this one while batting cleanup.

Some bad news… Our utility infielder, Simon Paulino, will miss 4-weeks of action after suffering a strained posterior cruciate ligament during this last game against the Grackles… he’s been something of a super sub for us this year, a versatile defender that can play, admirably, in several positions. In his stead we call SS Oliver Koloski, a 24-year-old Los Angelino with defensive chops and positional versatility just a tick or two below Paulino’s…

129 of 162: Marcos Villalobos (0-0, 0.00) @ Merl Crawford (11-7, 3.09)
Win, 2-1 (14). In what must’ve been a difficult game to watch for those in attendance with both clubs trading zeroes over extended stretches, Ethan would save the day and help the hometown faithful stave off complete boredom when he hit the game-winning, walk-off, run-scoring single during the bottom of the 14th to put this one in the books as a win for the good guys. Ono just missed another Golden Sombrero with 3 K’s today – cold as ice – and we trotted out 8 hurlers in total with all the usuals getting some burn and Armendariz getting the W, his 9th, after taking over to start the 12th.

130 of 162: Gareth Bertrand (6-6, 4.00) @ Ram Chen (6-3, 1.89)
Loss, 0-2. Bertrand kept our hitters off balance for 5-innings and his bullpen backup kept the good times rolling as we lost the second in three tries against the Grackles, in our house, while getting shutout in the process. We’ve now lost our last three tilts when Chen takes the mound, with this one being the first of those where he’d be saddled with the loss. Not much else to parse out here… though our backstop, Dom Cooke, was injured being hit by a pitch… he’ll be listed DtD with a bruised knee.


Elsewhere: C Neto Blanco, currently putting it down with the Colorado Springs Peaks in Denver’s development system, went 3-for-4 with 2 DING DONGS and 4 RBI to lead his club to a tight, 6-5 win over the Memphis Kings. Blanco, a product of Holy Cross, works hard, is said to have superb catching ability, but doesn’t seem to have the skillset required to make it all the way to the big time as anything other than a backup catcher… and, that might be a stretch.

131 of 162: Dwaine Schilling (9-5, 3.88) @ Dontrell McNeil (4-3, 4.15)
Win, 2-1. We’d win our 24th 1-run ballgame in this one, treating our fans to another ho-hum offensive effort as the Grackles staff gave a good account of themselves for the 4th time in a row with their starter, Dwaine Schilling, giving up the only two runs that mattered as our staff was equal (if slightly better) to theirs over the course of 9 innings. OH HONG’s solo homer and Ono’s run-scoring single represented the only two AB’s that mattered for us, McNeil allowed just one run over 5 innings of work, T-Rex was credited with his 4th win after putting in 2.1 innings of relief, and Don Haag got after it a bit, earning save #46 on 23 total pitches.

Standings/Leaders as of September 1st are attached...

Record: 88-43, .671, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll take Monday off for some R&R before getting back after it, here at home, against the Phoenix Coyotes for a quick, 2-game series.

[pauwoo]

Phoenix Coyotes (59-73, .447, 5th NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (88-43, .672, 1st NL West)
With 30 or so games left, it’s safe to say that the 2080 season is all but lost for Phoenix… they’ve failed to live up to their playoff expectations, have underperformed mightily when stacked up against last year’s 92-win campaign, and have found themselves devastated by injuries with two rotation guys (Mike Clendenin, Matthew Krebs), a lights out reliever (Grumpy Losito), and their starting 3B (Gavin Nalley) all currently spending a stretch on the IL. It really has been an unfortunate set of circumstances for the Coyotes – poor starts from their marquee guys, season-ending ailments striking some of their most important pieces, and an offense, ranked 9th overall, that never seemed to live up to its preseason promise. At this point I’m less interested in this year’s version of the Phoenix Coyotes and more interested in how they respond during the offseason and into next year.

132 of 162: Rick Wright (10-5, 2.71) @ Stephen Estevez (12-4, 2.28)
Loss, 3-5. Turner Williams, Phoenix’s so-so DH whose best tool is Avoid K, ran roughshod over our staff, finishing 3-for-4 on the day with a 3-RUN homer during the very first frame, starter Rick Wright was flying high during a 5-inning, 1-hit gem, and Parker Curtain put us down in order during the bottom of the 9th to secure his 12th save in 16 attempts. Otto was walked 4 times, Ono brought in a run on a SAC FLY, we completed 4 double plays, but couldn’t do enough against a locked in Coyotes staff to get the nod in game 1 against these also-rans. Isaac’s 4 walks tied the Los Angeles Leopards regular season record for free passes, if you interested in that sort of thing… for the rest of you, we lost, move along, nothing to see here…


Elsewhere: Ansley Athanasios, a 32-year-old former Washington State Cougar who once appeared in 11-games on Charlotte’s big club, went 4-for-4 with TWO TANKS, 5 RBI, 3 runs, and a walk to lead his San Marcos Supremos to a rousing, 11-1 victory over the visiting Lackawanna Lickers in Bush League play. After toiling in the minors for 8 seasons, Athanasios has seemingly found a home in the Bush League with the San Marcos Supremos where he posted 2.1 WAR during his first season with the club in 2079 and has already posted 2.8 WAR so far for them in 2080.

133 of 162: Wyatt Ricker (1-3, 4.32) @ Jan Hernandez (12-6, 2.07)
Win, 6-1. Otto Isaac went big for us here – 2-for-3 with a 3-run DINGER – and Jan Hernandez picked up his 13th win after putting in 5-innings of work, allowing only a single run while fanning 5 hapless hitters. OH HONG put his 38th TRUCK out of the park, putting himself in a two-way tie with Tom Franzone for the NL lead in that category, Ono hit a solo shot, his 15th, and Nakagawa earned his 3rd save of the year after tossing 4-innings of 1-hit relief. Just some real sweet, sweet get back for the La La’s here after being handled so unceremoniously, in our house, by the Coyotes one short day ago…

Record: 89-44, .669, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll head out to Mexico City for a 4-game parlay against the last place Jaguars…

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (89-44, .669, 1st NL West) @ Mexico City Jaguars (58-75, .436, 6th NL West)
Ahh… Mexico City, home of the ho-hum Jaguars, world class tacos, all the mezcal a boy could want, and trouble around every corner. With the 5th ranked offense in the league where they rank 2nd in AVG & OBP, 4th in OPS and wOBA, and no worse that 6th anywhere else, it’s safe to say that this club rakes… what they don’t do well, and stop me if I’ve told you this many, many times before, is pitch. They rank dead last (12th) in Starters & Bullpen ERA, allow more runs than any other club in our sub league, are also last in defensive efficiency, and are more error prone that 9 other squads. Basically this 58-75 monstrosity is trash, barely worth the attention we’ll ask our players to give them… but, as ever, they play in a city that can sometimes cast a spell on opposing teams, convincing them that a night spent imbibing copious amounts of mezcal, dancing until the sun comes up, and wandering off with women of ill repute is a good way to spend their downtime so that they are all but worthless the next day on the field of play. We’ve fallen victim to that trap more than once – BUT, not this time, not on my watch.

134 of 162: Merl Crawford (9-6, 2.59) @ Davey Halimkusuma (4-2, 2.90)
Loss, 2-9. Mexico City stung Merl for 5 runs, chasing him out of this one prior to the start of the 3rd inning, while their so-so staff had little trouble with our vastly overrated offense. Each of our runs came on SAC FLIES, one each for Ono and Hutch, we left 8 runners stranded, secured only one EBH… so, as you can see, and despite the fact that we fielded 3 double plays and Otto completed 2 OF Assists, our offense presented a weak version of themselves and basically spent the majority of the game looking on with envy as the Jaguars styled on us much to the delight of their hometown crowd.

135 of 162: Ram Chen (6-4, 2.01) @ Jaxon Dupre (5-13, 5.87)
Loss, 4-6. Craig Ramis had a career day for the home team, finishing 3-for-4 at the plate with THREE DING DONGS (2 off Ram, 1 off T-Rex), FOUR RBI, and 3 RUNS, and was basically the whole show for the Jaguars in this one as they made it two wins in a row against us to start this 4-game series off with a bang. Chen got worked over to the tune of 4 runs allowed over 5 innings of work, T-Rex got rolled after trying to come to his aid in relief, allowing two more bad ones to come across during his 2.1 innings of work, and, once again, the offense presented like a 90lb weakling at a body building contest… frail, ineffectual, out of place. Of note… OH HONG continues to stay hot – 2-for-3, a double, 2 riblets and a run tonight.

136 of 162: Dontrell McNeil (4-3, 4.05) @ Justin Torres (7-5, 4.24)
Win, 9-2. Here our offense would come alive, putting a deuce on Mexico City during the top of the 1st and pummeling them with a selection of our greatest hits from there… OH HONG drove in 4 runs during a 3-for-5 day at the plate, Otto brought 2 more in on his 37th long ball, and Koloski would round things out for us, putting runs #8 & 9 on the board during the top of the 8th with his first DING DONG in the Major Leagues… Pitching was stout as well – Dontrell gave us 5-innings of filthiness, allowing just one runner to plate during his time on the bump, with Beasley and Marte closing the show admirably as our club managed to get some of that sweet, sweet get back after having catching some elbows during the first two games.


Elsewhere: SP Nacho Valadez, tossing a rehab start down on the farm in Kent (a Seattle Metros affiliate), played the Kelowna Silvertips like marionettes, holding them scoreless on 5 total hits during an 8-inning, 7 K performance… all the while leading the Comets to a hard-earned 2-1 victory on the road. Who makes a Major Leaguer travel for a rehab start?

137 of 162: Stephen Estevez (12-5, 2.38) @ Hunter Newhouse (0-5, 3.02)
Win, 7-2. Our offense came correct once again, putting 7 bad ones on the Jaguars as we exit stage left, winners of two in a row. Otto led the way offensively with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, including JACK #38 off Newhouse while Ono drove two in despite not registering a single hit, the first on a bases-loaded walk and second on a bases-loaded hit by pitch… and, the pitching was fierce with Estevez picking his 13th win, T-Rex securing his 7th hold, and Don Haag earning save #47 on the year…

Record: 91-46, .664, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’re head back stateside with our next stop in Las Vegas where we’ll attempt to bring the Outlaws to justice during a quickie, 2-game series.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (91-46, .664, 1st NL West) @ Las Vegas Outlaws (76-61, .554, 2nd NL West)
The Las Vegas Outlaws boast an offense ranked 2nd in the National League, producing a mere 0.1 runs per game more than our squad, but have been unable to duplicate our success as their porous defense, ranked 10th in efficiency and 7th in Zone Rating, has made a habit of allowing clubs to stay within striking distance, especially on the road where they have a 27-34 record so far. Still, their newest edition, Aitor Cubas, has been worth every penny, bashing 31 TANKS so far with a 163 wRC+, and 5.1 WAR in the bank. For our purposes here, our 15-game lead in the NL West is likely an insurmountable one, so we don’t have much on the line against these guys yet… come playoff time, that tune may change. If Las Vegas can just tighten it up on defense a smidge, maybe get 1 or 2 great performances from their staff, and keep on truckin’ on offense during the postseason, we may be in for the fight of our lives.

138 of 162: Jan Hernandez (13-6, 2.06) @ Evan Church (6-6, 4.65)
Win, 3-0. Jan Hernandez came correct in Sin City, throwing darts for 5.2 innings of 3-hit baseball and Satoru Ono’s solo homer during the top of the 4th would end up the game winning run with two additional ‘security’ runs coming courtesy of Hutch and Hendo over the next two frames. We flashed the leather a bit in this one too – two double plays and another OF Assist for Otto, his 11th on the year (which is 4th in the league and 7 behind league leader CF Norris Flaherty, of the Seattle Metros, who has 18 so far).

139 of 162: Merl Crawford (11-8, 3.17) @ Cam Murphy (10-7, 2.87)
Win, 7-6. Both clubs squeezed into the proverbial phonebooth to engage in some crowd pleasing, back-and-forth fighting on the inside with our Leopards finding a way to outlast Las Vegas despite Steve Green’s 3-for-4 day at the plate. We drove in four runs on as many doubles during the game, got another TANK from Otto, his 39th, putting him in a 3-way tie with OH HONG and Tom Franzone on the overall HR table, and save #49 from Haag who was one of 4 relievers to get in on the action after Merl was chased out of the game one batter into the 4th with 5 runs already charged to his account. A good win for the Yellow Top – we really showed Las Vegas our resiliency here, weathering storm after storm, and still having the wherewithal to fish until our quota was filled.

Elsewhere: Our A-Ball Club in Watts won their playoff play-in game today, besting the Arvada Panners (a Salt Lake affiliate) by a score of 3-2 to secure the final wildcard slot in their sub-league. On the year, Watts finished at 77-64 and will face off against the top-seeded Everett Storm in the first round of the playoffs.

Record: 93-46, .669, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll get a day off before heading to Brooklyn for a 4-game series against the Citizens.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (93-46, .669, 1st NL West) @ Brooklyn Citizens (73-67, .521, 2nd NL East)
Brooklyn has taken a small step back from the 88+ win seasons they’ve been turning in for nearly two decades. They are currently trending to a mere 84 wins but look to have a spot at the dance all but secured with a 4 ½ lead over San Jose for the last wild card spot in the National League. If they can manage the feat, the Citizens will have made it to the post season in 17 of the last 18 years – as amazing a stretch as I’ve ever seen, albeit one that doesn’t include the ultimate prize. In 2080, though it is led by the likes of Heathcote Kinton and Quinn Charvat, Brooklyn’s offense, lacking in prowess, has held them back. Their team average is the worst in the NL, OPS 11th, and OBP 9th… and, while they do have some pop (6th), they just aren’t doing enough at the plate to outrun (556 runs scored, 8th in the NL) what their defense gives up (574 runs against, 6th in the NL). This is an important stretch of games for Brooklyn, less so for us, as the Citizens look to protect both their home turf and their hold on that last playoff spot.

140 of 162: Ram Chen (6-4, 2.28) @ Sawyer Dahlgren (7-9, 3.60)
Win, 3-1. Despite being outhit, 7-6, we’d find ways to bring more of our guys back around with Satoru Ono’s run-scoring double during the top of the 4th representing our winning run as Ram Chen and the boys gave a great account of themselves from the hill tonight. Chen finished with 5-innings of 4-hit, 0 earned work, Marte (0.1 inning) and T-Rex (2.1 innings) were each credited with a hold, and Don Haag, after striking out the side during the bottom of the 9th, reached 50 saves for the 5th time in his career. Ethan finished 2-for-4 with a SOLO HOMER, OH HONG hit a SAC BUNT, and D-Rod managed to swipe his 20th bag of the season… a good start in the hipster capital of the U.S.


Elsewhere: Donny Jeter, one`` of the Jeter Bros I brought into this save on a lark, is still going strong at 42 years of age as the starting first baseman on Buffalo’s AAA club in Columbus. Today, during an 8-6 loss against the Kelowna Silvertips, Jeets finished 3-for-4 with TWO TANKS, 4 total RBI, and 2 runs to power the Federals’ offense in the losing effort. When I brought the Jeter Bros into this save way back when, I really didn’t think any of them would play into their 40’s… Derek retired in 2079, he had a good career (45.7 WAR), not great, and Darryl, the brigand among them, retired all the way back in 2071 after a less than illustrious career (1.4 WAR) where he only managed to play 575 total games, making the all-star team once. Long live Donny, long live the Jeter Bros.

141 of 162: Dontrell McNeil (5-3, 3.96) @ Case Tunnell (8-9, 3.64)
Loss, 0-6. Oliver Vallee blasted a GRAND SLAM off Dontrell during the bottom of the very 1st frame, setting an early offensive tone that our club would never match as Brooklyn recovered nicely after being saddled with the loss last night. Not much to parse out for us – Leandro Mercedes hit a double, his 2nd in 10 games on the big club, Otto swiped his 9th bag, we fielded a tasty little Hutchinson-Rodriguez-Ono DP, and even got an OF Assist from Ethan, catching Jake DeChamps at home as he tried to make it all the way around on a Brody Owens double. The story here was our pitching, or lack thereof, as McNeil, in allowing 5 runners to plate, sees his ERA balloon up to 4.20 and his record fall to 5-4 on the year.

Elsewhere: Compton (AAA) and Brentwood (SA) join Watts (A) in the playoffs for their respective leagues as 3 of our 4 minor league clubs made it to the postseason. Compton won their division, as has Brentwood, and each will await the winner of the circle series, while Watts, who secured the last WC slot in A-ball got things kicked off today, losing against the Storm in Everett, WA by a score of 8-9. LF Petino Ortiz went 3-for-4 with TWO TANKS and 3 RBI in the loss.

142 of 162: Stepehen Estevez (13-5, 2.36) @ Isaiah Zuno (10-5, 3.46)
Win, 6-0. Otto Isaac entered the game today with a chip on his shoulder, eager to exact some small measure of revenge for yesterday’s outcome and finished 1-for-4 with that 1 being a 3-run TANK that ran our run total up to 6 for the game during the top of the 7th. Ono drove in two on a HOMER of his own, our other run came on a Walt Tignor run-scoring single, and Estevez secured his 14th win of the year after putting in 5-innings of 2-hit, shutout work with 6 K’s, three of which came at Heathcote Kinton’s expense.

Elsewhere: Watts is now down 0-2 after losing in Everett against, this time by a score of 3-5.


143 of 162: Jan Hernandez (14-6, 1.98) @ Bradley Hughes (9-2, 3.42)
Win, 8-2. Leandro Mercedes had his best game with the big club – 2-for-3, TWO TANKS and 5 RBI – to lead the charge for us offensively while Jan Hernandez continued to be the cock of the walk for us with a 5-inning, 5-hit, 2-earned effort that resulted in his team-leading 15th win on the year. We’d get additional runs driven in by OH HONG, Hutchinson, and backup backstop Lee Rolon, and lights out relief work from the four-headed monster of Duarte, Beasley, Hansen, and Marte… we’re in such great form right now that it’s low-key unbelievable. Brooklyn still has a 3-game lead over San Jose, but we did them no favors here… and why would we after they eliminated us during the League Championship during the 2079 playoffs? To heck with Brooklyn, their vegan bakeries, buffalo plaid shirts, perfectly manscaped beards, and summertime beanies. Buncha dorks, you ask me.

Record: 96-47, .671, 1st NL West
Up Next: Three games in the Bayou as we travel to New Orleans to take on the Gators.

[BirdWatcher]

Originally Posted by pauwoo

Los Angeles Leopards (93-46, .669, 1st NL West) @ Brooklyn Citizens (73-67, .521, 2nd NL East)
Brooklyn has taken a small step back from the 88+ win seasons they’ve been turning in for nearly two decades. They are currently trending to a mere 84 wins but look to have a spot at the dance all but secured with a 4 ½ lead over San Jose for the last wild card spot in the National League. If they can manage the feat, the Citizens will have made it to the post season in 17 of the last 18 years – as amazing a stretch as I’ve ever seen, albeit one that doesn’t include the ultimate prize.

This is the kind of franchise story arc that I love to read about, particularly in a fictional OOTP universe. I imagine that in the time this Brooklyn club was experiencing such sustained quality while still failing to reach the mountaintop, there were other teams (or at least one) in the league rising and falling, experiencing epic failure seasons of 100+ losses only to later rise to win a championship.

The Brooklyn (Aces) club in my WPK universe had a similar arc, in that they were a good, but nearly always underachieving (not only by expectation, but even more by expected record given their run differential) and then finally, in a season in which they were only thought to be about a .500 club, over-performed and won their first, and thus far, lone championship.

[pauwoo]

Originally Posted by BirdWatcher

This is the kind of franchise story arc that I love to read about, particularly in a fictional OOTP universe. I imagine that in the time this Brooklyn club was experiencing such sustained quality while still failing to reach the mountaintop, there were other teams (or at least one) in the league rising and falling, experiencing epic failure seasons of 100+ losses only to later rise to win a championship.

The Brooklyn (Aces) club in my WPK universe had a similar arc, in that they were a good, but nearly always underachieving (not only by expectation, but even more by expected record given their run differential) and then finally, in a season in which they were only thought to be about a .500 club, over-performed and won their first, and thus far, lone championship.

These long term saves pay real dividends if you take the time to dig into the history. That's what makes fictional so fun imo.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (96-47, .671, 1st NL West) @ New Orleans Gators (63-80, .441, 5th NL East)
New Orleans, after finishing last in the NL West every year since 2077, has a chance to break that streak this season, currently trending to finish 5th on their lowest payroll EVER. Even at 30-games off Philadelphia’s pace, and on a 2-8 skid over their last 10, New Orleans is doing everything within themselves to hold off the Miami Herons, who are currently only ½ game back and on a 3-game winning streak. This set, against the biggest bully on the block in our Los Angeles Leopards, could not have come at a more inopportune time for the Gators… they’ll need to dig deep, play with some real verve, and rely on more than just Bayou Black Magic to hold us off over the next three games.

144 of 162: Merl Crawford (11-8, 3.41) @ Pete Taylor (5-12, 5.47)
Loss, 1-2. Look, I don’t know if it was voodoo, a Cajun curse, or just a really good, 5.1-inning, 2-hit, 4 K performance from Pete Taylor that held us in relative check over the course of this contest… Otto and Satoru were responsible for our only hits with one of Ono’s being a double, we swiped two bags (Ethan’s 23rd, Otto’s 10th), fielded two crispy double plays, and got great performances from Merl (6-innings, 4 hits, 1 earned, 8 K’s) and Armendariz (2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER), but, in the end, it’d not be enough as Mario Marshburn put this one out of reach with a SOLO SHOT during the bottom of the 8th.

Elsewhere: Watts staved off elimination in their 5-game series against the Everett Storm, winning game three by a score of 11-7 at home and now trails the bad guys 2 games to 1. Lance Mathes’ GRAND SLAM during an 8-run bottom of the 8th ultimately won this one for us as we stormed back (get it?) from 4 down to go up by that same margin during that decisive frame. Our boys will live on to fight another day…

145 of 162: Ram Chen (7-4, 2.17) @ Rufo Luna (2-5, 5.69)
Loss, 0-1. Oof. Held to only 1-run yesterday, shutout today, losers of two in a row… be still my beating heart, this could be the end. Rufo Luna held our crackerjack lineup to only four hits and fanned us NINE TIMES during his 5.2 innings on the bump, and Gabe Uruburu and Hayden Snodgrass followed his lead, completing the team shutout in front of ~14K of their most ardent fans. Two doubles, a double play, Otto hitting into a double play, and 6 runners left stranded would round this one out for us… now, we just need to secure a win tomorrow to avoid embarrassment at the hands of one of the NL East’s weakest clubs… oh, and this is fun, Haag took the loss here, giving up the game-winning homer to New Orleans’ Nehemiah Jenkins. Dissed in the Malibu, don’t know what to do…

Elsewhere: Watts knotted things up against Everett, winning game four by a score of 4-3, despite Everett Catcher, Steve Garrison, putting his third ball of the series out of the park…

146 of 162: Dontrell McNeil (5-4, 4.20) @ Bill Marvin (5-11, 4.55)
Win, 5-0. It’d be our turn to rebuff New Orleans, holding their offense just under the water’s surface long enough to get the win without requiring any mouth-to-mouth resuscitation afterwards. Dontrell allowed just 2 hits in 5.2 innings of work, Hutch drove two runs in to get thing started during the top of the 3rd, and a bottom of the 9th, rally-killing, yo-yo Ono-Hutchinson-Ono double play closed the book on this one as we managed to escape the swamp with our dignity intact.

In other news… Tom Franzone has been teeing off on opposing pitchers this week, putting balls out of the park with reckless abandon, and now leads the majors at 43 HRs which is 3 more than Otto and 4 more than OH HONG.

Record: 97-49, .664, 1st NL West
Up Next: A cross-country flight back to Los Ageless where the San Jose Seals anxiously await our arrival… we’ll get them for four games before our next day off.

[pauwoo]

San Jose Seals (72-74, .493, 4th NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (97-49, .664, 1st NL West)
The Seals are attempting to navigate the San Francisco Bay on an under-inflated kayak, trying to follow a route underneath the Golden Gate Bridge and into the Gulf of the Farallones – in their desperation to secure a spot in this year’s playoffs, they have, understandably, ignored the seaworthiness of their vessel. Their offense, ranked 6th overall in the National League, 4th in runs scored, 5th in dingers, has been furiously trying to keep their AE2022-R afloat, managing to pull it within 3 ½ games of the Austin Grackles for the final Wild Card slot – but, for all the good work they’ve done, their beleaguered pitching staff has unraveled it… pulling off bicycle tube patches and poking new holes in their craft as it’s PSI goes dangerously below the minimum 1.5 needed to stay afloat. 12th in FIP, 11th in Runs Against, Bullpen ERA, and pWAR, and no better than 7th anywhere else, San Jose is a club that could benefit from some of Owner, Hank Walker’s, attention – and we’re not talking about him staying engaged for an entire meeting, not at all… he just needs to allocate a few more dollars for GM Derek Roberts to spend. If he’d do that, the Seals would be a playoff lock, not the most formidable of entrants, sure, but they’d have a ticket to the dance… and, once inside, who knows maybe they could turn some heads with their Travolta-esque moves and make a run at it for their downtrodden & hopeless fan base…

147 of 162: Ty Peterson (6-10, 4.60) @ Stephen Estevez (14-5, 2.28)
Win, 5-0. OH HONG, occupying the #3 spot on the USS Leopard, provided all the power our engine room would need as his 3-run TANK, #40 on the year, set a pace that San Jose and their suspect kayak would be unable to match. Estevez picked up his 15th win on 5-innings of 5-hit, shutout baseball, Nakagawa & Major Hansen each were credited with a hold, and Manny Sepulveda picked up his 3rd save of the season, using 28 pitches to secure the final four outs of the game.

Elsewhere: Watts managed to complete the reverse sweep against Everett, winning the deciding game 5 by a score of 7-4. Petino Ortiz hit .471 with a .591 OBP, 3 TANKS, 6 total RBI, and 7 runs for the series, earning the first postseason series MVP Award of his young career. Brentwood, our Short Season A Ball club also won the first game of their 5-game series against the Kanata Koalas (a Montreal Affiliate) by a score of 8-6 at home. RF Lucas Sherman, who we selected with the 18th overall pick this year, went 3-for-4 with a double, a GRAND SLAM, and 2 runs to power the Bishops.



148 of 162: Calvin Fox (4-5, 2.46) @ Jan Henandez (15-6, 2.04)
Loss, 4-6. Former Leopard, Tyler Hill, finished 5-for-5 at the plate, driving in four runs and scoring twice to power the San Jose Seals to victory as they ran roughshod over Jan, getting him out of there in only 3.2 innings after charging all 6 of their runs to his account. For our part, we’d not hit a single EBH, scored two of our four runs on a SAC BUNT and SAC FLY, respectively, and despite a good display of baserunning prowess from Otto (steal #11), couldn’t find a way to manufacture enough runs to get the nod in this one.

Elsewhere: Brentwood went up 2-0 on the Koalas, winning game two in extras as Dag Shea, our 97th overall pick out of UC Santa Cruz, drew the game-winning, walk off walk to end it.



149 of 162: Anthony Boswell (5-6, 4.94) @ Merl Crawford (11-9, 4.94)
Loss, 2-5. Tony Boswell, AKA the Boz, gave us the business for 6-innings, holding us to 6 hits and 2 runs before handing it off to the San Jose pen who had no problem holding us at bay the rest of the way… Tyler Hill got after it again too… his 2-run double during the top of the 5th providing all the cushion the Seals would need to comfortably secure at least a split in this 4-game series… Merl took the loss, his 3rd in his last four starts and 7th winless outing in a row.

150 of 162: Lucas Torres (13-7, 3.32) @ Ram Chen (7-4, 2.06)
Loss, 1-2 (11). In truth, we were overdue for a result like this, losing a 4-game home series to a team situated well beneath our station, our hubris pushed right back into our face by an adversary whose wry smile served to underscore the “I told you so” ethos of the underdog. Here we’d give up the ghost after San Jose put the go-ahead run on the board during the top of the 10th on a solo jack that came courtesy of Lucas Keiler, the 3rd overall pick in 2075, that ultimately represented the game winner. Closer Victor Carabott put our guys down in order during the bottom of that frame, earning the win here after picking up saves in each of the last two contests.

Elsewhere: Watts has won the first two of a seven game series against the Duluth Zeniths on the road, most recently winning by a score of 14-9 in a game that they crushed 5 DINGERS in, and now look to close out the series at home in the coming week to make it to the Championship Series against either the Cambridge Terriers or Waco Rivermen…

Record: 98-52, .653, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll get a day off to relax and reflect before boarding a plane to Phoenix for a 3-game set against the Phoenix Coyotes.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (98-52, .653, 1st NL West) @ Phoenix Coyotes (67-82, .449, 5th NL West)
Phoenix, after putting up 92-wins last season, are all the way out of it, running on fumes, and playing for pride but not much else. With their offense in shambles, ranked 10th in the NL, and a pitching staff that has been reduced to rubble, the Coyotes need to take a long, hard look in the mirror during the offseason and decide what kind of club they want to be… do they want to be a perennial contender, a team that is always considered formidable, or are they going to fall in line with the rest of the also-rans, only poking their head above water every few years to remind their fanbase that they’re trying?

151 of 162: Dontrell McNeil (6-4, 4.02) @ Landon Sampson (5-7, 2.97)
Win, 6-2. Ethan went 2-for-3 with a bases-clearing triple, OH HONG contributed an RBI to the cause, we got a SAC FLY from D-Rod, swiped two bags (Otto, Demetri), and got started off on the good foot as our starter, Dontrell McNeil, gave us 5-innings of 5-hit, shutout baseball to start the show. Another hold for Major Hansen and save #5 for Nakagawa helped us to improve to 9-5 head-to-head against Phoenix as we are now only one win away from triple digits after securing our 99th of those this year.

Elsewhere: Watts is only one game away from sweeping Duluth in the A-Ball playoffs, winning game 3 by a score of 6-4 at home as C Monty Williams (20/26) hit a 2-run homer during the bottom of the 4th to knot things up at 4 each followed by Lance Mathes’ (33/40) 2-run double to take the lead during the very next frame.

152 of 162: Stephen Estevez (15-5, 2.21) @ Max Harrington (5-15, 3.59)
Win, 11-1. OH HONG finished 3-for-5 with 2 TANKS (a 3-run Jack and a GRAND SLAM), 7 total RBI, and 3 runs as our offense exploded on the Coyotes, scoring all 11 of our runs prior to the stretch then putting it in neutral from there. Win #16 for Estevez after turning in a tip-top, 5-inning, 1-hit, 0 earned performance, a nice Hutchinson-Rodriguez-Ono double play, and Dom caught Isaias Osborn trying to get cute on the basepaths… the defense was cracking, pitching fierce, and offense footloose and fancy free with win # ONE HUNDRED officially entered into the permanent record. Also, with the win today, Phoenix has been officially eliminated from the 2080 postseason, mathematically and otherwise.

Elsewhere: Our Brentwood Bishops did their level best to advance in the Short Season A-Ball playoffs, but ultimately would come up short, losing to the Kanata Koalas by a score of 6-5 during the deciding game. Watts also came up short in their sweep bid, dropping game four to the Duluth Zeniths by a score of 1-0.



153 of 162: Jan Hernandez (15-7, 2.33) @ Ferdinand Loving (10-8, 3.84)
Loss, 0-4. We couldn’t get out of neutral in this one as Ferdinand Loving held us in check over 6.2 innings of work, allowing a mere 4-hits and nothing earned during his time on the bump, and an early, bottom of the 3rd, 2-run TRUCK courtesy of Harlem Peterson set a tone we wouldn’t match. Jan takes the loss here, giving up that early homer to Peterson, Armendariz allowed two more in relief, Otto got caught with his hand in the honeypot, and our two fielding flubs as a defensive unit did nothing to help our cause as we stayed stuck on 100 wins so far and missed an opportunity to sweep a rival on the road.

Elsewhere: Compton opened their AAA Round 2 series against the Coos Bay Kingfishers (a PDX affiliate) with a resounding 19-8 win at home… the Raiders were led offensively by 4A lifer Nash Aguilar who finished 3-for-5 with a double, 4 RBI, 3 runs and a walk in this one… Watts, after failing to secure the sweep yesterday, were able to dispatch the Duluth Zeniths, winning their League Championship Series 4 games to 1, by a score of 8-6. Pitino Ortiz (27/31) took home the man of the match honors, finishing 3-for-5 on the day with a 2-run MOONSHOT and 3 runs in the win…

Record: 100-53, .653, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll make the trip to Austin for a 3-game series as we creep ever closer to the finish line on the 2080 regular-season.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (100-53, .653, 1st NL West) @ Austin Grackles (79-74, .516, 3rd NL West)
Austin has played the spoiler role for the majority of the 2080 campaign, thought of as an also ran by the BNN punditry, these Grackles made as good a case as any for actually playing the games, shooting out of a cannon to start the campaign with back-to-back winning months before they settled into a more moribund groove in June and July, swimming in place and turning in a 26-26 record over that stretch before tightening back up to post an 18-11 August. Now, off to a dismal 7-16 start in September, the Grackles may see all their hard work go down the drain as the San Jose Seals attempt to take advantage of their recent troubles to overtake them in the Wild Card race, smashing Cinderella’s glass slipper against the concrete as Austin misses the playoffs for the 8th season in a row.

154 of 162: Merl Crawford (11-10, 3.45) @ Marcos Villalobos (1-2, 3.86)
Win, 7-1. Homers from Dom (11), Otto (41) and Oh Hong (43 – tied with Tom Franzone in the NL once more) would be the story here as our offense pummeled Austin’s pitching, taking full advantage of their poor form to kick off this 3-game set. Merl finally secured a win, his 1st in 8 starts, to improve to 12-10 on the year, T-Rex Stiles picked up his 12th hold since joining the big club back in early June, and Dwight Beasley, getting 2-innings of burn tonight, acquitted himself nicely by allow just one hit while fanning 4 to close the show.

155 of 162: Ram Chen (7-4, 2.05) @ Alfred Adcock (4-3, 2.98)
Win, 10-5. Austin’s descent into madness continues… this time they’d lose after we came back from 5 down during the top of the 8th and then poured on 5 more during the top of the 9th… Homers for Ethan (2-run), Oh Hong (a solo shot), and Ono (3-run) would tell most of the story offensively with Backup C Rolon driving in a couple more on a double to round things out nicely for us. Kudos to the bullpen as well – they found a way to stop the bleeding for us after Ram Chen left before the 5th having allowed 5 runners to plate on as many hits.

156 of 162: Dontrell McNeil (7-4, 3.88) @ Joe Matthiessen (10-11, 4.51)
Win, 8-5. Austin spotted us another fiver before the stretch in this one, capped off by a 2-run double from Ethan that brought our total to 5 during the frame, and we’d hold on for dear life from there as our bullpen allowed the Grackles to get within two before Haag shut the door for the 51st time this year. Five doubles, two homers, including #45 for Oh Hong, and we’d complete the sweep, leaving Austin just 1-game ahead of San Jose on our way out of town. If the Grackles don’t make the playoffs, I’m not sure how they sell any season tickets next year.

Elsewhere: Compton has lost two in a row against the Annapolis Corsairs and are now down two games to one after dropping game three in Maryland by a score of 6-2. Also, the Bush League Playoffs are all set… the bracket is attached for your perusal…

Record: 103-53, .660, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll return to the City of Angels where the Las Vegas Outlaws will be waiting for us as we close out September with one of our last two regular season sets…

[pauwoo]

Las Vegas Outlaws (85-70, .548, 2nd NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (103-53, .660, 1st NL West)
While fierce, I expected the Las Vegas Outlaws to come on even stronger this season… especially when they brought in Aitor Cubas on a $110mm, 3-year, market-setting deal during the offseason, more than shoring up any perceived weakness the punditry may have pointed at prior to that move. But, at 85-70 on the year, and as the current owners of the top wild card slot (Brooklyn is nipping at their heels, making this a muy importante set for the Outlaws), to say that this season has been anything other than a phenomenal success would be to miss the point entirely. Look, I expected that Vegas would challenge us for the division, that they may just have been good enough to finally snatch it from us, but the fact that it did not happen this season should not detract from the reality that the Outlaws are as formidable as they come and, once the dust has settled on the 2080 campaign, I’m sure they will stand amongst the handful of clubs that would have had something significant to say about it.

157 of 162: Shizuka Takeuchi (9-6, 3.61) @ Stephen Estevez (16-5, 2.14)
Win, 5-2. We’d ride a 3-run bottom of the 7th, where each of them came on OH HONG’s 46th jack of the season (off reliever Radoslav Borovsky), all the way to victory, improving our winning streak to 4 in a row, and giving the hometown faithful plenty to feel good about. Ethan swiped his 26th bag of the season, we’d field a D-Rod-Hutchinson-Ono double play, and got some lights out pitching from the staff as Estevez gave us his customary 5-innings before the pen took over, culminating in another win and Don Haag’s 52nd save of the season.

Oh Hong is all grows up you guys!


Elsewhere: Not dead yet! Compton knotted up their series against the Annapolis Corsairs at two games each after earning the road win by a score of 7-4, and Watts got things started off right against the Waco Rivermen (an Austin Affiliate) in the first game of the A-Ball Championship, defeating the home team by a score of 1-0… Petino Ortiz (27/31) hit the game winner, a SOLO DINGER, during the top of the 7th…

Also, ALL GROWS UP, I SAY!!!


158 of 162: Lee Myers (9-9, 3.36) @ Jan Hernandez (15-8, 2.36)
Win, 2-0. Jan Hernandez locked horns with Lee Myers and came out of it with a tale to tell as he bested the Las Vegas hurler after putting in 6-innings of 1-hit, 3 K work before handing the pill off to T-Rex Stiles for the hold (#13) and Don Haag for the save (#53). D-Rod and Walt were responsible for our runs, each coming on a single, and we fielded a rally-killing Rolon-Rodriguez, yo-yo double play during the bottom of the 8th. We’ve already performed admirably against Las Vegas, our most reviled of division rivals, and now have a chance to put them on the wrong side of a sweep tomorrow…

Elsewhere: Compton took a 3 game to 2 lead over the Annapolis Corsairs, defeating them in their house for the second time in a row by a score of 4-2. SP Waldo Long, the 28th overall pick in the 2078 draft and currently the 19th ranked prospect, gave us a tip-top, 8.1-inning, 4-hit, 2-earned effort to usher in the hard fought, game 5 victory… we’re just one win away from the AAA League Championship Series…

159 of 162: Evan Church (6-7, 4.64) @ Merl Crawford (12-10, 3.40)
Win, 8-4. Otto Isaac, still going strong after 10 years of being a pro, went 2-for-4 with a double, a DING DONG, 2 RBI and 3 runs to lead the charge, with Henderson following suit by clearing the bases on a double, and Ethan capping things off with a run-scoring single during the bottom of the 8th. T-Rex would be credited with the win, his 5th, despite blowing a save opportunity, as Merl didn’t get the run support necessary to book a W for his 5-inning, 4-hit, 2-run outing. Sweep City, folks… we’re either blowing our wad early or giving our potential foes a preview of what awaits them in the postseason.

Record: 106-53, .667, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll finish the regular season off against the Mexico City Jaguars…

[BirdWatcher]

Congrats to my man Oh Hong. Nice to see his career really blossoming. And many more good years to come, I am sure.

[pauwoo]

Originally Posted by BirdWatcher

Congrats to my man Oh Hong. Nice to see his career really blossoming. And many more good years to come, I am sure.

He’s had such a great season. Not quite surpassing Otto as our resident superstar, but he’s on his way.

[pauwoo]

Mexico City Jaguars (65-94, .409, 6th NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (106-53, .667, 1st NL West)
After this season comes to an end, it will have been 3 full seasons since the Jags have tasted the postseason, only earning a seat at the table once in the last 5 years, and never winning it all as a MLB outfit. Their offense is in good shape, ranked 4th overall with 2nd place rankings in AVG, OBP, and wOBA, and no worse than 7th anywhere else. It’s, as I’ve said many, many times before, their staff that is both holding them back and in need of a complete overhaul. They have a ways to go to get back to contention, and from the looks of it will have some money to spend during the offseason, some of which should go towards hiring a better team trainer given that their club has been beset by key injuries to the likes of Starter Patrick Keith (3 weeks left, torn labrum), SP Jaxon Dupre (fractured shoulder blade, 3 weeks left), 3B JJ Barbari (torn ankle ligaments, 3 weeks left), and 1B Ryder Nieman (torn abdominal muscle, 6-7 weeks left) this season. Still, even with the specter of what could have been hanging over them, I’m sure that, to a man, they are ready for this long slog of a season to be over, ready to go on vacation, to recharge their batteries, and begin to steel themselves up for another run at it next season.

160 of 162: Davey Halimkusuma (5-6, 4.07) @ Ram Chen (7-4, 2.30)
Win, 5-2. Ram Chen came correct over 5-innings of 4-hit, 2-earned work, Ramiro Marte was credited with the win after 3-innings of hitless work, and Don Haag earned his 54th save on the season in front of ~54K of our closest friends. 2-run DING DONG for Otto, his 43rd on the year, a run-scoring double for Hutchinson, and a SAC FLY from DOM would round out the offensive highlights as we’ve now won 7 in a row and 9 of our last 10. We’re on the good stuff now, top shelf, tossing them back like we haven’t got a care in the world, all the while keeping our fingers crossed under the bar that our tab doesn’t come due early like it did last season.

Elsewhere: Compton advanced to the League Championship series in the AAA Playoffs after defeating the Annapolis Corsairs in the deciding 7th game by a score of 4-3. Recent addition, by virtue of being sent down by the big club, Leandro Mercedes was the man of the match after turning in a 2-for-3 day that included a double, 3 RBI, and a walk.

161 of 162: Owen Sum (0-1, 4.50) @ Stephen Estevez (16-5, 2.19)
Win, 4-1. Estevez finished the regular season strong, putting in a workmanlike 5-innings of 3-hit, 1-run ball and Dom powered the offense with a 2-run double that put us up for good during the bottom of the 3rd… Estevez will complete the season with 17 wins, which has him in the top 3 in wins for now, and Haag, after securing his 55th save on the year, is within one of matching his own single-season record of 56.

Elsewhere: Watts has pulled ahead of the Waco Rivermen, 3 to 2, after winning game five by a score of 6-5. Woodrow Lopez (20/24) finished 2-for-4 with 2 DING DONGS, 3 RBI, and a couple of runs for the Warriors.

162 of 162: Hunter Newhouse (0-9, 3.32) @ Dontrell McNeil (7-4, 3.94)
Win, 2-0. We’d close out the 2080 campaign on a 9-game winning streak, sweeping two clubs consecutively, and tying our regular-season high water mark, set in 2078 at 109 wins. Dontrell hurled 5-innings of 1-run ball, Otto sent his 44th JACK over the fence, and Don Haag tied his career-best at 56 saves for the second year in a row. Tom Franzone, in addition to winning the batting crown, led the majors in HRs at 47… just one more than our own OH HONG.

The playoffs are all set, Austin secured the final slot after San Jose fell apart, finishing 3-7 and missing out on that last playoff slot by 6 games, and we are the top seed in the NL. Bracket, as ever, is attached…

Record: 109-53, .672, 1st NL West
Up Next: We await the winner of the circle series, where, on our side of the bracket, the Brooklyn Citizens will face off against the Austin Grackles, before kicking off the playoffs and, subsequently, our quest for immortality.

[pauwoo]

Watts won the A-Ball Championship defeating the Waco Rivermen in game 7 by a score of 4-3! Good ol’ Watts… they deserve it.

[pauwoo]

October 9th, 2080
Brooklyn best Austin in the opener with Zody leading the way…


October 11th, 2080
Austin knots things up at 1 game each courtesy of a Rajkumar walk-off at home…


October 13th, 2080
Case Tunnell’s gutsy, 5.2-inning performance sets the ton in Brooklyn’s game 3 victory at home over the Grackles…


Updated bracket is attached… let’s go!

Also, in AAA, our own Compton Raiders will advance to the AAA Championship after defeating the Alexandria Possums in 7 games…