Los Angeles Leopards (SVMLB)

[pauwoo]

Las Vegas Outlaws (20-22, .476, 6th NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (28-14, .667, 1st NL West)
It’s been a full week since the Las Vegas Outlaws won a game, they’ve gone 1-9 over their last 10, and have lost 6 in a row (all at home). To say they’re in a bad way would be a gross understatement – no, their lot resides in Dis, moated by sorrow, and fortified on souls of sinners. Their pitching has been terrible – ranked last in FIP, 11th in ERA, and 10th overall in the NL. It’s so bad that even having the 4th ranked offense producing 4.2 runs per game has them sitting on a -1 RDiff. It’s early, the season isn’t lost yet, and they can still turn this thing around… but, if they don’t start initiating that turn now, I fear there may be no coming back from this. Not in the NL West where the 4th place Austin Grackles are flexing a .548 winning percentage.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP O. Arce (4-0, 2.40 ERA) vs RHP R. Borovský (2-3, 4.69 ERA)
RHP R. Taylor (0-6, 5.83 ERA) vs RHP C. Murphy (2-1, 5.40 ERA)
LHP L. Duarte (3-1, 3.80 ERA) vs RHP A. Jensen (3-3, 3.83 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. SP Pete Taylor (Age: 31, Overall : 64, Potential: 64)
2. 3B Shane Fukumoto (25, 63, 73)
3. CL Adrian Parker (35, 62, 62)
4. SP Matt Martin (32, 57, 57)
5. SP Aiden Jensen (33, 55, 55)

#43: Win, 6-4… What looked like it would be another nondescript win against a circumspect club, loathe to do anything more than to go through the motions, got real in a hurry when a 2-run bomb brought the Outlaws within one during the top of the 8th… all for naught though as C Mason Click’s solo shot during the bottom of that frame gave us the cushion we’d end this one on.

A quick look at what happens when two poor clubs play each other… BONK!





#44: Loss, 2-7… RF Bill Cox, who was claimed off waivers from Montreal after spending most of 2083 in their development system, hammered a 3-run blast during a 4-run top of the 5th that all but did us in… helping Las Vegas earn a split with a chance to crib this series off us in our house tomorrow.
#45: Loss, 2-5… It’s always nice to drop a set, at home, to the worst club in your division… RP Russel Harper takes the loss, his 2nd, after giving up 3 runs over 3.2 innings of work. Oh Hong did all our damage on a 2-run double. It wasn’t enough damage though. We needed more damage.

The NCAA season ended today with the tournament scheduled to get started tomorrow… Wyoming, USC, Pittsburgh, and Florida State are the odds-on favorites… with Miami, UCLA, and, maybe, Notre Dame as your dark horse contenders… with our series loss, at home, against Las Vegas we’ve now dropped two sets so far in May and are sitting on a ho-hum, 8-7 record so far this month. Elsewhere: Charlotte has opened up a 3-game lead on the New York Sluggers in the AL East – it’s the largest division lead in the majors – and, with our recent struggles being the likely perpetrator, have pulled within 1-game of us for the best record in all of baseball. LF Chance Bell, who, after entering Free Agency during the offseason, had a hard time finding a club willing to pay him to play baseball, is now 29-games into his tenure with the Buffalo Nickels… and, the results are mixed - .220/.288/.310, 0 HR, 5 RBI, 77 OPS+, -0.1 WAR.

Record: 29-16, .644, 1st NL West
Up Next: Some interleague silliness against the Denver Miners in our park. Yay!

[pauwoo]

Denver Miners (21-23, .477, 4th AL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (29-16, .644, 1st NL West)
The Denver Miners are getting ahead of themselves – or, at least that what the PYT seems to suggest, with their terrible, no good RDiff of -34, 12th rated pitching staff, and 11th rated defense. Theirs is a club seemingly without foundation, a house of cards built on a poorly secured shelf, with a windstorm brewing… their offense is serviceable, with 3B Aldo Fernandez leading the charge, but lacks speed and baserunning acumen, there isn’t much relief to be found in their 10th ranked development system, and the coffers are looking bare. Even still, Denver was highly regarded by the punditry during their preseason write-ups and was expected to battle it out with Dallas for the AL West division crown… and, while that prediction hasn’t come to fruition yet, there’s still time for them to shake things up in the Mile High City, to make some trades, call up some youngers, and go for it before it’s too late, before their dwindling fanbase forgets that they even exist.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP L. Duarte (3-1, 3.80 ERA) vs RHP T. Pushkin (4-1, 4.15 ERA)
LHP R. McGuire (5-2, 2.38 ERA) vs RHP B. Ulibarri (2-5, 9.09 ERA)
LHP O. Arce (5-0, 2.47 ERA) vs RHP J. Sifuentes (4-2, 3.68 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. CL Danny Switzer (Age: 29, Overall: 77, Potential: 77)
2. 3B Aldo Fernández (31, 75, 75)
3. RP Manny Sepulveda (34, 67, 67)
4. LF Lucas Zander (23, 57, 63)
5. SP Taylor Pushkin (31, 54, 54)

#46: Loss, 9-12… Former Leopard, 1B Archie Imanov, gave us the business – 2 for 5, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, 2 R – leading the charge for the Miners who overcame 4 Leopards homeruns to still beat us, at home, by 3 runs.
#47: Win, 9-8… Light-hitting Luca Biacchi took a forkball from RP Doug Ehrenreich yard, scoring two of our 4 runs during the bottom of the 6th with that last one giving us the margin we needed to walk away with the win – and a chance to win the rubber match tomorrow in front of the hometown faithful.
#48: Loss, 0-1… A late, top of the 9th, SAC FLY from Manuel Soto, all but did us in with Denver Closer, Danny Switzer, striking out the side to shut the door on us in front of all the people we love.

Hey! Look! It’s the Elite 8!



Also, don’t look now… BUT, the Phoenix Coyotes are tied with us at 30-18. For shame.

Record: 30-18, .625, t-1st NL West
Up Next: We’re headed to Texas, DFW to be specific, to contest 6 games in the Lonestar State with the first three coming against Dallas before heading a bit south to Austin for three more.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (30-18, .625, 1st NL West) @ Dallas Chaparrals (27-21, .562, 1st AL West)
Less a series of baseball games and more an ideological fistfight complete with elbows, atomic leg drops, and biting, this set pits two of the top clubs in the west against each other at a time when neither one is playing its best ball. For our part, we’ve suffered the indignity of a 4-6 stretch that has seen us lose back-to-back sets for the first time this season while the Chaps saw their 4-game win streak come to a crashing halt in Las Vegas their last time up. Here they’ll have an opportunity to show a California-based ballclub how its done while simultaneously continuing the trend of clubs holding our heads underwater as we struggle to breath… while those dastardly Coyotes look to saunter right past us to the top of the pops in the NL West.

In other news, when will we stop giving Rad chances… kid sucks this season.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP R. Taylor (0-7, 6.41 ERA) vs RHP J. Hernández (5-1, 3.50 ERA)
LHP L. Álvarez (5-3, 3.32 ERA) vs RHP J. Torres (1-2, 5.30 ERA)
LHP L. Duarte (3-2, 4.68 ERA) vs RHP W. Macomber (4-1, 3.38 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. CL Jacques Jameson (Age: 31, Overall: 70, Potential: 70)
2. 1B K.J. Marcus (28, 69, 69)
3. SP Walt Allen (30, 66, 66)
4. LF Simon Harris (26, 65, 65)
5. RP Taylor McGrady (29, 65, 65)

#49: Win, 6-2… A late 3-run pinch-hit, homer from Cleveland Hunter gave us all the cushion we’d need to get off on the good foot in Dallas, Rad, FINALLY, picks up his 1st win of the season after turning in 5.2-innings of 5-hit, 2-earned ball, and Max Egner secured his 16th save on 10 total pitches.
#50: Loss, 0-5… C Dom Cooke bashed a 2-run MOONSHOT, the Dallas staff held us in check throughout the contest, and the Chaps gave themselves a shot at winning their 3rd set in a row in tomorrow’s rubber match.

In other, less important, news… the Final Four is set. AND none of the teams I identified as favorites, dark horse or otherwise, are still around… Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens, Cal State Fullerton, Vanderbilt, and Baylor are the last clubs standing. Kinda gross, you ask me.

#51: Win, 13-3… GRAND SLAM for Otto, his 10th TANK of the season, homers for Ethan, Click, and Burch, 2 swiped bags, 8.2-innings from our starter, Leonardo Duarte, two double plays, and our first series win in the last three tries. We back on that good stuff now & cooking with Crisco.

Otto with the 2nd best performance of the day… he’s first in our hearts though.


So, winning that set against the Chaps had us merely running in place as Phoenix navigated their last set against the Portland Pioneers with as much aplomb and, perhaps, a bit more dignity than we did in ours, which gave the Charlotte Imperials all the room they’d need to ride their 4-game winning streak all the way to the best record in baseball at 33-18… Down on the farm our 3A club, the Compton Raiders, have a 2-game lead over the Tijuana Goats in the DL West and are winners of their last two games – Dani Thorpe continues to pitch well for them and looks poised to force his way back up soon enough. In Bush League news, specifically the Western Bush, preseason darlings, the Walnut Creek Wizards, continue to make the punditry look stupid at 8-15… they 1-9 over their last ten and have lost 6 straight. Yikes.

Record: 32-19, .627, t-1st NL West
Up Next: Still in Texas, living the dream, with the Austin Grackles on tap…

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (32-19, .627, t-1st NL West) @ Austin Grackles (26-25, .510, 5th NL West)
After turning in a 15-11 April, the Grackles have come crashing back down to earth with a 9-12 performance so far in May… and, if we’re looking for something to pin it on, something to blame, you could start with their pitching where they rank 11th in RA, Starters ERA, and Bullpen ERA, but you would really have to point, fiercely, at their defense, its 11th ranked efficiency, and 9th ranked ZR given the fact that, when fielding is removed from the equation, these Grackles rank 2nd in the NL. And, it’s not like these lackluster defenders can crack – some of them can, sure – so, when you see that they are ranked 6th as a unit, it sort of makes you wonder why the Austin brass puts up with their defensive deficiencies. I’m convinced that given a little bit of coin and even less time, I could win a world series with just a few defensive/speed upgrades. It’s too bad… they’ve developed some real studs.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP R. McGuire (5-2, 3.09 ERA) vs RHP J. Matthiessen (4-4, 3.65 ERA)
LHP O. Arce (5-0, 2.25 ERA) vs RHP W. Peña (1-1, 5.34 ERA)
RHP R. Taylor (1-7, 6.06 ERA) vs RHP M. Morales (6-2, 2.94 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. 2B Heathcote Kinton (Age: 33, Overall: 80, Potential: 80)
2. 3B Ronaldo Guzman (30, 70, 70)
3. SP Joe Matthiessen (25, 66, 77)
4. SP Alfred Adcock (25, 64, 72)
5. RP Keven Lynch (28, 63, 63)

#52: Win, 7-5… Luca capped off what would be a 5-run top of the 6th with a 2-run double, providing us with all the cushion we’d need to win the first of three in Austin.
#53: Win, 10-1… Something like a game of Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robots where our opponent’s bot was broken, leaving us, in all our haste, to pummel them unmercifully. C Mason Click – 2-for-3, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB… good enough for the #3 Performance of the day.
#54: Win, 9-4… We brutalized Austin over these last three – 4 TANKS today – 1 each for Oh Hong, Otto, Dalton Burch, and Mason Click. Rad picks up his 2nd victory too – 2-7 with a tasty little 5.93 ERA.

Peep the NCAA Championship Box Score… this is Cal State Fullerton’s 3rd title since 1992.




After that sweep, we’re now enjoying a 2-game lead over the Phoenix Coyotes at the top of the NL West table… we’ve won 4-straight and are starting to look like the club we all know and love again. This little run has also allowed us to pull even with the hard-charging Charlotte Imperials – both enjoying a rip-roaring 35-19 record thus far. Don’t look now but some young punk out of Duke has pulled even with Satoru Ono at 14 homers in the National League – 25yo LFer Nicky Bowman, an entitled, unmotivated brat has put 14 balls into the cheapseats to go along with his 59 K’s so far. It’s okay though as Tom Franzone leads the majors with 15 TANKS in Boston – so, the old codger is doing his level best to stand between the 2084 HR crown and some rich kid that went to Duke.

Record: 35-19, .648, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll catch an early flight back to L.A. on our day off tomorrow then get back after it on Tuesday against the San Diego Skipjacks…

[pauwoo]

San Diego Skipjacks (30-24, .555, 3rd NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (35-19, .648, 1st NL West)
After sleepwalking through a 15-15 mark in March & April, San Diego has been doing the dirt lately… on 7-3 stretch over their last 10, 15-9 so far this May, and boasting our leagues 3rd best offense, these Skipjacks are coming for it. But, we’re on one too – playing with some real verve and pushing around the weaker kids in the deepest, darkest corner of the recess lot… this has all the makings of a tough set, a sort of ‘clash of the titans’ if you will, complete with herky jerky stop motion animation, scary monsters, and a damsel in distress.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP L. Álvarez (5-4, 3.30 ERA) vs RHP W. Doles (4-2, 4.47 ERA)
LHP L. Duarte (4-2, 4.47 ERA) vs RHP B. Mackay (4-2, 2.51 ERA)
LHP R. McGuire (6-2, 3.12 ERA) vs RHP L. Torres (7-4, 4.11 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. SS Jalen Payton (Age: 28, Overall: 74, Potential: 76)
2. CF Samuel Preston (23, 72, 80)
3. SP Brady Mackay (24, 69, 78)
4. 1B Luis Cavazos (31, 62, 62)
5. CL Shawn Arguello (31, 60, 60)

May 30th, 2084
#55: Win, 7-5… Oh Hong hit his 12th homer, a 2-run blast during the bottom of the 6th that put us up for good, Hutchinson brought two in on a double, and Max Egner earned his 18th save with 2 ground outs and a pop out spread out over 14 total pitches.

Down on the farm… Compton found themselves on the wrong side of a 1-0 shutout against the Abilene Roughnecks as Starter Mauricio D’Andrea went the distance, allowing just 5-hits while fanning 7… and, not to be outdone, our 2A club, the Inglewood Sentinels also found themselves on the wrong side of a 1-0 shutout on the road in Acapulco as beautifully-named starter, Elias Grossnickle, entered a complete-game, 1-hitter into the permanent record along with 7 K’s… It’s rough for the kids right now.

May 31st, 2084
#56: Win, 5-2… C Mason Click broke this one open with a 2-run single during the bottom of the 8th that extended our lead to 4 runs, Leonardo Duarte picked up his 5th win, Egner his 19th save, and Otto showed off his wheels a little bit with his 12th steal of the ’84 campaign.

Hey, hey… May’s in the books – here’s the standings as of May 31st…



And, a look at the top hitters (who cares about pitching, honestly)… it’s Tom’s world, amirite?
Batting AVG: TOM FRANZONE (Boston) - 340/408/623 - 17 HR - 39 RBI - 34 R - 1 SB - 3.1 WAR
On-Base %: Kenton McMahon (Buffalo) - 313/418/453 - 5 HR - 27 RBI - 32 R - 1 SB - 2.1 WAR
Slugging %: TOM FRANZONE (Boston) - 340/408/623 - 17 HR - 39 RBI - 34 R - 1 SB - 3.1 WAR
Home Runs: TOM FRANZONE (Boston) - 340/408/623 - 17 HR - 39 RBI - 34 R - 1 SB - 3.1 WAR
Runs Batted In: Alexander MacDonald (Charlotte) - 244/335/424 - 8 HR - 43 RBI - 31 R - 3 SB - 1.4 WAR
Runs: Simon Harris (Dallas) - 258/371/510 - 14 HR - 37 RBI - 41 R - 0 SB - 2 WAR
Stolen Bags: Rusty Seeden (Toronto) - 282/339/445 - 8 HR - 24 RBI - 31 R - 17 SB - 2.1 WAR
WAR: TOM FRANZONE (Boston) - 340/408/623 - 17 HR - 39 RBI - 34 R - 1 SB - 3.1 WAR

June 1st, 2084
#57: Win, 4-2… Our 2nd straight sweep, this time against a rock-solid club in San Diego. 2-run DING DONG from Otto, run-scoring single from Luca, and another save for Mad Max… on 6-pitches, no less.

A quick lay of the land shows us starting to pull away from… well, EVERYONE. 5-games up on Phoenix now – they’re not helping themselves any, having lost 4-straight now.

Record: 38-19, .667, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll welcome the Coyotes to town for a 3-game set over the weekend, conduct the draft on Monday, then get back out on the road with games in Las Vegas and Mexico City.

[pauwoo]

June 2nd, 2084
Phoenix Coyotes (33-24, .579, 2nd NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (38-19, .667, 1st NL West)
Phoenix was on one in April, finishing at 18-8 during the first full month of the season, but cooled a bit in May where they posted a mere 15-11 mark… still, they’re better than serviceable and more than capable of giving our club fits. They possess a lockdown bullpen, as sturdy a defense as you’ll see in our league (ranked 1st in efficiency), don’t make many mistakes on the diamond – I.E. the perfect foil for our group of care-free, hairy-chested brigands.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP O. Arce (6-0, 2.03 ERA) vs RHP W. Ricker (5-2, 2.24 ERA)
RHP R. Taylor (2-7, 5.93 ERA) vs LHP R. Luna (4-4, 4.60 ERA)
LHP L. Álvarez (5-4, 3.71 ERA) vs RHP J. Montgomery (1-4, 3.99 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. RF Harlem Peterson (Age: 33, Overall: 66, Potential: 66)
2. SP Ricky Halbur (34, 54, 54)
3. CL Chasley Anderson (24, 53, 55)
4. RP Nick Simpson (24, 51, 53)
5. RP Kaoru Kudo (35, 51, 51)

#58: Loss, 2-6… Luca brought two in on a double during the bottom of the 4th before Phoenix opened up on us during the top of the 6th with a 3-run inning… 23yo CFer, Luke Pinkerton, did most of the dirt here with a 3-for-5, 3 RBI day for PHX.


Elsewhere: SP Sendy Avila, a 23yo Minor Leaguer currently plying his trade in Detroit’s development system with the Hampton Marauders, tossed a gem for the ages, completing a No Hitter in Memphis to lead his team to a 6-0 victory over the Kings. Sendy went the distance with NO HITS, NO RUNS, 6 BB’s, and 10 K’s… after signing a minor league contract out of Venezuela way back in 2077, Avila is starting to show some big-league potential down in 2A.

June 3rd, 2084
#59: Win, 3-2(10)… Utility outfielder, Leo Bullock, put a dramatic, walk-off solo TANK into the cheap seats to get this one sorted… Otto put his 13th out and stole a base, Rad missed out on the win despite tossing 7 scoreless innings – he did earn PotG though, so he’s got that going for him.

June 4th, 2084
#60: Win, 2-1… A nice win, in a tight, taut ballgame, against a division rival, at home. Mullens opened the scoring with a homer during the 1st frame and Luca sealed it with a SAC FLY during the 5th. Alvarez wins for the 6th time this season, Max Egner picks up his 21st save…

Record: 40-20, .667, 1st NL West
Up Next: A weeklong road trip that will take us from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to Mexico City and back.

[pauwoo]

June 5th, 2084
First-Year Player Draft… we pick 17th, and, honestly, I haven’t even looked at the pool until today. I haven’t even looked into the coffers at all the expensive toys we have stashed down on the farm to really know what we need. I’m ill-prepared, woefully ill-equipped to make sound draft day decisions – as always. So, let’s do it anyway, shall we?

And, with the 17th pick of the 2084 draft, your Los Angeles Leopards drafted CL Mike Cooper out of New Mexico State because he’s really a 2B and will likely be a quite good one at that…



It was Slim Pickens after that, though I did pick up a teammate of Mike’s called Brad Watson… a speedy RFer with 70 Speed, 70 Stealing, and 75 Baserunning, 55 OR, 60 OE, 55 OA… tracks as a league average hitter IF he maxes out his potential. Oh, I also got a pitcher out of Kansas that tracks to be a backend of the rotation guy IF he can develop a 3rd pitch.

June 6th, 2084
Los Angeles Leopards (40-20, .667, 1st NL West) @ Las Vegas Outlaws (30-30, .500, 5th NL West)
In full on also-ran mode now, the Las Vegas Outlaws have been content to show off their treading capabilities, doing just enough to stay afloat and lull their fanbase into the fantasy that they still might, what with their 4th ranked NL offense, find a way to turn this thing around. And, who knows? They might. Just not over these next 3, not with the likes of us in town.

Also, Rad’s half-brother, Pete Taylor, plays here. So that’s cool.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP R. McGuire (6-2, 3.15 ERA) vs RHP P. Taylor (4-5, 4.13 ERA)
LHP L. Duarte (5-2, 4.41 ERA) vs RHP M. Martin (4-6, 4.28 ERA)
LHP O. Arce (6-0, 2.00 ERA) vs RHP R. Borovský (3-4, 4.73 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. CL Adrian Parker (Age: 35, Overall: 60, Potential: 60)
2. 3B Shane Fukumoto (25, 59, 73)
3. SP Pete Taylor (32, 59, 59)
4. SP Matt Martin (32, 56, 56)
5. SP Aiden Jensen (33, 54, 54)

#61: Win, 10-4… 10 runs, no homers – 3 RBI for OH HONG, 2 more for Ethan, and a 3-run double from Dan Blasko would be the story here as Ryan McGuire picked up his 7th win to lead the club in that category after putting in 5.1-innings of 4-hit, 4 K work. Oh, and Blasko finished 4-for-4. Pretty good day for that guy.

June 7th, 2084
#62: Win, 9-0. Here, we’d put another bad one on the Outlaws all but extinguishing any hope for a brighter future amongst their rapidly dwindling fan base – or – we caught them looking and there’s always tomorrow. 4 RBI for C Mason Click, win #6 for Duarte, ~32k fans leave the temperature-controlled Las Vegas Ballpark with the taste of disgust in their mouth.

June 8th, 2084
Our last contest in Sin City before boarding a jet bound for Mexico City… 4 hours of chop – not my favorite route to fly…

#63: Win, 6-3… Sweep City, Sin City… dealer’s choice. What does that even mean? Doesn’t matter. 2 RBI each for Oh Hong, Luca, and Benavidez… SP Orlando Arce improves to a PERFECT 7-0, and Max Egner picks up his 22nd save of the season.

June 9th, 2084
A late flight into Mexico City followed by a game at altitude… what can go wrong?

Los Angeles Leopards (43-20, .682, 1st NL West) @ Mexico City Jaguars (33-30, .524, 4th NL West)
Even at 10-games off our unbelievable pace, Mexico City has a line on the final wildcard slot of the 2084 playoffs… so, while it’s still a bit early to say it, they’re in the thick of things and have the look of a club who, should they earn a ticket to the dance, might be able to find a way to draw some attention on the dancefloor. As ever with these guys, pitching is a problem - they rank 11th in the category – but should they find a way to shore that up, even by a small degree, they really start doing some damage as their tip top, power hitting lineup is set to go and capable of giving any opposing staff fits…

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP R. Taylor (2-7, 5.29 ERA) vs LHP H. Cartmel (3-5, 4.94 ERA)
LHP L. Álvarez (6-4, 3.56 ERA) vs RHP P. Torres (4-4, 3.07 ERA)
LHP R. McGuire (7-2, 3.04 ERA) vs LHP O. Sum (5-3, 3.43 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. SP Patrick Torres (Age: 23, Overall: 80, Potential: 80)
2. CF Norris Flaherty (33, 64, 64)
3. LF Gervasio Contreras (23, 60, 70)
4. SP Owen Sum (27, 57, 58)
5. CL Jaden Davis (25, 57, 57)

#64: Win, 4-0… Going in I thought Skipper Scott’s decision to start Rad in Mexico City would undo our run of great baseball but, not so, I was wrong once again… he picks up his 3rd win, 3-7 with a 4.91 ERA now, after turning in a rip-roaring 5-innings of 4-hot, 0 earned, 4 K work and both Otto & Oh Hong hit TANKS. 4-0 on this road trip so far… wowza.

June 10th, 2084
#65: Loss, 2-14… Welp, it would seem that our run of good fortune finally went to our heads and that Mexico City, ever the competent counter-puncher, saw that opening and took it, happily, in this one… DH Payton Gardner hit us with 2 HR’s and amassed 4 total RBI, former-Leopard, Satoru Ono, brought three around and C Hisamoto Hirata hit a 3-run double. Add in the fact that Patrick Torres went the distance for MC while our own Larimel Alvarez could only muster 3.1-innings of highly suspect work and I think you get the jist of what kinds of crimes were perpetrated against our club in this one. It was inhumane if I’m honest.

And, why wouldn’t I be?

June 11th, 2084
#66: Win, 9-7 (10)… a real slobber-knocker, this one… Ethan drilled a 3-run double during the top of the 10th to get things sorted, Luca Biacchi drove in 4, and Max Egner, forced to come in during the bottom of the 10th, picked up his 23rd save despite giving up a Solo HR to Satoru Ono. A great series win to cap off a great, great road trip.

Batting Leaders…
Batting AVG: PATRICK ADAMS (Seattle) - 329/369/555 - 9 HR - 22 RBI - 26 R - 0 SB - 1.3 WAR
On-Base %: Shane Fukumoto (Las Vegas) - 282/411/418 - 5 HR - 19 RBI - 35 R - 5 SB - 1.8 WAR
Slugging %: TOM FRANZONE (Boston) - 323/400/598 - 19 HR - 44 RBI - 42 R - 1 SB - 3.2 WAR
Home Runs: TOM FRANZONE (Boston) - 323/400/598 - 19 HR - 44 RBI - 42 R - 1 SB - 3.2 WAR
Runs Batted In: SATORU ONO (Mexico City) - 286/358/549 - 19 HR - 49 RBI - 43 R - 0 SB - 2.8 WAR
Runs: Simon Harris (Dallas) - 267/377/504 - 16 HR - 44 RBI - 47 R - 0 SB - 2.5 WAR
Stolen Bags: Rusty Seeden (Toronto) - 281/339/462 - 9 HR - 31 RBI - 38 R - 20 SB - 2.7 WAR
WAR: OTTO ISAAC (Los Angeles) - 285/381/508 - 14 HR - 42 RBI - 46 R - 15 SB - 3.4 WAR

Record: 45-21, .681, 1st NL West
Up Next: A 6-game homestand with Philadelphia and New Orleans all set to pay us a visit.

[pauwoo]

June 12th, 2084

I normally don’t pay too much attention to the PoTW awards – they’re fun, to be sure, it’s just that, in the larger scheme of things, they’re meaningless. However, given that 35yo SS Rich Bell, who is currently plying his trade as a member of our development squad in Compton, won the award in 3A this week after posting a 9-for-25, 4 HR, 9 RBI line over the last week. Good on ya, old man. May you be forever young…

June 13th, 2084
Philadelphia Founders (34-32, .515, 2nd NL East) @ Los Angeles Leopards (45-21, .682, 1st NL West)
That Philadelphia finds themselves running with the big dogs in the NL East, what with the 8th ranked offense and 9th rated staff, would be something of a surprise if those aforementioned ‘big dogs’ were actually that big at all. A more apropos description would be that Philly is running with a pack of medium sized dogs in the NL East where there are 3, maybe 4, clubs that are just one short growth spurt away from taking things over in that division. And, Philly, in my humble opinion, isn’t that dog – the milk they drink is powdered, the protein they eat is plant based. Here, I see no reason why we can’t keep the good times rolling against a club who, while decent, is just not on our level.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP L. Duarte (6-2, 3.99 ERA) vs LHP M. Crawford (5-4, 3.39 ERA)
LHP O. Arce (7-0, 2.11 ERA) vs LHP L. Langston (1-4, 5.14 ERA)
RHP R. Taylor (3-7, 4.91 ERA) vs RHP B. Dauncey (1-5, 5.33 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. CF Sage Reid (Age: 28, Overall: 66, Potential: 66)
2. CL Ethan Roberts (31, 64, 64)
3. RP Adam Sullivan (29, 61, 61)
4. SP Lyndon Langston (22, 57, 80)
5. RP Harvey Allen (29, 57, 57)

#67: Loss, 0-1… Philadelphia Starter, Merl Crawford, kept our guys guessing of 7-innings of work where he’d allow just 4 total hits to go along with his 4 K’s and nothing earned while Duarte’s only earned run came during the top of the first frame when Cody Keenan scored on a Fielder’s Choice put in play by Sage Reid.

June 14th, 2084
#68: Win, 8-0… Orlando Arce locked Philly down while the offense, led by Luca Biacchi’s 2-run double, did its level best to make sure that the Founders were properly introduced to the home team after last night’s debacle.

June 15th, 2084
#69: Win, 6-1… Another night, another offensive explosions… this time the fire was lit by Dan Blasko who put a 3-run blast into the cheap seats to extend our margin to 5 runs during the bottom of the 8th… T-Rex closed the show with his 1st save of the year – Max Egner has been taking most, if not all, of the opportunities this season after T-Rex held down the CL title admirably last season – I might look at dealing one of them before the deadline if I’m feeling cute.

June 16th, 2084
New Orleans Alligators (35-34, .507, t-2nd NL East) @ Los Angeles Leopards (47-22, .681, 1st NL West)
While we’ve busied ourselves enjoying a 9-game lead in the NL West, New Orleans has been throwing elbows, jumping dutifully into the fracas known as the NL East. They’ve pulled even with Philadelphia after we pummeled the Founders in those last two and now find themselves operating a scant 3 games off the pace set by the Montreal Alouettes. That’s called being in the thick of it with a chance to make a move – against us, however, well, that’s… how you say? Unlikely.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP L. Álvarez (6-5, 3.99 ERA) vs RHP B. Fulp (1-2, 1.75 ERA)
LHP R. McGuire (7-2, 3.45 ERA) vs RHP N. Estopinan (3-5, 2.27 ERA)
LHP L. Duarte (6-3, 3.72 ERA) vs RHP T. Abraham (5-1, 2.70 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. 3B Reuben Johnson (Age: 32, Overall: 65, Potential: 65)
2. SP Nil Estopinan (24, 64, 75)
3. RP Tommy Cimental (23, 57, 59)
4. CL Mauricio Henriquez (27, 57, 57)
5. SP Tom Abraham (27, 56, 58)

#70: Loss, 1-4… Larimel dropped to 6-6 on the year after struggling, mightily, in this one – 6.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 2 HRA – and the offense, despite Ethan’s 3 doubles, couldn't get off the ground as the Gators boiled us up like crawfish. Which, if I’m right, is one way to make them.

June 17th, 2084
#71: Win, 3-2… Carson Hutchinson’s walk off double would get this sorted as we came from 2 down during the final frame to score all three of our runs for the night… the other two came on an Ethan Mullens TANK, his 16th this season, that brought Otto around.

June 18th, 2084
#72: Loss, 1-4 (13)… New Orleans would exact some small measure of revenge here, pouring on 3-runs during the top of the 13th to secure the win & series, in our house, in front of our fans… the winning hit? A 3-run TANK from DH Ray Martin – it’s his 6th homer this year.

Record: 48-24, .667, 1st NL West
Up Next: A quick jaunt east for 3-games in Montreal, followed by a flight all the way back to the west coast so we can do battle against Portland in their park.

[pauwoo]

June 19th, 2084

Our own Ethan Mullens, who’s having a bang-up season so far in 2084, took home player of the week honors in the National League after posting an 11-for-23, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 4 R line over the previous 7-days. Ethan currently leads our squad in HRs at 16 this season and is 2nd for RBI at 44 so far. After missing most of 2082 due to injury and coming back with an all-star caliber season in 2083, the pace Ethan is setting so far in 2084 could put him on the short list of MVP candidates in our league. Let’s hope he keeps it up – dude is one of my faves and I was starting to think that my loyalty to him, and his $24mm salary, was a mistake.

June 20th, 2084
Los Angeles Leopards (48-24, .667, 1st NL West) @ Montreal Alouettes (41-31, .569, 1st NL East)
Heading into the land of poutine and an unhealthy obsession with Leonard Cohen where the class of the NL East, and, honestly, one of the better clubs in our league, anxiously await our arrival… they’re built on pitching, ranked 1st overall in the NL, with an offense pieced together as something of an afterthought given its dead last ranking. They pitch you up and in with relative ease, stay tight & error free in the field, and just sort of lull you into a sort of trance before finding a way to get just enough offense on the board to beat you before you even realize what happened. This should be a tough set against a tough team that is, seemingly, better than the sum of its parts.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP O. Arce (8-0, 1.97 ERA) vs RHP G. Switzer (5-2, 2.63 ERA)
RHP R. Taylor (4-7, 4.56 ERA) vs LHP S. Estevez (5-2, 2.19 ERA)
LHP L. Álvarez (6-6, 4.12 ERA) vs RHP C. McAllister (3-6, 4.10 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. SP Stephen Estevez (Age: 33, Overall: 77, Potential: 77)
2. C Rex Engelstad (35, 64, 64)
3. RP Burke Albright (22, 56, 64)
4. CL Tony Cox (33, 55, 55)
5. RP D.J. Lozano (27, 55, 55)

#73: Loss, 2-3 (11)… Here, Montreal just lulled us to sleep, knotting things up at 2 each during the bottom of the 7th before hypnotizing us with a pocket watch the rest of the way. T-Rex gave up the game winner, a solo homer, to 2B Ron Henry making it 25 total RBI on the year for the Alouettes #7 hitter. Gross.

Note: Ethan’s streak of 8 consecutive games recording at least one EBH came to an end in this one as your boy went just 1-for-5 in the first of this 3-game set. Also, we managed to sign all of our draft picks, so – that’s cool.

June 21st, 2084
#74: Win, 2-0… Our much-maligned Rad Taylor, who has been mired in a low-key off campaign so far this year, came out gangbusters in this one, twirling an 8-inning, 1-hitter with 4 K’s to lead your La La’s to a nice little victory in game two of this set and the first in a Wednesday double header.

June 22nd, 2084
#75: Win, 12-2… Some sweet, sweet get back for the boys here led by Oh Hong’s 3-for-6, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 Run day. Four double plays and win #7 for Larimel too. Oh, and a nice series win against the top club in the NL East.

June 23rd, 2084
Los Angeles Leopards (50-25, .667, 1st NL East) @ Portland Pioneers (35-40, .467, 5th AL West)
After missing the playoffs last season, and finishing 5th in their division in 2083, these Portland Pioneers look like they picked up exactly where they left off last season – just a moribund club, from a weird, yet somehow homogenized metroplex, going through the motions… and, for a club with 6 titles to its name, I’d have expected them to, at least, look like they might be headed in the right direction… but, alas, we get this – a club content to sleep walk through another campaign all the while selling their fanbase on a not too distant future where their club will rise to national prominence once again. The only problem I see, however, is that the cupboards are bare, the pantry barren, and the development coffers all but dried up. Might be a long wait in Multnomah County.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP R. McGuire (7-2, 3.36 ERA) vs RHP K. Western (6-6, 4.47 ERA)
LHP L. Duarte (6-3, 3.52 ERA) vs LHP B. McGillicuddy (5-10, 4.14 ERA)
LHP O. Arce (8-0, 1.94 ERA) vs LHP G. Bertrand (6-6, 4.06 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. SS Jess Alford (Age: 32, Overall: 59, Potential: 59)
2. CL Jon Compton (31, 58, 58)
3. RP Tristan Kim (33, 56, 56)
4. RP Bernal Sánchez (32, 54, 54)
5. SP Kito Western (29, 53, 54)

#76: Win, 2-0… A run-scoring double from Ethan opened our scoring during the top of the 9th, giving us all the margin we’d need to best Portland in this one – 7.1-innings of filthiness from McGuire, win #4 for T-Rex, and save #25 for Max Egner. A couple of double plays, a SAC FLY, and SAC BUNT too – just a little bit of everything from the boys in this one.

June 24th, 2084
#77: Win, 4-2… Otto put us up for good during the top of the 3rd with a run-scoring SAC FLY, Mason Click hit his 8th HR of the year, a solo shot, and Leonardo Duarte managed to earn his 7th victory of the year after turning in 7-innings of 5-hit, 1 earned work.


Elsewhere: LF Peter Pascual, who’s spent his entire career, save 1-year as a member of our Watts Warriors, in the Indy Leagues, further cemented his reputation as a Bush League legend with a 4-for-5, THREE HOMERUN, 7 RBI, 3 run day to lead his Bellevue Players to a 10-1 win over the Alamogordo Caravans. Peter is hitting 291/381/603 with 12 dingers, and 30 RBI so far in his first year playing with Bellevue in the Western Bush League. Currently, his club finds itself just 3-games out of first where the Santa Barbara Pelicans are perched at the top of the pops.

June 25th, 2084
#78: Loss, 2-5… Orlando Arce loses for the first time this season after giving up 2 earned over 5-innings of work while Portland Starter, Gareth Bertrand gave us the business over his 6-inning on the hill, fanning 7 during the effort. Was really hoping to get the road sweep here – it’s always fun to bash American League teams… but, alas, our guys, while winning the series, just couldn’t go all the way in the PNW.

Note: Tom Franzone has 28 long balls so far in 2084 and is trending to hit 58 which, if you’re counting, would set the all-time record in this save that currently sits at 52 TANKS set all the way back in 2034. Aitor Cubas went for it in 2082, finishing at 50 (he’s only the 3rd player to hit 50 or more) and our own Otto Isaac gave it the ol’ college try in 2083, but finished at 49 after getting cold over the last few weeks of the season.

Record: 52-26, .667, 1st NL West
Up Next: Well contest three at home against the AL’s Buffalo Nickels before getting back on the road in Texas for a 3-game, divisional set against the Austin Grackles.

[pauwoo]

June 26th, 2084
So, some more weekly award silliness… Tom Franzone (Boston) wins it in the AL while Heathcote Kinton (Austin) does the same in the NL… two old faves still holding it down something fierce. And, perhaps more importantly, our club remains perched at the top of the Weekly Power Rankings…

The top 5 are as such…
Teams (Total Points, Tendency):
1) Los Angeles Leopards (121.0, +)
2) Charlotte Imperials (115.1, +)
3) Mexico City Jaguars (102.8, ++)
4) Denver Miners (101.2, o)
5) Montreal Alouettes (99.2, --)

June 27th, 2084
Buffalo Nickels (35-43, .449, 5th AL East) @ Los Angeles Leopards (52-26, .667, 1st NL West)
A middle-of-the-road team – 8th in offense, 6th in pitching/defense – and playing like one, the Buffalo Nickels, who haven’t made the playoffs in 6 seasons, continue going down the only road they’ve ever known… that of mediocrity.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP L. Álvarez (7-6, 4.09 ERA) vs LHP R. Chen (4-5, 3.36 ERA)
RHP R. Taylor (5-7, 4.13 ERA) vs RHP J. Sanchez-Flores (8-5, 4.61 ERA)
LHP R. McGuire (7-2, 3.09 ERA) vs RHP G. Rice (3-8, 3.79 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. SP Jack Sanchez-Flores (Age: 32, Overall: 71, Potential: 71)
2. C Johnny Alavez (31, 60, 60)
3. SP Ram Chen (28, 58, 60)
4. SP Paul Yeager (34, 58, 58)
5. RP Pablo Lindgren (24, 57, 59)

#79: Win, 5-3… Alvarez gets the win, his 8th, after 5.1-innings of work, T-Rex with his 11th hold, and Max Egner picked up his 27th save as your La La’s picked up a workmanlike victory in Los Angeles. Oh Hong hit a single, double, and triple – just couldn’t put one out – Ethan Mullens showed off his wheels a little bit with steal #13, and C Mason Click drove in two to run his ongoing tally up to 34 this year.

June 27th, 2084
#80: Loss, 2-3 (11)… we’d knot this one up on a 2-run TANK courtesy of Hernando Benavidez during the bottom of the 9th, sending the game into extras with our best reliever, Max Egner, on the mound… it wouldn’t be enough after he gave up a double during the 11th, following that up with a balk to move the man over to 3rd, and then serve up a meatball to Kenton McMahon who hit the game winning single right up the middle. Tough way to go out here… outpitched, outplayed, and outhustled, at home, by an inferior team. Yuck.

June 28th, 2084
#81: Win, 10-2… we’d win the rubber match- a real shellacking to be honest – winning 7 of 8 full, 3-game series we’ve played this month as we head to the airport to board a flight bound for Austin, Texas. Otto hit a 2-run blast, his 16th of the year, and Ethan hit a 3-run TANK, his 17th, to lead the offense while the defense backed up our staff nicely with three double plays, helping McGuire earn his 8th win this year.

June 29th, 2084
Los Angeles Leopards (54-27, .667, 1st NL West) @ Austin Grackles (40-41, .494, 5th NL West)
Back in Austin where we’ll face off against the Grackles for the next three games… a team that has performed better than expected (they’re +3 against the pyt) given their terrible -30 RDiff. Honestly, with the offensive talent they’ve amassed and the fact that they finished 2nd in our division last season, I expected a bit more from these guys… I mean, all good, of course – their misfortune isn’t necessarily a bad thing for us. Listen, we’re not going to revel in it, but we’re not mad at it either.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP L. Duarte (7-3, 3.35 ERA) vs RHP W. Peña (4-2, 3.71 ERA)
LHP O. Arce (8-1, 2.03 ERA) vs RHP P. Garcia (4-3, 5.12 ERA)
LHP L. Álvarez (8-6, 3.95 ERA) vs RHP M. Morales (8-4, 3.99 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. 2B Heathcote Kinton (Age: 33, Overall: 80, Potential: 80)
2. 3B Ronaldo Guzman (30, 69, 69)
3. SP Joe Matthiessen (25, 66, 76)
4. CF Anthony Jamison (24, 64, 67)
5. SP Alfred Adcock (25, 63, 73)

#82: Win, 7-4… Oh Hong went 2-for-4 with a 2B, HR, 4 RBI and a run, we swiped two bags, Burch & Benavidez, and watched on as Leonardo Duarte secured his 8th victory of the 2084 campaign despite allowing four runners to find their way home.

July 1st, 2084
With June in the rearview, here’s the league standings and the batting & pitching stats of our club…


The Hitters...


The Hurlers...


#83: Win, 8-5… Oh Hong was at it again – 2-for-5, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, and a run for LA’s favorite adopted son. He now leads the team in TANKS at 20… oh, and Ethan put one out too, his 18th, with Otto contributing his 19th stolen base to the cause (he also scored a run). Orlando Arce improves to 9-1, even after allowing 4 runs like Duarte yesterday, and Max Egner secured his 29th save on 1 pitch. That’s called being efficient.

July 2nd, 2084
#84: Win, 11-2… Our first series in July, or one that spilled into it at least, ends in a sweep, on the road, against a division rival – I like that. Ethan was the story, or most of it, offensively, finishing 2-for-5 with a 3-run DING DONG and 5 total RBI, Otto swiped two more bags, scored twice, and drove one in, and Oh Hong put two run-scoring doubles on the board to stay hot for us against these Grackles. Wow. What a series for him. Stud.

Record: 57-27, .678, 1st NL West
Up Next: A home set against the Phoenix Coyotes followed by one on the road in beautiful San Diego.

[pauwoo]

Before we get after it, I’d be remiss not to call out our own Oh Hong for winning Player of the Week honors in the National League… not a surprise, really. He crushed all last week.



Phoenix Coyotes (47-37, .560, 2nd NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (57-27, .678, 1st NL West)
Our closest competitor in the division at just a scant 10 games back, Phoenix has put together quite a season so far. Especially when you consider that they have the 4th best RDiff in our division at +18 and are operating at +3 against the Pyt – is it luck (17-11 in 1-run games), a knack for timely hitting, the occasional clutch pitching performance? Who knows… baseball is a fickle mistress after all. What we do know is this – Phoenix is here, in our park, riding a 3-game winning streak, gelling at the right time, and poised to make their move. Their best player, Harlem Peterson, has played like it – 312/374/512, 15 HR, 47 RBI – their staff has been good enough to earn a 4th place rank in our league, and their defense has been nearly infallible all season. This, despite our near miraculous run of form, has all the markings of a tough set – so, we’ll double check our laces, make sure our belt found its way through every loop, and do our level best to make sure that we don’t trip ourselves up over these next three games…

85 of 162: Jamey Montgomery (1-6. 3.60) @ Rad Taylor (5-7, 3.98)
Loss, 8-9. A real slobber knocker, rock ‘em, sock ‘em robots styled, baseball donnybrook, where, each time we smacked Phoenix in the mouth they’d find a way to return the favor and then some… Max Reyes’ 3-run homer off RP Samuel Lane during the top of the 7th would prove our undoing as we’d not find a way to answer him the rest of the way. 3 doubles and a homer for the squad, two SAC FLIES, a SAC BUNT… but all for naught as we left 9 runners stranded in this one, unable to capitalize on the opportunities we afforded ourselves.

86 of 162: Ricky Halbur (3-8, 3.95) @ Ryan McGuire (8-2, 2.90)
Win, 3-1. Ryan was magnificent – 6.1-inning, 1-hit, 0 earned, 3 free passes, and 8 K’s – in picking up his 9th win, Max Egner picked up yet another save, he’s got 30 of those now, and Oh Hong drove in the game winner during a 2-for-4 day. A good, workmanlike, team win to knot this series up giving us a chance to win it for the hometown faithful in the rubber match tomorrow.

87 of 162: Nuno Vera (6-1, 2.77) @ Orlando Arce (9-1, 2.26)
Win, 9-2. Homers for Oh Hong (22), Otto (17), and Hutchinson (1), a 2-run double for Dan Blasko, and win #10 for Orlando as our winning ways continue here in our home park… a nice series win to kick off the month of July – we’re starting to put some real distance on the competition.

Record: 59-28, .678, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’re heading to San Diego for a 3-game set against the 4th place Skipjacks.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (59-28, .678, 1st NL West) @ San Diego Skipjacks (44-43, .506, 4th NL West)
The Skipjacks have mastered the art of getting by in 2084… a .500 ballclub content to play in the middle of the road at the end of some nondescript cul-de-sac. Wallowing in mediocrity while playing in the yard of their, admittedly upscale, suburban home. It’s no surprise that this team, while talented, would be too preoccupied to put their best foot forward given the city they call home – an absolute paradise with seemingly endless opportunities for rest & relaxation. What’s interesting, to me at least, is that they should be better, they are better, yet find themselves underperforming behind the likes of Phoenix & Mexico City… they have a better RDiff, would be in 2nd if they could just meet the Pyt’s expectation, and sport our league’s 3rd-rated offense pumping out 4.4 runs per game.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP L. Duarte (8-3, 3.48 ERA) vs RHP A. Barrientos (3-6, 3.48 ERA)
LHP L. Álvarez (9-6, 3.90 ERA) vs RHP C. Fox (7-3, 3.83 ERA)
RHP R. Taylor (5-7, 4.28 ERA) vs RHP B. Mackay (5-4, 3.46 ERA)

The top 5 players on their team are:
1. CF Samuel Preston (Age: 23, Overall: 72, Potential: 80)
2. SS Jalen Payton (28, 71, 73)
3. SP Brady Mackay (24, 67, 79)
4. CL Shawn Arguello (31, 60, 60)
5. RP Alex Magnant (31, 57, 57)

#88: Win, 6-2… Ethan’s 2-run homer off Alan Barrientos during the top of the 3rd, his 20th of the 2084 campaign, was all she wrote for the Skipjacks as Leonardo Duarte gave them the business over 7.1-innings of nastiness where he’d allow 4 measly hits and 1 earned run while fanning 4 hapless hitters. In not so good news… Dalton Burch was injured running the bases in this one – looked ugly, diagnosis is pending.

And, of course the diagnosis came in shortly before our Saturday game, and the news, as ever, was not very good… your boy will miss 5 weeks with a strained oblique. 37yo RF Andrew Beck joins us on the big club from Compton in his stead. We also got the following offer from the Austin Grackles…

The Austin Grackles would send 33-year old RHP Al Bundy to Los Angeles Leopards, getting 23-year old minor league LHP Ewing Rivera and 22-year old minor league LHP Benjamin Blanco in return.

Umm, that’s gonna be a no from me, dog. Ewing is a stud, he’ll be back on the big club soon enough, and Blanco reminds me of Carlito’s Way, so he’s not going anywhere – I love that flick. I think. It’s been a minute since I’ve seen it, so I’m not sure if it holds up.

#89: Win, 10-3… Luca Biacchi finished 3-for-5 with a triple, 3 RBI, and 2 runs, and we’d get tanks from our big three – Otto (18), Oh Hong (23), and Ethan (21) – to add an exclamation point to this one. A team cycle too - 5 singles, 3 doubles, a triple, and 3 HR’s for the squad. We can do no wrong folks… seriously one of the best teams I’ve built in Los Angeles – and, honestly, at the start of this campaign, while I knew we’d be good, I didn’t envision a start like this.


Elsewhere: 2B Jackson Walsh, a Fort Worth, TX native who plies his trade with the Boston Shamrocks, had one of the best games of his illustrious career (7x All-Star, 3x Silver Slugger) during an 18-4 win over the Buffalo Nickels… he finished 6-for-6 at the plate with two, two-baggers, an RBI, and 4 runs during the contest. Okay, so he’s had a lot of games that were better than that but he’s never tallied 6 hits in a game. He’s gone for 5 hits twice, but today he set a new standard for himself, adding his name to the list of just 69 players to do so in the history of this save.

#90: Loss, 2-3… In baseball, all good things must come to a crashing halt. Here, San Diego would usher us out of their building on a loss, salvaging some pride in front of their hometown fans as Demario Junior’s 2-run dinger off Rad Taylor during the bottom of the 7th was enough to lift them to victory. Rad, for his part, turning in a solid, 6.1-inning, 6 H, 2 ER, 8 K performance but would be saddled with his 8th loss because our offense couldn’t be bothered to give him any support. Listen, kid’s not been awesome this year, no doubt, but that 5-8 record on the year is a bit misleading – I almost feel like the team doesn’t like him or something.

All-Star rosters have been announced…

This year, the American League will be represented by these All-Star performers:

SP Trevor Dotson (DET) - 10-4, 2.48 ERA, 101.2 IP, 1.19 WHIP, 7.7 K/9, 1.8 WAR
SP Adam Gunter (VAN) - 8-5, 3.23 ERA, 120.0 IP, 1.08 WHIP, 9.0 K/9, 3.2 WAR
SP Burt McElheny (SLC) - 10-2, 1.91 ERA, 122.1 IP, 0.96 WHIP, 6.5 K/9, 2.9 WAR
SP Marcos Villalobos (VAN) - 9-6, 2.49 ERA, 94.0 IP, 1.13 WHIP, 8.7 K/9, 1.8 WAR
SP Paul Yeager (BUF) - 7-5, 2.48 ERA, 116.1 IP, 1.07 WHIP, 6.5 K/9, 2.2 WAR
SP Thomas Zabila (CHA)* - 9-4, 1.98 ERA, 109.1 IP, 1.05 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 3.4 WAR
RP Brody John (BOS) - 4-0, 1.21 ERA, 52.0 IP, 1.02 WHIP, 6.8 K/9, 0.3 WAR
CL Jon Compton (PDX) - 2-2, 23 SV, 1.38 ERA, 45.2 IP, 0.96 WHIP, 8.5 K/9, 1.4 WAR
CL Jacques Jameson (DAL) - 0-4, 28 SV, 1.96 ERA, 41.1 IP, 1.16 WHIP, 10.2 K/9, 1.4 WAR
CL Patton Steil (VAN) - 1-1, 27 SV, 1.45 ERA, 43.1 IP, 0.90 WHIP, 12.5 K/9, 0.9 WAR
CL Danny Switzer (DEN)* - 1-3, 25 SV, 1.99 ERA, 45.1 IP, 0.66 WHIP, 10.5 K/9, 1.5 WAR
C Johnny Alavez (BUF) - .257/.291/.431, 288 AB, 8 HR, 105 wRC+, 1.1 WAR
C Dominic Cooke (DAL)* - .295/.361/.475, 261 AB, 9 HR, 2 SB, 140 wRC+, 4.1 WAR
1B Tom Franzone (BOS)* - .325/.405/.632, 348 AB, 31 HR, 1 SB, 187 wRC+, 4.6 WAR
2B J.J. Barbari (DAL)* - .315/.373/.488, 162 AB, 4 HR, 3 SB, 152 wRC+, 1.7 WAR
3B Broderick Chavis (CHA)* - .332/.369/.597, 268 AB, 18 HR, 1 SB, 179 wRC+, 3.5 WAR
3B Basil Sánchez (VAN) - .217/.316/.417, 314 AB, 17 HR, 1 SB, 117 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
SS Hamza McDonnell (BOS)* - .276/.347/.374, 326 AB, 2 HR, 10 SB, 110 wRC+, 3.5 WAR
LF Demetrio Abdul (CHA) - .252/.345/.426, 305 AB, 10 HR, 126 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
LF Patrick Adams (SEA)* - .326/.379/.538, 184 AB, 9 HR, 166 wRC+, 1.4 WAR (Injured)
LF Baron Henry (VAN) - .263/.351/.413, 315 AB, 11 HR, 3 SB, 124 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
LF Lanny Shaffer (NYS) - .255/.324/.436, 337 AB, 12 HR, 5 SB, 118 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
CF Mason Duryea (SLC)* - .255/.354/.428, 325 AB, 14 HR, 19 SB, 130 wRC+, 3.5 WAR (Injured)
RF Michinori Fujimoto (CHA) - .309/.382/.649, 191 AB, 17 HR, 195 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
RF Simon Harris (DAL) - .261/.366/.465, 314 AB, 17 HR, 144 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
RF Rajkumar Kosciusko (SEA)* - .290/.357/.490, 345 AB, 16 HR, 143 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
RF Timmy Simpson (BUF)* - .270/.342/.434, 304 AB, 13 HR, 4 SB, 129 wRC+, 1.4 WAR

While the National League best will include these stars:

SP Orlando Arce (LAL) - 10-1, 2.26 ERA, 99.2 IP, 1.17 WHIP, 6.5 K/9, 1.7 WAR
SP Stephen Estevez (MON) - 5-2, 2.06 ERA, 113.1 IP, 0.85 WHIP, 9.8 K/9, 3.2 WAR
SP Nil Estopinan (NO) - 3-6, 2.57 ERA, 98.0 IP, 1.26 WHIP, 9.8 K/9, 2.3 WAR
SP Joe Matthiessen (AUS) - 8-6, 2.67 ERA, 104.2 IP, 1.11 WHIP, 7.5 K/9, 2.9 WAR
SP Owen Sum (MCD) - 5-5, 3.92 ERA, 87.1 IP, 1.27 WHIP, 8.9 K/9, 1.6 WAR
SP Patrick Torres (MCD)* - 8-5, 2.93 ERA, 135.1 IP, 1.21 WHIP, 10.2 K/9, 2.8 WAR
RP Jack Boucher (NO) - 4-3, 1.58 ERA, 45.2 IP, 1.14 WHIP, 9.1 K/9, 0.5 WAR
CL Shawn Arguello (SD) - 3-4, 27 SV, 1.13 ERA, 47.2 IP, 0.99 WHIP, 9.6 K/9, 1.6 WAR
CL Max Egner (LAL) - 5-1, 30 SV, 1.30 ERA, 48.1 IP, 0.93 WHIP, 8.4 K/9, 0.5 WAR
CL Ethan Roberts (PHI) - 7-1, 18 SV, 3.22 ERA, 44.2 IP, 1.21 WHIP, 10.5 K/9, 0.7 WAR
CL Pancho Vallejo (BRK) - 3-3, 1.49 ERA, 54.1 IP, 1.14 WHIP, 11.1 K/9, 1.6 WAR
C Mason Click (LAL)* - .264/.345/.451, 273 AB, 9 HR, 128 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
C Rex Engelstad (MON) - .269/.351/.354, 268 AB, 2 HR, 1 SB, 109 wRC+, 1.6 WAR
1B Satoru Ono (MCD)* - .294/.362/.565, 347 AB, 24 HR, 163 wRC+, 3.7 WAR
2B Heathcote Kinton (AUS)* - .284/.361/.461, 334 AB, 16 HR, 5 SB, 138 wRC+, 4.0 WAR
3B Reuben Johnson (NO) - .292/.369/.472, 343 AB, 13 HR, 142 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
3B Brody Owens (BRK)* - .294/.375/.436, 218 AB, 6 HR, 143 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
SS Toddrick Carr (PIT)* - .243/.318/.373, 346 AB, 8 HR, 11 SB, 104 wRC+, 1.3 WAR
LF Hernando Benavidez (LAL)* - .276/.363/.442, 326 AB, 8 HR, 8 SB, 134 wRC+, 3.2 WAR
LF Hudson Collier (MIA) - .304/.354/.502, 283 AB, 15 HR, 150 wRC+, 2.1 WAR
LF Gervasio Contreras (MCD) - .325/.384/.511, 360 AB, 6 HR, 17 SB, 155 wRC+, 5.3 WAR
LF Harlem Peterson (PHX)* - .310/.371/.525, 358 AB, 18 HR, 1 SB, 157 wRC+, 3.1 WAR
CF Otto Isaac (LAL) - .276/.382/.492, 333 AB, 18 HR, 21 SB, 154 wRC+, 4.8 WAR
CF Sage Reid (PHI)* - .305/.379/.434, 318 AB, 7 HR, 5 SB, 139 wRC+, 3.1 WAR (Injured)
RF Hamish Bradsher (SD) - .299/.348/.532, 355 AB, 20 HR, 158 wRC+, 2.8 WAR
RF Ethan Mullens (LAL)* - .256/.327/.508, 356 AB, 21 HR, 13 SB, 143 wRC+, 4.0 WAR

Record: 61-29, .678, 1st NL West
Up Next: The All-Star game will be contested (meh) followed by a 3-game set, at home, against the Las Vegas Outlaws.

[pauwoo]

First, I figure that the All-Star break is as good a time as any to move this save over to OOTP 24 – and, while I’d typically only move a save during the offseason, I’m really digging on 24 lately, it’s a great improvement over 23 in my estimation. So, we risk it. Second, the All-Star game (meh) was played on the 11th, here’s my bootleg recap of the festivities…

We have three players in this year’s homerun derby – Otto, Ethan, Oh Hong. Otto and Oh both made it to the second round where they’d face off against one another, with Otto advancing to the final after besting Hong 13 dingers to 8. There, he’d face off against Brooklyn power bat, Nicky Bowman, and beat him too – this time by just one homer – 9-8 to capture what I believe is likely his first HR Derby title. Could be wrong – I don’t know how to look up the Derby history. Or even if that is even possible.

And, in the All-Star game itself, the National League dominated the American League, winning by a score of 5-1 with Austin’s Heathcote Kinton leading the way with a 2-for-4, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 R performance – good enough to net him the AS-MVP Award. Our guys… Benavidez got a hit and walked, Mason Click went 0-for-3 with 3 K’s (ouch), Ethan finished 1-for-3 with a run, Otto went 0-for-1 with a K, and Orlando allowed 2 hits in an inning of work.

Las Vegas Outlaws (40-50, .444, 6th NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (61-29, .678, 1st NL West)
It’s pitching & defense that are holding the Outlaws back – their offense, ranked 5th in the NL, is just fine. I mean, they could use a little more pop (8th in HR), but they wreck the basepaths (2nd in Steals), get on base at an admirable clip (4th in OBP), and seemingly have little trouble finding their way back home (5th in RS). So, again, it’s the pitching and defense that are worthy of derision here – 11th out of 12 in the NL, dead last in Starters ERA, Runs Against, and Defensive efficiency. They are a real halfway house – adept at playing with the big boys on one side of the ball, unable to keep pace on the other.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP L. Álvarez (10-6, 3.94 ERA) vs RHP P. Taylor (4-10, 4.53 ERA)
LHP R. McGuire (9-2, 2.72 ERA) vs RHP R. Borovský (6-7, 5.03 ERA)
LHP L. Duarte (9-3, 3.32 ERA) vs RHP C. Murphy (4-3, 4.09 ERA)

#91: Win, 5-2 (11)… RF Leo Bullock, holding it down in the field with Dalton out, hit a dramatic, 3-run, walk-off TANK during the bottom of the 11th to lay claim to a game one victory, making him, basically, the whole show for us offensively, while gifting Max Egner with a win, he’s 6-1 for the season now, in the process. Alvarez went 5.1-innings with 8 K’s, Ethan hit a team-first SAC FLY, and we crafted two tip-top double plays in the field.

Check out what Alexandria did to Tijuana in 3A…




#92: Win, 2-0… like a million elephants or silverback orangutans you can't stop a train… Otto & Hutch did our damage offensively while Ryan McGuire entered his 10th win of the 2084 campaign into the permanent record. This marks our 4th straight series win in July.

#93: Win, 4-2… Sweep City, USA! Our first sweep in what has already been a stellar month comes at home & directly after the All-Star festivities – Otto did the dirt for us offensively, finishing 3-for-4 on the day with a bases-clearing double, and a run of his own, while Rad Taylor, with a little help from his friend(s) this time, managed to earn his 6th win after turning in 5.1-innings of work where he’d allow just 2 runs.

Around the league… Charlotte continues to rule the roost in the AL East, opening a 7-game lead over Tom Franzone and his Boston Shamrocks, while the Vancouver Mounties, with their 0.5 game lead, continue to do their level best to keep clubs like Denver, Salt Lake, and Dallas at bay. Meanwhile, in our league, there’s us – running things – and then there’s Philly in the NL East, sitting at the top of the pops with just 1-game separating them and the Montreal Alouettes. Also, Tom Franzone has 32 TANKS now and is still trending to set the all-time, single season homerun mark at 56… hope, hope. Down on the farm… Compton is sitting on a 9-game lead over Kent and Corona in the 3A DL West and are the proud owners of a 6-game winning streak, the second-best streak in that league as the Fargo Rallybirds (Salt Lake affiliate) have won 10-straight, including sweeps over Lower 9th Ward Reapers (New Orleans affiliate), Tucson Saguaros (Phoenix affiliate), and the St. Louis Blue Birds (Brooklyn affiliate). And, the Brentwood Bishops, our Short A club, have come out of the gates strong, posting a 20-10 record so far to share the division lead with the Hamilton Stingers (Toronto Affiliate) in the early going of their season.

Record: 64-29, .688, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll continue what will be a 9-game home stand with 3 games against Mexico City.

[pauwoo]

I accepted the following trade offer, as offered by the Miami Herons… too good to pass up.

Louie De Palma proposes the following trade:

The Miami Herons would send 31-year-old RHP Hunter Vaughn to Los Angeles Leopards, getting 23-year old minor league LHP Ewing Rivera and 22-year old minor league SS Jasper Bachand in return.

Assistant GM Jagger Oberg says: "Accept, accept!"

You have 14 days to complete or reject the trade. Use the controls in 'Respond to Message' above.

Ewing, while younger, cheaper has 35 movement, which means he’ll never play a significant role for me on the big club. Meanwhile, Hunter Vaughn, while expensive and on an expiring contract, will be fun to have around over the home stretch… this, of course, led to some roster silliness. LF Tyler Hill was called up from Compton, we sent RF Andrew Beck back down, and Rad, that poor schlep, was moved back to the Bullpen as a LR with Hunter being slotted right in near the top of the rotation at #2.

Mexico City Jaguars (51-41, .554, NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (64-29, .688, 1st NL West)
These Jags occupy the slot formerly occupied by Phoenix before we dismantled them, in our park, earlier this month – 2nd on the table, 12.5 games back, and doing their best impression of something a few ticks north of an also ran. They have is the top offense in the National League, putting up 5 R/G, that they pair with a pitching staff serviceable enough to keep them in the thick of things but not good enough to bring much value at altitude in their home park. And, I’ve likely said this before, because, well I say a lot of things, if I ever do leave the glitz & glamour of Los Angeles, Mexico City would be a fine destination – I could win a title there, for sure. Altitude be damned. Maybe I’ll look into it next season, find a way to bring Otto or Oh Hong with me, uncover some pitchers that can handle the air in Mexico City, and take a run at it… or not, I likely won’t. I love L.A.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP O. Arce (10-1, 2.26 ERA) vs RHP P. Torres (9-5, 3.10 ERA)
LHP L. Duarte (9-3, 3.32 ERA) vs LHP O. Sum (5-5, 3.92 ERA)
LHP L. Álvarez (10-6, 3.83 ERA) vs LHP H. Cartmel (6-7, 5.03 ERA)

#94: Loss, 0-5… After 8 innings of run-less baseball, Mexico City went buck during the top of the 9th, managing to plate 5 total runs on a bases-clearing triple from Norris Flaherty and run-scoring singles from 2B Zack Francis and SS Chase Cline. Add in the fact that the Jags’ SP Patrick Torres went the distance, allowing just 5 hits and nothing earned while fanning 8, and what you have here is a bad day at the office for the Yellow Tops. Not our finest work…

#95: Loss, 4-7… Mexico City put it on us late once more, this time with a 4-run top of the 8th to claim their second straight victory in our park while simultaneously dealing us our first series loss in July. For shame. A double and a triple for Leo Bullock, homer #19 for Otto, and a nice Duarte-Hutchinson-Hong DP wouldn’t be enough to get the job done here as the Jaguars showed once again that their offense can play from sea level to the altitude of Mexico City and everywhere in-between.


Elsewhere: Tom Franzone was at it again… bashing homers #’s 33 & 34 during a 3-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI day that led his Boston Shamrocks to a 7-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Your boy is now trending to smash 58 homers in 2084 which, as I’m sure you know by now, would obliterate our league’s current record. I’m crushing so hard on this guy right now – fanboy #1, it’s borderline shameful.

#96: Win, 5-2… We took the lead during the bottom of the seventh inning, when Oh Hong hit 3-run home run, finally putting the Jags on their heels after having it handed to us during these first two games. Save #33 for Egner, homers for Oh and Lee, doubles for Ethan and Hutchinson. And, finally, a win in this set to stave off the embarrassment of being swept at home.

Welp… certainly not our best set of the season, dropping two, at home, against a division rival is never much fun.

Also, here’s a list of players who have struck out 5 or more times with the bases loaded this season…

1B KJ Marcus (DAL) – 7 times in 10 AB’s
CF Anthony Jamison (AUS) – 6 times in 10 AB’s, 1 GRAND SLAM
LF Demetrio Abdul (CHA) - 5 times in 10 AB’s
C Elijah Arvinda (PDX) - 5 times in 10 AB’s, 1 GRAND SLAM
LF Nicky Bowman (BRK) – 5 times in 11 AB’s, 1 GRAND SLAM
1B Neville Cooper (MON) – 5 times in 11 AB’s

Record: 65-31, .677, 1st NL West
Up Next: The Detroit Motors pay us a visit in Tinseltown.

[pauwoo]

But first, a trade…

Charles Bronson, general manager of the Los Angeles Leopards, has signed off on a trade for Miami's 23-year-old SS Dan Baker and 24-year-old RHP Christopher Arnett. To complete the deal, the Leopards will send 30-year-old SS Carson Hutchinson and 24-year-old LHP Ryan McGuire to the Herons.

So, yeah, McGuire has been great – but, skill wise, he’s pretty much the same as Arnett with the main difference being that our new guy is a groundball pitcher while the old guy was not. Hutchinson was also great for us, particularly on defense, but his contract is up, he gets paid better than I want him to, and we think that Baker can give us the same level of work in the field for a fraction of the cost next year. All in all, this is a great deal for us – fan interest crash be damned! Dan Baker is slotted in to start at short, batting 9th, and Arnett takes the 4th spot in our rotation

Detroit Motors (39-57, .406, 6th AL East) @ Los Angeles Leopards (65-31, .677, 1st NL West)
I’m not sure where to go with this intro – Detroit is bad, real bad, a shell of their former self even if that former self was nothing to get too excited about… after making it to the playoffs for 3-straight seasons from 2079 through 2081, it’s been a minute since these Motors have made much noise. And, given the makeup of their big club, the state of their development system, and the indifference of their front office, it’ll likely be awhile before this club starts revving it up again.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP H. Vaughn (4-5, 4.06 ERA) vs LHP J. Garcia (8-7, 4.44 ERA)
LHP C. Arnett (7-10, 4.05 ERA) vs RHP M. Ferguson (4-9, 4.36 ERA)
LHP O. Arce (10-1, 2.13 ERA) vs RHP D. Wirgau (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

#97: Win, 5-3…New guy, Dan Baker, secured a hit in his debut and scored, Leo Bullock drove two in, Otto drove one in and scored, and Hunter Vaugn won his first start in a Leopards Kit after putting in 5-innings of work where he’d allow 7 hits and 3 runs while fanning 4. Hold for T-Rex (15) and a save for Max (34) too.

#98: Loss, 2-3… a late 2-run moonshot from OH HONG gave our fans hope that a bottom of the 9th rally could be brewing, but it was all for naught as the next three batters – Otto, Leo, and Ethan – each went down on weakly hit popups to gift the Motors with a rare road win. Arnett was solid – 7 hits, 3 earned, 3 K’s in 6-innings of work, but will be saddled with the loss here as his opposition, Mike Ferguson, gave it to our lineup something fierce over 7 expertly crafted innings of work.

Ferguson, it should be noted, turned in the #1 Performance in the Majors yesterday, so…


#99: Win, 7-1… Otto went Gonzo – 2-for-3 with 2 HR, 3 RBI, and 2 runs – Oh Hong hit a 2-run blast, his 26th, and Luca Biacchi drove one in during a 2-for-3 day at the plate… good stuff from Orlando too – he’d earn his 11th victory after turning in 5-innings of 4-hit work. Oh, and Rad finally got some work out of the pen, giving us a solid 19-pitch, 1 hit inning to close this one out.

Note to be outdone, Otto took home the distinction of being the top-rated performance of the day…


Record: 67-32, .676, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll hit the road, stopping in Charlotte for a 3-game set against the Imperials.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (67-32, .676, 1st NL West) @ Charlotte Imperials (64-35, .646, 1st AL East)
A real-life, Clash of the Titans here – where world class acting collides with mind-bending Claymation and a score so sublime, we hardly deserve it. Charlotte is the class of their league, running things by running roughshod over all comers – they’re built for speed, have a lot of pop, know how to get on base, and wreck the base paths once they do… and that’s not all as these guys can toss it around a bit too with, easily, the best staff in the American League and, maybe, the entire Majors, Charlotte can beat you in a lot of different ways and, more often than not, they do. We’ll have our work cut out for us here – if we can’t come correct this potential World Series preview could spell doom for our confidence should we be fortunate enough to meet them there once this season has come to a head.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP L. Duarte (9-3, 3.31 ERA) vs RHP C. Tunnell (5-3, 4.00 ERA)
LHP L. Álvarez (10-6, 3.83 ERA) vs RHP L. Myers (12-0, 3.02 ERA)
RHP H. Vaughn (5-5, 4.13 ERA) vs LHP M. Ortega (6-4, 3.28 ERA)

#100: Win, 6-2… It’s getting close to the end y’all. Leonardo Duarte picked up a nice win, his 10th, after putting in 6.2 filthy innings for us with 5 K’s, and we hit two doubles, a triple, and THREE HRs as a club with Ethan (22), Leo Bullock (8), and Otto (22) doing the honors in that last category. Off on the good foot here, for sure. I like it. A lot.

#101: Loss, 0-2… Larimel took the loss, falling to 10-7 on the year, while only allowing two runs as Charlotte’s Lee Myers remained unbeaten (13-0) after turning in 6-innings against us, allowing 3 hits and nothing earned during the outing. The defense was solid – two DP’s and an OF Assist – but, with only one EBH, the offense got stuck in neutral early and just couldn’t get it in gear. Series is knotted up now, big game tomorrow.

#102: Win, 3-1… Oh Hong, Otto, and Luca were responsible for the runs, the infield was responsible for killing two Charlotte rally attempts, ending both on a double play, and Hunter Vaughn improves to 2-0 in a Leopards kit and 6-5 overall, after turning in 5-innings of hard-scrabble work from the bump. Another save for Egner too – he’s got 35 of those now, still leading the Majors. We traded Montreal a prospect for him during the offseason, despite his being on a 1-year deal, and, truth be told, I’ll likely let him walk in the offseason – I miss having T-Rex closing games. And, $12.8mm feels like a lot of money. Too much, actually.

Record: 69-33, .676, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll head home for a 3-game set against the visiting Alouettes

[pauwoo]

Montreal Alouettes (56-46, .549, 1st NL East) @ Los Angeles Leopards (69-33, .676, 1st NL West)
Despite running in place this month at 10-10, Montreal finds themselves perched atop their division, a full game in front of the Philadelphia Founders, despite boasting the worst offensive unit in the National League – 12th in AVG, OPS, wOBA, 11th in Rus Scored, OBP, and Base Running – and a below average -11 RDiff. Their run of good fortune, where they continue to operate 6 games above the Pyt, should be coming to an end soon – there’s just no way that this club manages to continue this charade over the last 3rd of the season.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP C. Arnett (7-11, 4.08 ERA) vs RHP M. Saldivar (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
LHP O. Arce (11-1, 2.11 ERA) vs RHP T. Cox (6-5, 3.18 ERA)
LHP L. Duarte (10-3, 3.20 ERA) vs LHP S. Estevez (6-2, 2.24 ERA)

#103: Win, 2-1 (10)… Leo Bullock delivered the walk-off, run-scoring single during the bottom of the 10th – his 3rd walk off hit this year as he adds Montreal to his list of victims that already included Las Vegas and Phoenix. Good stuff from Arnett too – 5-innings, 2 hits, 1 earned, 3 K’s. He seems to be fitting in quite nicely, I must say.

#104: Win, 7-6 (10)… Oh Hong hit a run-scoring double to open up the scoring during the bottom of the 9th, Mason Click followed that up to bring two more across on a single to knot things up, and then, you guessed it, Leo Bullock, hit a dramatic, run-scoring single to bring Dan Blasko home and walk off the Montreal Alouettes for the 2nd game in a row. Leo is building himself up a little Robert Horry-esque local mythology at this point, I’d say… how cool!

#105: Loss, 9-10… There’d be some late game heroics again, just not from us as the Montreal Alouettes scored 7 runs during the top of the 8th to tie this one up and then score the game winner during the top of the next frame on a wild pitch. Good grief. That hurts. Here’s the log from that 8th frame should you enjoy violent crime…

TOP OF THE 8TH
Montreal Alouettes batting - Pitching for Los Angeles Leopards: RHP Rad Taylor
Now at 3B: Oliver Koloski

Batting: SHB Gunner Henry
0-0: Ball
1-0: Called Strike
1-1: Ball
2-1: Ball
3-1: Base on Balls

Batting: RHB Jeffrey Rhoades
0-0: Ball
1-0: Ball
2-0: Called Strike
2-1: Swinging Strike
2-2: Ball
3-2: Foul Ball, location: 9LDF
3-2: SINGLE (Groundball, 6MD, EV 93.8 MPH)
Gunner Henry to second

Batting: SHB Rex Engelstad
0-0: Foul Ball, location: 3F
0-1: Ball
1-1: Called Strike
1-2: SINGLE (Groundball, 34D, EV 109.4 MPH)
Gunner Henry to third
Jeffrey Rhoades to second

Batting: RHB Demario Junior
0-0: Ball
1-0: Ball
2-0: Called Strike
2-1: Ball
3-1: Base on Balls
Gunner Henry scores
Jeffrey Rhoades to third
Rex Engelstad to second

Batting: LHB Devon Bowers
0-0: Ball
1-0: Called Strike
1-1: Ball
2-1: Ball
3-1: Foul Ball, location: 5F
3-2: Foul Ball, location: 7LSF
3-2: Base on Balls
Jeffrey Rhoades scores
Rex Engelstad to third
Demario Junior to second

Pitching: LHP T-Rex Stiles

Pinch Hitting: RHB Rico Sosa
0-0: Ball
1-0: SINGLE (Line Drive, 8RS, EV 92.5 MPH)
Rex Engelstad scores
Demario Junior to third
Devon Bowers to second

Pinch Hitting: RHB Nehemiah Jenkins
0-0: Ball
1-0: Foul Ball, location: 2LF
1-1: Ball
2-1: Swinging Strike
2-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F
2-2: Ball
3-2: Base on Balls
Demario Junior scores
Devon Bowers to third
Rico Sosa to second

Batting: LHB Elijah Murray
0-0: Ball
1-0: Ball
Wild Pitch!
Devon Bowers scores
Rico Sosa to third
Nehemiah Jenkins to second
2-0: Called Strike
2-1: Ball
3-1: Base on Balls

Batting: RHB David Hall
0-0: Ball
1-0: Ball
2-0: Fly out, F4 (Popup, 23, EV 85.6 MPH)

Batting: SHB Gunner Henry
0-0: Called Strike
0-1: Ball
1-1: Called Strike
1-2: Foul Ball, location: 2F
1-2: Ball
2-2: Foul Ball, location: 3F
2-2: DOUBLE (Flyball, 8LXD, EV 90.6 MPH)
Rico Sosa scores
Nehemiah Jenkins scores
Elijah Murray to third
Runner from 3rd tries for Home, throw by CF and OUT! 8-6-2

Batting: RHB Jeffrey Rhoades
0-0: Ground out 6-3 (Groundball, 6, EV 105.6 MPH)

Top of the 8th over - 7 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on base; Montreal 9 - Los Angeles 9

Record: 71-34, .676, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll start off August on the road with a 3-game set in Brooklyn.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (71-34, .676, 1st NL West) @ Brooklyn Citizens (41-64, .390, 6th NL East)
Brooklyn is in a bad way – they can’t hit, they can’t run, and they can’t pitch. They’re barely professionals. They’re on pace to lose 99 games – which, if you’re counting, would be their worst finish since they lost 110 games way back in 2044. Matter of fact – if they hit their current trend, it will be their 2nd-worst finish in franchise history. A most dubious distinction to be sure. Our goal here then will be to help them along as best we can.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
LHP L. Álvarez (10-7, 3.83 ERA) vs RHP W. Tajima (2-2, 4.46 ERA)
RHP H. Vaughn (6-5, 4.01 ERA) vs RHP E. Blaxley (7-10, 3.62 ERA)
RHP C. Arnett (7-11, 3.98 ERA) vs LHP J. Newton (3-5, 4.50 ERA)

#106: Win, 2-1… Leo Bullock, legend that he is, was at it again, putting the game winner on the board during the top of the 8th with a well hit, solo homer, Ethan brought our first run in during the top of the 1st on a single, Major Hansen was credited with the win after taking over for Larimel in the 6th, and Max Egner secured his 36th save of the 2084 campaign. Always nice to win a tight, taut affair such as this, especially against a team you have no business losing to.


This is funny… Lonzo González will miss a week after a freak accident in his hotel room. González woke early and when attempting to get up to close the curtains in his room, he tripped over a coffee table. The table toppled over and landed on his toes. MRI results were negative, but González is still expected to be out for a week. I should also note that he was recently traded to New Orleans by Las Vegas for a couple of solid prospects.

#107: Win, 4-2... 3 of Ethan’s 4 RBI came on a bases-clearing double during the top of the 3rd with the other coming on a solo shot during the top of the 8th – he was the whole show offensively for us – while Hunter Vaughn continued to display fine form since joining our outfit, earning his 3rd win in a Leopards kit after putting in 5.1-inning, of 6-hit, 5 K work. 4 double plays turned in by the defense too…

NOW THAT’S SOME TASTY FIELDING… LET THEM EAT!
Double Plays: 4 (Biacchi-Blasko-Hong, Biacchi-Blasko-Hong, Baker-Blasko-Hong, Blasko-Baker-Hong)

#108: Win, 5-0… Nice little road sweep – as it should be. Luca brought three around on a triple and a single during a 3-for-5 day, Ethan sent his 24th ball out of the park, Oh Hong laid down a team first SAC BUNT, Dan Baker swiped his first bag as a Leopard, and Orlando Arce secured his 12th victory with T-Rex closing the door for the 2nd time this season.

Record: 74-34, .685, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll head a smidge west to take on Philadelphia in their park, in front of the hooligans they call fans.

[pauwoo]

Los Angeles Leopards (74-34, .685, 1st NL West) @ Philadelphia Founders (58-50, .537, 2nd NL East)
It’s no question that Philadelphia, on paper at least, are the class of the National League East… in practice, however, they’ve not been able to fulfill that destiny, as they find themselves lagging behind the Montreal Alouettes for the division title, a club that, if the preseason prognosticators are worth their salt, shouldn’t even be in the mix. And, I should point out that, even in being the paper tiger of the NL East, Philadelphia is really just a run of the mill club in the larger scheme of things – ranked 6th in both offense & pitching, and 9th defensively even as the best the NL East likely has to offer, these Founders leave a lot to be desired.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP C. Arnett (7-11, 3.98 ERA) vs RHP P. Parrow (5-10, 4.65 ERA)
LHP L. Duarte (10-3, 3.18 ERA) vs LHP L. Langston (5-6, 4.99 ERA)
LHP L. Álvarez (10-7, 3.73 ERA) vs LHP M. Crawford (7-7, 3.15 ERA)

#109: Win, 8-6… Backup, backstop Julian Nagy knotted this one up during the top of the 9th with a 2-run triple and Oh Hong followed that up two batters later with a 2-run moonshot that put us up for good – 2 IP in relief from Rad tonight, nice to see him out there keeping it close, and Max Egner keeps racking them up, recording his 38th slamming of the door so far this year.

Some bad news… Is Tom Franzone going to tough it out and play through an injury? We'll get the chance to find out 1-2 weeks as the outstanding Boston first baseman attempts to shrug off an elbow sprain he sustained colliding with a player at 2B against the Seattle Metros. Whether management lets him play or handles him with kid gloves will depend mostly on how Franzone feels on a day-to-day basis. But there's little doubt that the Boston Shamrocks will be happy for the talented player to return at full strength as soon as possible.

In his stats this season, Franzone has posted a batting average of .326 with 138 hits in 423 at-bats, 39 home runs and 90 RBIs. He has also scored 83 runs, walked 58 times and compiled a .409 OBP.

#110: Win, 5-4 (10)… Another tightly contested ballgame, another victory for the Leopards… here, Leo Bullock did that thing that he does so well, winning this one for us on a solo homer during the top of the 10th leaving closer extraordinaire, Max Enger, to come out during the bottom of the frame to make sure we got the door closed good & tight. Leo also brought 2 in on a double earlier in the game – he’s really coming into his own I feel.

#111: Win, 4-2… Another road sweep, our second in a row, and second in two tries this August… which begs the question – have I built the best club of all-time? Certainly, the best club in my tenure with Los Angeles… Dan Baker was our offensive hero tonight, breaking a 2-2 tie with a 2-run double, and Larimel Alvarez turned in a 6.2-inning performance, allowing a scant two runs during the effort, to win his 11th contest this year.

Record: 77-34, .693, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll welcome the Phoenix Coyotes to town for a 3-game set.

[pauwoo]

Phoenix Coyotes (53-58, .477, 5th NL West) @ Los Angeles Leopards (77-34, .694, 1st NL West)
This marks the 10th season since I was fired in Phoenix, landing in L.A. when Phil Murray came calling, and after a decade of success here in Tinsletown, I can’t help but wonder what would have happened had I managed to keep my job in Arizona – would I have enjoyed similar success with a lower budget, could I have found a way to bring Phoenix to national prominence, make the club into something of a mid-budget powerhouse? Who knows… what is clear is that after finishing out of the cake since 2081, a trip back to the playoffs for these forlorn Coyotes isn’t likely in the cards for many years to come. This year’s model, what with its 8th ranked offense and 5th rated staff, certainly isn’t going to get it done and a cursory glance at their development system tells me that they won’t have the right stuff anytime soon. There lot is a barren wasteland with hope so far beyond the horizon that their fanbase may have completely forgotten the concept of it altogether.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP H. Vaughn (7-5, 3.89 ERA) vs LHP R. Luna (8-6, 3.38 ERA)
LHP O. Arce (12-1, 2.15 ERA) vs RHP J. Montgomery (1-8, 4.31 ERA)
RHP C. Arnett (7-11, 4.21 ERA) vs LHP N. Vera (7-4, 3.88 ERA)

#112: Win, 3-2 (11)… Make it 7-straight! Otto homered off RP Rocky Lockhart during the top of the 11th to put us ahead for good, Hunter gave up 2 runs in 5.1-innings of work, his first no decision start since joining the squad, and T-Rex is credited with the win after tossing the last 1.1 innings, needing just 10 pitches to do it.

#113: Loss, 2-3… The Coyotes managed to derail the train as starter, Jamey Montgomery, held our guys scoreless over 5-innings of work – RF Harlem Peterson finished 2-for-4 with an RBI single, 1B Honorio Ortega brought the game-winner on a SAC FLY, and somehow, someway these also-rans from the desert found a way to put a bad one on us in our park.

#114: Win, 4-3 (14)… Leo, out of mana after coming through for us time & again, would yield to Ethan in this one as Mullens drove home the walk off solo homer, finishing 4-for-7 with that homer, 2 doubles and 3 runs on the day. Otto went 3-for-6 with 2 RBI, Oh Hong drove one in on a single, and Rad Taylor, our 6th hurler to take the mound in this one, was credited with the win after pitching to one batter – he struck out Honorio Ortega.

How about some batting leaders? Ans, who the heck is this Gervasio kid?
AVG: Gervasio Contreras (Mexico City) - 331/400/533 - 11 HR - 64 RBI - 7.4 WAR
OBP: TOM FRANZONE (Boston) - 330/411/652 - 41 HR - 97 RBI - 6.2 WAR
SLG: TOM FRANZONE (Boston) - 330/411/652 - 41 HR - 97 RBI - 6.2 WAR
HR: TOM FRANZONE (Boston) - 330/411/652 - 41 HR - 97 RBI - 6.2 WAR
RBI: TOM FRANZONE (Boston) - 330/411/652 - 41 HR - 97 RBI - 6.2 WAR
WAR: Gervasio Contreras (Mexico City) - 331/400/533 - 11 HR - 64 RBI - 7.4 WAR

Record: 79-35, .692, 1st NL West
Up Next: We’ll take a quick flight to Sin City where the Outlaws will undoubtedly be anxiously awaiting our arrival.