Portland Pioneers (SVMLB)

[pauwoo]

@ Vancouver Mounties (18-21, .462, 4th AL West)
Vancouver is coming off a 6-game road trip just as we’re getting set to contest the last three games of our own… they managed to cobble together a 3-3 record on that trip, besting the Metros 2 games to 1 in Seattle before dropping their next set to the Chaparrals in Dallas. Their offense has been decidedly middle-of-the-road during this first 3rd of the 2086 campaign while their staff, the bullpen in particular, has held them back by allowing too many runners to plate late in games and putting up as gaudy a walk rate as we’ve seen in the American League in some time. Still stuck in neutral and grinding gears each time they attempt to engage them, these Mounties are charged with figuring out a way to dial this thing in, and quickly, lest it gets too late, and they let this campaign get away from them nearly as soon as it started.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP W. Macomber (3-4, 3.35) vs RHP D. Thorpe (2-1, 1.47)
RHP D. Hornbrook (2-4, 6.03) vs LHP T. Mack (2-0, 2.62)
RHP P. Yamaguchi (1-1, 3.45) vs RHP H. Vaughn (1-2, 3.59)

#40: Loss, 3-4 (14)… a war of attrition (an ugly phrase, I know) as it’d take 5 extra innings to get this one sorted after CL Noah DiMaio failed to earn his 14th save of the season, instead allowing a 2-run, game-tying, bottom of the 9th DING DONG to C Shawn Klein, and, subsequently, blowing his first save of the year. For such a long game, that we only hit two extra base hits is something of a surprise as the boys just didn’t have enough in the tank to get over on the Mounties in the first of this 3-game set – the heart of our lineup went 3-for-20, so… enough said. We also lost Rowan Calvin for three weeks after he fractured his foot tonight. Ugh.

So… 1B Angel Marino is back from injury, that’s great, Rowan Calvin took his place on the list, that’s not great, and C Chaz Gildea & SP Norman Barilla have been moved up to the big club with RP Morris Jones and C Chris Levesque getting sent down to Eugene.

#41: Loss, 2-3 (10)… another extra-inning contest, another gut punch in British Columbia. DiMaio, who’s in a bad way all of a sudden, takes the loss, his first so far this year, with Vancouver’s first two runs scored due to errors committed by Skyler Dickey and Micky Austin. So, given the score, I think you can plainly see that the offense struggled, and, while the staff was mostly good, our fielding in this one was nothing short of atrocious. Three errors overall with 8 runners left on base… that, my friends, is a recipe for disaster. 1B Angel Marino, being brought into it slowly here, struck out in his lone AB, a PH opportunity gone bad.

Elsewhere: Big win for my Reno Berserkers today as they climbed back to a less-than-stellar 4-6 record on the year after defeating the Chandler Blackjacks, in Chandler, by a score of 8-2… the bulk of our offensive work was done during the top of the 7th with 7 runs scored just before the stretch.



#42: Loss, 1-3… Swept off the Lions Gate Bridge in beautiful British Columbia and into the cold, rushing water below. Our only run scored during the top of the 1st when 1B Angel Marino ground into a double play, allowing Fukumoto to score while Vancouver put consecutive bad ones on our starter, Micah Holman, during the bottom of the 1st and 2nd before scoring an unnecessary insurance run off of Payton Inzen during the bottom of the 8th. So, while the first two games could have went either way, this one was a thorough win for Vancouver who pick up a sweep off of guile, cunning, and a little bit of good fortune.

Record: 22-20, .523, 2nd AL West
Up Next: We’ll hurry back to Portland, take a day off in our respective homes, and then get back after it against the Colorado Kings in Pendleton Park.

[pauwoo]

Vs. Colorado Kings (26-16, .619, 1st AL West)
Still kicking butt, still in a good way – this year’s edition of the Colorado Kings possesses their customary smashmouth offense paired with a pitching staff who’ve been able to keep the pace so far with a 2nd place ranking in Bullpen ERA and a 1st place ranking in FIP and Strikeouts. May could end up being their month too – already off to a fierce 8-3 start to the month with plenty of runway left to really take flight, Colorado, who came in at a 79-83, 4th place finish in the preseason predictions, have given many of us in the AL West reason to pause as our division, already replete with some good, contending clubs may have one more of those added to the mix in these Kings. And, for our part, in going a subpar, 5-6 so far this month, welcoming these guys to our park at this juncture in the season may be a harrowing experience for the boys… let’s hope we have a gear we’ve not found so far this month, that we can shift to it, and find ourselves on a straight away in front of the hometown faithful.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP N. Barilla (0-0, 0.00) vs RHP R. Borovský (4-3, 3.86)
RHP B. Sánchez (6-1, 2.90) vs LHP S. Jones (5-2, 2.53)
RHP W. Macomber (3-4, 3.14) vs RHP E. Belanger (5-3, 3.19)

#43: Loss, 2-4… SP Radoslav Borovsky, a former Las Vegas mainstay who now plies his trade with the Colorado Kings, was dealing – 7-innings, 6 hits, 2 earned runs, and 2 K’s in a winning effort for the Kings’ #4 guy – and our leagues top rated offense needed just the bare minimum to leave us struggling to stay afloat in their wake. Our only runs were brought in by our primary backstop, Elijah Arvinda, we couldn’t muster a single extra base hit, and, despite turning two double plays, weren’t able to keep our starter, Norman Barilla, from taking the loss in his major league debut after allowing 4 runners to plate during 6 innings of work.

Elsewhere: Our AAA club, the Eugene Ducks, took a few bad ones on the chin in a tilt against the Tucson Saguaros… losing, at home, by a score of 14-0… the box score, in all its bloody glory, is attached. And, as you can see, we may have to fold up shop and shut down our Triple-A outfit for good after this one…

#44: Win, 4-3 (12)… it’d take everything we had and then some to get this one settled as C Elijah Arvinda, coming on for a PH opportunity with the bases-loaded and two outs already on the board, managed to squeeze one through the infield, scoring two runs to knot things up for us and send this one to extras… there, after DiMaio was flawless during the 10th, Payton Inzen would allow just one hit over two innings of near miraculous work to keep Colorado off the board while giving Leo an opportunity to play the hero – and, as ever, your boy wouldn’t squander it, driving Elijah in on a perfectly hit single during the bottom of the 12th to enter this one into the books as a win whilst sending the Kings off into the night without a crown on their heads or shoes on their feet.

#45: Win, 8-0… this was a big win for the club, coming against tip top competition, and at a time when we’ve not been playing our best. Simon Harris and Angel Marino would each hit 2-run doubles, Skyler Dickey put a 2-run TANK over the fence, and Micky Austin & Frodo Gonzales brought runners around on singles while SP Bernal Sanchez did it up big time, securing his 7th win of the season after turning in 6.2-innings of 5-hit, 0 earned, 7 K work against the best offense in our league… an all around tip top effort from the boys in Pendleton Park, much to the delight of the hometown faithful.

Record: 24-21, .533, 2nd AL West
Up Next: We’ll hit the road, heading to Austin, TX, where we’ll contest three games against the Grackles in some of that good ol’ interleague silliness.

[pauwoo]

@ Austin Grackles (24-21, .533, 4th NL West)
Boasting a low-key rejuvenated Paulo Legna, who, in year one with Austin, is trending to contribute 5.1 WAR (the last time he finished above 5 WAR was in 2080 while with Detroit), and the 4th ranked staff in the National League, these Grackles are holding their own in a stacked NL West and are currently making their living a scant two games behind the division-leading Los Angeles Leopards. And, now is the time to make their move, to announce themselves as a contender in the National League… off to a 9-5 start so far this month and looking to make up some ground, the Grackles will have their work cut out for them with us in town… sure we’re just 7-7 so far this month, and are only one series removed from being swept by Vancouver, but I have a good feeling about our form right now, coming off that confidence-boosting series victory over Colorado in our house. Our time is now – doesn’t matter what club is standing in our way. Or not… they could smash us – the only guarantee here is that I’ll have some tasty brisket sliders for supper before tonight’s game.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP D. Hornbrook (2-4, 5.31) vs RHP J. Matthiessen (4-3, 3.02)
RHP M. Holman (1-5, 3.56) vs RHP A. Adcock (4-4, 3.39)
RHP N. Barilla (0-1, 6.00) vs RHP P. Parrow (3-3, 3.86)

#46: Loss, 7-8 (10)… coming into this season I wasn’t as high on my Pioneers as the preseason punditry was with their annual predictions, pegging us as a 95-win club with real playoff possibilities on the horizon – but, during this contest, when we managed to knot thing up at 7 each with a 3-run top of the 9th, I began to consider the possibility, to entertain the idea that, in only my second year at the helm, my sellout style of General Management may already yield some hardware in PDX. And, just as quickly as I allowed my mind to wander towards such fanciful thoughts, Paulo Legna would snap me out of it, after sending a beautifully hit single into shallow centerfield that would bring C Vladimir Batista around to score the game-winning run. So much for that.

Paulo went 5-for-6 with 3 RBI in this one… I'm the one-man army, Ason, I never been tooken out, I keep MC's looking out… Also, I made the following trade: 2B Wyatt Raphael (51/51) is headed to Las Vegas for 2B Takamori Miyake (46/48) and MiLB SP Sheen Alphonso (31/66). It all started because I liked the Pitchers name…

#47: Loss, 3-5 (11)… this time it’d be a 2-run DING DONG, courtesy of Ronaldo Guzman, that did us in after we’d manage to, once again, knot things up with an improbable run during the top of the 9th only to have our hopes and dream summarily dismissed with great prejudice by an Austin Grackle. Angel Marino brought one around on a double, Fukumoto hit his 8th homer of the season, a solo shot, and Skyler brought one around on a single, but, as ever, it’d be too little, too late for the boys here as Austin wasted no time securing a series win in their house… so, while it’s not “our time” as I thought going into this set… at least the brisket has been delicious.

#48: Loss, 6-8… we’d make a game of it, sort of, scoring 3 runs during the top of the 8th to cut our deficit to 2 runs, but it was a wash the rest of the way as we find ourselves on the wrong side of a sweep for thew 2nd time in three sets. I’m sure there are things to parse out here – moments I could call attention to, the doubles we hit, Harris’ homer… BUT… why bother? Because you know the only thing worse than being in Texas? Having your butt handed to you while you’re there.

Note: The NCAA Tournament starts tomorrow… smart money, if there is such a thing, is on the Grand Lakes University Hooters to go all the way. Oh, and, we’re a .500 ball club now – oh how the wannabe mighty have fallen.

Record: 24-24, .500, 3rd AL West
Up Next: Back home for a 6-game stretch starting with a visit from the San Diego Skipjacks of the NL West.

[pauwoo]

Vs. San Diego Skipjacks (26-22, .542, 4th NL West)
San Diego, like Austin before they got ahold of us, are out on the periphery, still in the fight at a scant 3 games off the pace, but in danger of seeing this thing start to slip away given that Las Vegas and Austin, at just a game behind L.A., both sit above them… so, basically, there is a glut of teams at or near the top of the NL West, and, while San Diego finds themselves on the bottom end of said glut, they still have time to make some power moves… The likelihood that they find a way to make that happen, what with their -4 RDiff, 7th rated offense, and 9th rated staff, isn’t good, but why let them stop them now given they find themselves looking across the diamond at us – owners of a 3-game losing streak and a 3-7 run over our last ten, and having most recently limped our way back home looking for some pity from loved ones and someone familiar to tuck us in.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP W. Macomber (3-4, 3.17) vs LHP G. Jauregui (0-0, 0.00)
RHP B. Sánchez (7-1, 2.56) vs RHP B. Mackay (4-2, 2.58)
RHP D. Hornbrook (2-4, 5.12) vs RHP M. Villalobos (3-5, 5.29)

#49: Win, 2-1… despite the fact that CL Noah DiMaio, gifted a 2-0 lead entering the top of the 9th, almost blew it, the boys would find a way to dig themselves out of that 3-game losing streak behind a rip-roaring 5-innings of 7-hit, nothing earned work from our starter, William Macomber, followed by some tip top innings out of the pen. DH Bruce Sarmiento opened the scoring during the bottom of the 1st with a run-scoring double and Leo Bullock would add the game-winning run, on a single, just one inning later after which the offense got stuck in neutral and depended on our staff to help us coast to the victory. Listen, wins are, as always, at a premium – so, we’ll take what we can get. And, with this one getting us back over .500, we’ll take heaping helpings of the same anytime your grandma offers them up!


Elsewhere: SP Liam Moskowitz, the #1 pick of the 2085 draft by Toronto, has already started 5 games in the Major Leagues… and he’s wasted little time making his presence known, most recently with a phenomenal 8.2-inning, 3-hit shutout that included TWELVE STRIKEOUTS to lead his team to a much-needed, 3-0 win over the mighty Montreal Alouettes. At 22-27 so far this year, and with an immediate future that looks low-key bleak, wins are always welcome, especially those over a Canadian rival even if they do business in the other sub-league. Also, some NCAA tourney news… we’re on to the 2nd round now and favorites, the Grand Lakes University Hooters, have already been eliminated, leaving our field wide open – some clubs to look out for: the MIT Equations, South Dakota State, and Wyoming Cowboys.

#50: Win, 6-4… CL Noah DiMaio would be steadier on his feet in this one, shutting the door with relative authority during the top of the 9th on just 12 total pitches while recording a couple of K’s for good measure after our starter, Bernal Sanchez, put in a rock-solid 5.2-innings of work, doing just enough to earn his 8th victory of the season here. Two doubles (Angel & Blanco) and two TANKS (Leo & Skyler) for the club, with Leo driving in half of our runs – 2 on his TANK and another on a single – as the boys, no doubt buoyed by our boisterous hometown crowd, would find a way to win our second straight as we dig and focus, solely, on making up some of the ground we lost during our troubling start to the month.

Elsewhere: The 2nd round of the NCAA Tourney was contested tonight… down to 8 clubs now. Troy, South Dakota State, TCU, and MIT represent the left side of the bracket while Miami, Georgia, Ole Miss, and San Diego State represent the right. I’m still in on South Dakota State and MIT.

#51: Win, 5-4… down one entering the bottom of the 9th, an out on the board for San Diego, with Simon Harris on the third bag and Angel Marino on the second, Micky Austin sauntered into the box and promptly brought Harris in on a well-placed single that’d knot things up for us here. Frodo, likely trying too hard, would hit a weak pop up during our next AB, allowing San Diego within one out of sending this thing to extras, when Blanco Whitt, who has been remarkably so-so lately, clubbed a single that would bring Angel Marino home to walk off the Skipjacks, sending them on their merry way the losers of three straight in Pendleton Park. We’re back on that good stuff folks, Columbian pure, Michelle Pfiefer, white gold…

Record: 27-24, .529, 3rd AL West
Up Next: We’ll welcome the Salt Lake Alpines into our home for dinner all the while hoping they choke on a chicken bone.

[pauwoo]

Vs. Salt Lake Alpines (21-30, .412, 6th AL West)
I want to write something like, ‘oh how the mighty have fallen…’, but that would be a bold-faced lie. There was never anything mighty about these Alpines – they were lucky last season, beneficiaries of a fortunate circumstance, born last season with a leg up and a silver spoon in their mouth. Those days, whatever they were, are so far back in the rearview that even someone with 20/20 vision would require a solid pair of binoculars to see it is the distance. It’s back to reality in Utah – where second wives outnumber second chances, and where the stagnant Salt Lake City air leaves a film of regret in your mouth. Here, our goal isn’t revenge for last season, we’ve already exacted that last time we saw these guys – no, our goal here, is to apply a generous amount of salt to their wounds, to soccer kick them while they’re down, and to make sure they understand that, as far as glorified Triple-A clubs go, they’re not a very good one.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP N. Barilla (0-2, 8.38) vs RHP T. Green (1-6, 6.13)
RHP D. Hornbrook (2-4, 5.12) vs RHP W. Long (2-3, 7.26)
RHP W. Macomber (4-4, 2.90) vs RHP W. Allen (3-4, 3.53)

#52: Win, 3-2… RF Simon Harris brought our first run of the game in on a solo homer during the bottom of the 5th – it was his 7th dinger this year and came with two outs on the board. From there our offense would stay stuck in neutral while SP Norman Barilla dealt from the mound – giving us 6-inning of 9 K, shutout baseball before our bullpen would allow Salt Lake to come all the way back and take the lead during the top of the 8th. It’d be nothing doing for the Utah based outfit, however, as our own Frodo Gonzales, who’s been mired in a poor season so far (228/286/328, 4, 20), hit a 2-run double during the bottom of the frame to put us back up for good, leaving the door only slightly ajar for Noah DiMaio, who needed just 11 total pitches to close & lock it behind him for the 16th time this year.

Elsewhere: The Final Four of our annual NCAA Tourney is all set… MIT will face off against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on the left while Miami does battle with San Diego State on the right.

#53: Win, 5-1… Salt Lake Starter, Walt Allen, gave us the business during his 6.1-innings on the mound, allowing a measly 2-hits and 1 earned… but, unfortunately for him, his bullpen couldn’t be bothered to put in an equal effort as the first guy out, RP Lanny Dvorak, promptly allowed a solo homer from Fukumoto followed by three more runs in just 1-inning of work. Micky drove in three, 2 on a double and himself on a solo shot, Fukumoto and Dickey were responsible for the other two, we turned two double plays, extinguishing whatever it was Salt Lake thought they were cooking each time, and got nothing but great work out of the arm barn with Payton Inzen getting credit for the win while Jeremiah Fletchall earned his 2nd save of the year.

#54: Win, 11-6… We’d secure our second home sweep in a row, move back into 2nd place in the AL West, and exercise whatever demons were left from our unceremonious exit at the hands of Salt Lake during the postseason last year all in one fell swoop. Here, the offense got after it with doubles from Shane & Leo, a triple from Simon, and a 7th inning bomb courtesy of Micky Austin… we’d sprinkle in a swiped bag, Fukumoto’s 12th, a SAC BUNT, and a SAC FLY to round things out as we scored 11 of our 14 total baserunners in this one. Bernal picks up his 9th win after turning in 6-innings of work too… it’s full steam ahead with a mostly full tender and the manpower necessary to keep shoveling in our fuel as we make our way down the track.

Elsewhere: It’ll be Miami against MIT for the NCAA championship.

Record: 30-24, .555, 2nd AL West
Up Next: We’ll rest up most of Monday, before making a quick hop to the Emerald City for a date against the Metros.

[pauwoo]

@ Seattle Metros (26-28, .481, 4th AL West)
The Metros, and the city they call home, have seen better days – Championship Days, Superbowl Days, that time they hosted the World’s Fair, and days when their local baseball club was much, much more than the also ran they’ve become over the last 6 seasons. That they find themselves in 4th, 6 games off Colorado’s pace, and ahead of clubs like Dallas and Salt Lake isn’t just surprising – it’s shocking. Their offense is substandard, ranked 10th overall in the American League while their pitching, coming in at 9th overall in our league, isn’t much better. This is a club whose kitchen is devoid of cookware, whose pantry houses no staples, and whose oven was disconnected by the gas man months ago… a hollowed-out shell that was once filled by a storied franchise standing on a crumbling foundation that is just one, 3.0 or better earthquake away from total collapse. Our mission here – one we’ve happily accepted without yet hearing the details in their entirety – is to go into full, ‘gnar kill’, mode… to leave the Seattle Metros strewn about on the battlefield, lifeless and limbless, and very much worse for wear.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP D. Hornbrook (2-4, 5.12) vs RHP W. Felix (3-3, 4.60)
RHP M. Holman (1-5, 3.55) vs LHP C. Newby (2-3, 2.45)
RHP N. Barilla (0-2, 5.17) vs RHP B. Dauncey (3-4, 5.28)

#55: Loss, 1-2… We could only muster 1 run on 8 hits while Seattle managed to get two around on half that – including that last one, a 2-out, run-scoring single during the bottom of the 9th to send us off to the showers trying to figure out how it all went so terribly wrong… Fukumoto finished 2-for-5 with a double and a solo homer, no one else could be bothered to contribute offensively, and, our starter, Dominic Hornbrook, will be forced to stay at 2-4 on the year and to live with an undeserved no decision after giving the team 6.2-innings of 2 H, 1 ER baseball. Our “closer” Noah DiMaio drops to 1-4 on the year after allowing two runs, including the game winner during a laborious 26-pitch bottom of the 9th.

Trade Alert: I sent SP Po-Jung Su (24yo, 34/40) to Toronto for SP Stan Gaitan (21yo, 22/32)… I think Stan has better upside, and that he could make the big club one day should his movement improve. Also, the Miami Hurricanes defeated the MIT Equations in the NCAA Final, a 2-1 win in extras that was a lot more fun than it sounds… box is attached. Looks like RP Jim Unknown even managed to get some burn for the Hurricanes – always good to see him out there, yucking it up.

#56: Loss, 2-3 (10)… Once again we’d not have the stamina to get it done leading me to question the spinach intake of our entire roster while looking for a brewery nearby where I can drown my sorrows… here, Seattle knotted things up during the bottom of the 7th when 2B Zen Wakabayashi hit a run-scoring double off Peter Yamaguchi and then dismissed us into the night just three innings later when CF Nick Arredondo took Noah DiMaio yard during the bottom of the 10th to drop him to 1-5 now while lifting his team back to a .500 record. Leo hit a double and scored, Micky sent one into the cheap seats, and our starter, Micah Holman, was good, allowing just one runner to plate over 5.2-innings of work… it’s just, not unlike yesterday, no one else could be bothered to contribute, and, just like that we’ve been embarrassed in the Emerald City by a subpar, Cascadian rival.


Elsewhere: Otto Isaac, that sultan of swag still doing his level best to make that Los Angeles Leopards kit look good, went off against the Phoenix Coyotes this evening… posting a 3-for-5 day at the plate that included TWO TANKS, 3 RBI, and a couple of runs as his club, still the biggest bully on the NL West block, made the Coyotes look silly during a 9-3 win for the Yellow Tops. Otto’s hitting 306/378/559 with 15 HRs, 54 RBI, and a 2.3 WAR contribution so far this season in Tinseltown… old boy’s still got it. Oh, and… before I forget, that second TANK made it 500 for his career – putting Otto at 5th all-time. Our all-time leader is 1B Ashot Dodoryan at 586 who did it over a 19-year career that saw him play for 8 clubs as a major leaguer.

#57: Loss, 3-4… Swept in Seattle (get it?!?) – these last three have felt like the Metros just playing the same record over and over and over again until we’d been concussed, knocked out by a Melvins-esque wall of discordant fuzz, folded up like a lawn chair by off key vocals, and bashed over the head by the most under-appreciated rhythm section Seattle has ever known… SP Norman Barilla allowed just two runs over 5.2-innings of work, Skyler Dickey put one out, and our catcher, Elijah Arvinda, brought two around on a single… but, outside of that it was nothing doing for the rest of the club with Payton Inzen blowing it for us during the bottom of the 8th by allowing two runners to plate for Seattle and picking up his 2nd loss of the year.

Record: 30-27, .526, 2nd AL West
Up Next: We’ll travel to Dallas for a 3-game set against the Chaparrals in North Central Texas. Always fun to visit that hot, sticky, dustbowl… nothing like playing some baseball inside a sweatbox.

[pauwoo]

@ Dallas Chaparrals (27-30, .473, 5th AL West)
While not in a bad way, per se, that Dallas is off to this poor of a start is something of a surprise – 8 games off the pace with a little over a 3rd of the season already entered into the permanent record after being our divisions top dog for two straight seasons and its runner up for the 4 seasons before that obviously isn’t sitting too well with their fanbase. To be clear – they still have time (we all do), it’s just that, given their 12th ranked staff, it’s hard to see any significant route back to respectability for the Chaparrals. No, this will likely be chalked up as a lost season, perhaps the beginning of a prolonged period of poor showings, and maybe, just maybe the start of a long, slow descent for the former kings of the American League West.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP W. Macomber (4-4, 2.77) vs RHP A. Barrientos (2-0, 5.08)
RHP B. Sánchez (9-1, 2.78) vs RHP R. Straub (0-5, 6.03)
RHP D. Hornbrook (2-4, 4.64) vs RHP C. Gould (1-4, 6.99)

#58: Loss, 4-6… We’ve lost four in a row, to lowly competition one & all… JJ Barbari did the dirt for Dallas, finishing 2-for-4 with a double, 2 RBI, and a run while the Chaparral bullpen held is in check after their starter, Alan Barrientos, gave up 4 runs in less than 5-innings of work. Our starter, Macomber, did the same, though he managed to put in a full 5-innings of work, while our bullpen, namely Peter Yamaguchi and Payton Inzen could not stand as tall as the Dallas relievers, giving up the game winner during the 6th and insurance run during the 8th. Our highlights? Well, there was a 2-run double for Fukumoto and we did manage to swipe three bags as a club – 1 each for Shane, Simon, and Micky – but couldn’t match the Chaps’ energy, taking game one on the chin and looking at two more of the same if we can’t get it together and fast.

And, with that, we’ve put another month in the books… so, as always, we’ll take a gander at the standings, league leaders, and the Pioneers’ clubhouse…



NL Leaders...


AL Leaders...


The Clubhouse...


#59: Loss, 4-5 (14)… We’re in a real bad way folks – nothing is going right, our energy level is non-existent, and, try as we might, we just can’t buy a win at this point… 22yo backup backstop, Chaz Gildea, hit a run-scoring double during the top of the 8th to knot this thing up and ultimately helped secure a chance to get this win into the books in extras, but his effort would not go unpunished as no one else could muster anything significant from there as we shuffled along aimlessly until CF Mick Miller hit a walk off SAC FLY off Payton Inzen to send the Dallas crowd into a tizzy and us off into the night, losers of 5-straight. The wheels have come off… all of them. We’re talking steering wheel too, folks.

#60: Loss, 5-6… this loss, our 6th straight, was as gut wrenching a defeat I’ve experienced since taking on the Portland Pioneers – up 5-1 entering the bottom of the 9th with youngster Nuno Vera on the mound, Dallas wasted no time putting two bad ones on him, both on run-scoring singles, to pull within two. No problem, right? We’ll just throw our closer, Noah DiMaio, at them… it’s no worries. WRONG. DiMaio, Mr. Inconsistency, allowed the Chaparrals to come the rest of the way back on, get this, back-to-back-to-back run-scoring singles, earning his 2nd blown save and 6th loss in the process, as the Dallas Chaps, despite hitting just one double and one triple on the day, would score five furious runs during the bottom of the very last frame to climb back to .500 on the year while pulling us down to that same mark. Good grief.

Other News: We reactivated RF Rowan Calvin from the injured list… which, sadly for him, meant that DH Bruce Sarmiento would head back to Eugene to once again don our Ducks kit down in AAA.

Record: 30-30, .500, 5th AL West
Up Next: We’ll travel to Colorado to do battle against the biggest bully on the AL West block.

[pauwoo]

"Cram as much pleasure as you can into life, and rail against the pain that you have to suffer as a result" - Shane MacGowan

Godspeed, good sir, godspeed...

@ Colorado Kings (38-22, .633, 1st AL West)
At the start of the 2086 campaign, there wasn’t a single person amongst the punditry that would’ve gone out on a limb to say that they believed these Colorado Kings would run things in the AL West this season. On paper, they had the look of a sub-.500 club, destined to suffer the same fate as most recent Colorado based clubs… an outlier in nearly every offensive category tethered to a pitching staff whose proclivity for serving up the tastiest meatballs to opposing hitters would, once again, hold them back. However, that’s just not been the case – their offense, as expected, is ranked first in our league, but, this time, the staff is a solid 6th on the table, doing the dirt, and keeping the Kings in a position to win games night in and night out. They’re where we were supposed to be… on top, looking down our nose at our “competition” in the AL West, at the start of what would undoubtedly become a long reign of terror for the Portland Pioneers… instead, we’re just shuffling along aimlessly, making our living somewhere in the middle of the pack, not handsome enough to get an invite to the Sadie Hawkins dance and suffering the indignity of being eliminated from the short list when the young ladies were deciding who to ask.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP M. Holman (1-5, 3.39 ERA) vs RHP R. Borovský (5-3, 3.79 ERA)
RHP N. Barilla (0-2, 4.64 ERA) vs LHP J. Lynch (3-0, 2.42 ERA)
RHP W. Macomber (4-4, 3.09 ERA) vs RHP E. Belanger (5-6, 4.56 ERA)

#61: Loss, 0-3… Like rats from a sinking ship, the look on the face of nearly every man in our clubhouse indicates how badly they want to run away from this mess and hide. After losing 7-straight, our unhappiness is pervasive, the general malaise that has settled in the clubhouse is inescapable, and our complete lack of espirit de corps is palpable. Colorado’s Radoslav Borovsky kept our boys in check for 5-innings, allowing a measly 5 hits during his time on the mound, and his bullpen followed suit allowing just four hits the rest of the way – our offense was stuck in neutral, not a single EBH between us, with 5 runners stranded overall. Micah Holman’s snakebit season continues – he’ll take his 6th loss of the season here despite allowing just 2 runs over his 5-innings of work.

#62: Win, 4-2… we’d rely, mostly, on a 3-run top of the 1st to get ourselves back in the winning column for the first time in our last 8 attempts… capped off by Simon Harris’ 2-run DINGER during that frame in what was a 2-for-5 day for him. Leo and Blanco rounded things out offensively for us, each bringing one around on a single, and our staff, led here by Norman Barilla’s 6-innings of 3-hit filthiness, somehow managed to keep Colorado’s buzzsaw offense off the board for much of the game. Heck, even CL Noah DiMaio managed to earn a save, his 17th, despite allowing a runner to score late during a ill-fated rally attempt from Colorado. Big, much-needed win for the club, bringing us back to .500, and on the road at altitude too!

Draft Day: It’s the day of our annual draft, an event I usually spend a lot of time on, but don’t like to write about… we spent our top pick, 14th overall, on a RFer out of Wyoming - Tyler Kirby (20yo, 26/74)… kid’s got moxie, a real good arm, good enough range for RF, and doesn’t commit a lot of errors AND projects to hit for average with more than a little bit of pop whilst not striking out a ton. I also snagged a nice little starter out of Vanderbilt in Terry Singleton (20yo, 26/57)… he’s a sidearm throwing, groundballer with 6 pitches. I could see him being somebody, someday. Tyler’s profile is attached…

#63: Loss, 3-4… the boys turned in a valiant effort, attempting a 4-run rally during the top of the 8th where we’d come up just a couple of runs short after 2B Adric Taylor hit a 2-run HR to make it three scored for our Pioneers during the frame. All said, however, Colorado Starter, Larimel Alvarez, was just too much for us, holding us at arm’s length for 7-innings where he’d allow just two hits and one earned run… our guy, William Macomber, fell to 4-5 on the year after allowing 2 runners to plate over 5-innings of work, a solid effort no doubt, just not enough for our offense to find a way to get it done. Disappointing to lose the set – but, let’s be honest – we’re just happy we didn’t get swept again.

Elsewhere: My Reno Berserkers, down in the Bush League, are now 14-18 on the year and have gone 7-3 over their last ten contests… our pitching has improved, we’re now ranked 6th in that category, but the offense, ranked 10th in our league, just hasn’t come around. Meh.

Record: 31-32, .492, 5th AL West
Up Next: We’ll head home to PDX where the 2nd place Vancouver Mounties will be waiting, no doubt licking their chops in anticipation of our arrival.

[pauwoo]

Vs. Vancouver Mounties (33-30, .524, 2nd AL West)
With a top notch, 2nd-ranked offense and a solid pitching staff that’s mostly buoyed by the Mounties’ tip top defense (1st in Defensive Eff & ZR), Vancouver finds themselves occupying 2nd place on the AL West table even though they are already 7 games off the pace currently being set by our last opponent, the Colorado Kings. They score, a lot, are adept at getting on base, and are a great baserunning team when they get on… and, really, given their +62 RDiff, second only to Colorado in American League, should probably be making their living just 1 or 2 games behind the Kings in the standings. Which is to say that, as ever, there is no rest for the wicked here – Vancouver is as good as it gets in our division, as fierce a foe as you can imagine, and one that, given our ho-hum form, may have little difficulty dispatching us in our park, leaving some families wondering why they chose to spend their entertainment dollar on a day at the ballpark.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP B. Sánchez (9-1, 3.00 ERA) vs RHP S. Kenny (7-2, 2.79 ERA)
RHP D. Hornbrook (2-4, 4.34 ERA) vs RHP T. Abraham (2-0, 3.38 ERA)
RHP M. Holman (1-6, 3.41 ERA) vs LHP T. Mack (2-2, 3.18 ERA)

#64: Loss, 4-5… this slow, gradual, & painful decline should not be chronicled in a series-by-series format and, for anyone who doesn’t love the horror genre I implore you to stop reading now, assuming that you haven’t already… because things have come completely off the rails in Portland, we’re deep in the woods, in some nondescript part of the country, making poor decisions, hanging out with blondes, and walking, briskly, towards a slasher film scene the likes of which the world has never known. In this version of ‘death by 1000 cuts’ it’d be Baron Henry that got that last one in, a run-scoring single during the top of the 7th off Bernal Sanchez, representing the 5th run he had allowed, to put Vancouver up for good… and the sad part was that over half of the hometown crowd didn’t even stick around to see if we’d mount a comeback. It’s a sad state of affairs…

#65: Win, 7-2… our revenge was as swift as it was severe with 3 runs scored in the 3rd and 5th frames with one more added during the 6th for craps and cackles. Frodo led the way, driving in four runs on 2-for-4 hitting including a 3-run TANK, Leo, Blanco, and Skyler each brought in a run, and we swiped two bags as a club offensively while the staff brought their A-game with Hornbrook earning his 3rd win of the 2086 campaign after putting in 5.2 solid innings of work. A good win against a great club in what is, in my mind, the best park in all of professional baseball… not a bad day at the office, you ask me.


Elsewhere: RF Leandro Corona, currently punching the clock down in the Bush League with my Reno Berserkers, put in a hard-scrabble 3-for-4 day at the plate with a double, TWO TANKS, and 5 total RBI thrown in for good measure to lead his club to a resounding, 8-5 win over the Vallejo Locos. With the win, Reno improved to 15-19 on the year, and picked up their first win after getting swept in Roswell by the Invaders.

#66: Win, 6-4… it’d take most of what we had plus a 3-run bottom of the 8th to get it done against Vancouver, as we found a way to win our first series in, oh I don’t know, forever on the back of Leo’s run-scoring walk that put us up 5-4 at the time and for good once it was all said and done. Skyler Dickey finished 2-for-5 with a 2-run DING DONG and 3 total RBI with Simone Harris and Elijah Arvinda being responsible for our other runs, while Jeremiah Fletchall picked up his 3rd win in relief before turning it over to DiMaio for his 18th save. We needed this one… seriously.

All hail Palmer Parker, one of the best to ever do it… killing me with that facial hair tho…


Record: 33-33, .500, 4th AL West
Up Next: We have Monday off, as always, and will welcome the Buffalo Nickels to town for a three-game set starting on Tuesday.

[pauwoo]

Vs. Buffalo Nickels (30-36, .454, 5th AL East)
Buffalo, boasting HR leader Aitor Cubas, yet still ranked a paltry 8th overall offensively in the American League, is not all the way out of it yet… sure, they find themselves operating a full 11 games off the Imperials’ pace and currently boast a -18 RDiff, but, with a few defensive tweaks, more than a few less errors in the field, and a slight rejiggering of their pitching staff it’s not terribly difficult to identify a scenario where the Nickels get themselves back into the mix, back into the thick of it. It would require that young hurlers like SP Gabriel Rice tighten it up a bit, and that hitters like 1B Rusty Seeden and RF Paul Fernandez smooth out their power swing… but, at this juncture of the season, it is doable. And, as ever, these same remarks could be made about our club – although with different players getting namechecked – as we find ourselves out on the periphery in our division yet wholly capable of making a run at Colorado should we find a way to right the ship a little bit and get our offense and pitching on the same page. Here then is a set that could be a precursor of things to come for one of us… will your Portland Pioneers get this locomotive back on the track starting against the Nickels or will Buffalo start to get their engine tuned up, summer-ized, and ready to perform at a high level during the dog days that lie ahead.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP N. Barilla (1-2, 3.95 ERA) vs RHP G. Rice (3-1, 5.45 ERA)
RHP W. Macomber (4-5, 3.12 ERA) vs RHP T. Pushkin (5-6, 4.77 ERA)
RHP B. Sánchez (9-2, 3.31 ERA) vs RHP Q. Benoit (5-6, 3.68 ERA)

#67: Win, 4-1… SP Norman Barilla stymied the Nickels, giving them 7-innings of filthiness that included 7 K’s while allowing just 5 hits and a run… Blanco opened the scoring with a run-scoring SAC FLY, Simon Harris & Skyler Dickey each put balls out of the park, and Leo Bullock finished 3-for-4 with a stolen base. The Nickels, it seems, are just not quite ready to turn the proverbial corner… Gabriel Rice takes the loss, it’s his second of the year, after allowing 3 of our 4 runs and their offense, despite getting a hit off our closer, were unable to claw their way back as DiMaio closed the door ever so softly during the top of the 9th, amassing 3 K’s on 19 total pitches.


Elsewhere: San Diego has been using pitcher Al Bundy in a myriad of ways this season – essentially reducing him to a spot starter while mostly using him out of the pen… he’s even closed a few games this year… and, I guess it makes sense – he’s always been starter material, but is injury prone, and, after 12-years of service time is ‘wrecked’ physically by any measure you choose to use – so, imagine my delight, if you will, when I noticed that Polk High School’s finest is still capable of putting it down something fierce as old boy gave the Pittsburgh Pipers the business over 8-innings of 4 hit, 1 earned work that included 6 K’s to lead his Skipjacks to a resounding, 9-1 victory at home. With the win, Bundy improves to 4-2 on the year and now has 92 wins over his career.

#68: Loss, 6-7… we’d be undone and bashed over the head by a 6-run top of the 8th that included a 3-run TANK off our starter, William Macomber, followed by another 3-run TRUCK off his immediate relief, Nuno Vera… taking this one on the teeth, at home, in front of all the people we care about, and in the most embarrassing way possible. Buffalo was stout defensively, keeping us in relative check with three DP’s and a beautifully thrown outfield assist that caught Skyler Dickey trying to stretch a double into a triple even as their staff allowed 6 bad ones before the stretch. Just a complete and utter collapse by our staff here… sometimes, it goes like that – I guess.

#69: Loss, 0-3… Listen, I’ve built a good team here, a club that, on paper anyway, should compete and, honestly, one that should handle a crew like the Buffalo Nickels with relative ease – and, I don’t know why we can’t seem to do that, why this collection of stiffs I’ve put together in Portland can’t compete at the level and clip I thought they would… look, I did the math, the numbers checked out, and we should be at or near the top of the pops in our division yet find ourselves languishing at 5th on the AL West table, dropping sets at home, and living so far outside the cake that we may die a virgin. Here, our bullpen (and lack of offense) was once again the culprit with RP Robinson Bridges being saddled with his first loss this year after giving up the game-winner and Peter Yamaguchi seeing his ERA balloon to 3.86 after allowing two more runners to plate during his 1.2-innings on the bump. It’s just a sad, sad state of affairs here in Rose City.

Elsewhere: Our Short Season A-Ball club, the Centennial Cavaliers, got their season underway today… the youngsters, living all the way up to the example we’ve been setting up here on the big club, lost by a score of 5-1 against the Los Angeles Leopards’, Brentwood Bishops. Our top draft pick, RF Tyler Kirby, went 2-for3 at the plate with a walk and committed a costly fielding flub during a 2-run bottom of the 2nd for Brentwood.

Record: 34-35, .492, 5th AL West
Up Next: We’re shipping up to Boston for a 3-game set… in search of our wooden leg, a couple of wins, and our pride.

[pauwoo]

@ Boston Patriots (32-37, 3rd AL East)
The Patriots play in a hitter’s park, which, under normal circumstances, I’d love… it’s just that these aren’t normal circumstances because I have an anemic offense, emaciated, and underfed – one that, lately at least, is wholly incapable of taking advantage of these (or any other) circumstances no matter how much they seem to play into our favor. Basically, while Boston is busy trying to salvage their season, working to fill in the gaps, trying out new strategies in the search of one that fits, we’re stuck in neutral, sluggish to get into gear, and doing our level best to find new and exciting ways to lose baseball games. Normally, I’d look at our opponent here and take it as an opportunity to offer up platitudes on how this set represents an opportunity to show our peers in the MLB just how far we’ve come, to show them that we belong in conversations discussing our leagues best clubs, but, instead, will do none of that… ours, as ever, is a malaise so all-encompassing, so pervasive, that, if you’re not careful it’ll suck you up and spit you back out the other side looking like some unsuspecting victim in 1988’s the Blob.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP D. Hornbrook (3-4, 4.10) vs RHP R. Gentile (0-1, 3.24)
RHP M. Holman (1-6, 3.38) vs RHP K. Rubertone (6-3, 3.35)
RHP N. Barilla (2-2, 3.41) vs RHP K. Littles (2-3, 4.21)

#70: Loss, 2-3… our woes continue as the Patriots extinguished our ill-fated comeback attempt during the top of the 9th on a game-ending double play hit by Leo Bullock. SP Roger Gentile gave us the business during his 6-innings on the hill, allowing just 4 hits and 1 earned run, while our own Dominic Holbrook was charged with his 5th loss of the season after allowing all three of Boston’s runs over his 5-innings. For our part we got caught with our hand in the honeypot once, hit into two DP’s, and, all told, left 12 runners stranded to earn our third loss in as many tries. Look, the wheels fell off long ago, and now we’re worried about the suspension falling apart at the seams.

Elsewhere: In what can only be described as complete & total devastation, my Berserkers trounced the Beaverton Sashimis in Bush League play by a score of 20-7… box is attached.

#71: Win, 7-4… down by a run as we entered the top of the 8th and with little hope that we’d be good for a comeback, I sat in the visitor’s suite resigned to our likely fate only to have my pessimism proved shortsighted as Micky Austin’s 2-run TANK off former-Leopard, Toni Cartwright put us up for good with those last two tacked on by Rowan Calvin and Blanco Whitt for good measure. Yamaguchi was credited with the win after turning in 2 hitless innings of relief work after coming unglued in his last appearance and our Closer, Noah DiMaio, secured Save #20, needing just 13 pitches to close the door on these tax-hating, tea-abusing Patriots of Boston, Mass.

Oh, and because… why not – 1B Angel Marino will miss the next 4-5 weeks with a hip strain. He’ll head back to the IL and your boy LF Bruce Sarmiento returns to the big club from Eugene.

#72: Win, 3-2 (10)…SP Norman Barilla gave it his all over the course of his 6-innings of 6-hit, 7 K outing but would not walk away with the win as our offense was unable to get our jalopy into gear until the 10th inning when 1B Jaden Korzec, operation in a PH capacity, hit a solo homer off CL Jordan Johnson, who fell to 0-8 on the year as a result, to silence the crowd and all but guarantee a Pioneer victory. Nuno Vera was gifted the win after pitching to one batter during the bottom of the 9th and Noah DiMaio, back in God’s good graces it seems, secured his 21st save on 9 total pitches.


Elsewhere: Our #1 draft pick out of Wyoming has wasted little time getting himself acclimated to life as a professional and finished 5-for-5 during his most recent tilt with two, two-baggers and his first homerun as a paid ballplayer. And, less importantly in this case, our Short Season A-Ball club, the Centennial Cavs, improved to 3-1 as our boys dismissed the Mesa Vipers by a score of 9-4 at home. I have a good feeling about this Tyler Kirby kid.

Record: 36-36, .500, 5th AL West
Up Next: We’ll head back to Portland where the New York Sluggers will join us for a 3-game set in our park.

[pauwoo]

Vs. New York Sluggers (30-42, .416, 6th AL East)
Our parade against subpar teams that we can’t quite solve continues with the New York Sluggers, who, unfortunately for their fans, have picked up where they left off last season, languishing at the bottom of the barrel with riff raff like the Salt Lake Alpines (currently dead last in our league) and the Detroit Motors, who are ranked one peg above the Sluggo’s at 10th in the AL. Their problem, or most of it anyway, seems to stem from their anemic offense, ranked 11th overall and 12th in runs, OBP, and wOBA – but, as it goes with clubs like this one, their staff isn’t much better – ranked 11th in K’s, 9th in Bullpen ERA and RA, and 8th pretty much everywhere else. For a club that hasn’t made it to the playoffs in a decade, with year number 11 living outside the cake looking down at them as if it was a barrel of a gun, the New York Sluggers aren’t making any inroads towards becoming a solid, occasionally contending franchise… heck, once I win a title in the Rose City, I might have to rebrand these brigands as something cuter, more stylish, and then pack my bags for the bright lights of NYC.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP W. Macomber (4-5, 3.07) vs RHP E. Lopaz (3-3, 5.59)
RHP B. Sánchez (9-2, 3.05) vs RHP B. Murray (0-1, 3.12)
RHP D. Hornbrook (3-5, 4.19) vs LHP L. Carlson (5-6, 3.60)

#73: Loss, 1-3… same as it ever was for us, really – presented with an opportunity to make up some ground, against a subpar outfit that looks like they have checked out on their season already, only to squander it, albeit in less than spectacular fashion. Here, the Sluggers tagged Macomber with the loss, his 6th, after charging two bad ones to his account over the course of his 7-innings of work with DH Spike Tucker driving in the game-winner on a double during what was a 1-for-3 day for the young man. Leo brought in our only run on a single, our defense played admirably, securing three double plays for our starter, but, in the end, we’d leave 9 runners stranded, turn in another listless offensive performance, and continue to underwhelm the fans who are still bothering to show up.

#74: Win, 3-2… a barnburner this was not… but, we’ll take it, happily, and even ask for seconds… Bernal gets the win, finishing with 7-innings, 6-hits, 2 earned, and 6 K’s to pick up victory #10, and, after Jeremiah Fletchall secured a hold during the 8th, our Closer, Noah DiMaio, finally tallied his 22nd save on the season. Micky Austin was the whole show for us offensively, or most of it, hitting a 2-run BLAST during the bottom of the 5th that represented the game-winning runs with an RBI from Frodo, on a single, thrown in for good measure. Just a low-key, workmanlike win – the kind of victory that doesn’t necessarily ignite revelry in the fan base, but, at this point… beggars can’t be choosers and all that.


Elsewhere: SP Liam Coleman, a nowhere nothing nobody who is currently plying his trade with the Lower 9th Ward Reapers in the New Orleans Development system, put up a line that belies his rating tonight in a tilt against the Orlando Stars… tossing a complete game, 3-hit, 1 run game that included 11 K’s to lead his club to a well-deserved win, in Florida, by a score of 5-1. Liam’s problem, generally, is movement – he doesn’t have any… if he ever gets that elusive cup of coffee in the bigs, I expect him to get lit up… yeah, I like him for Reno – this kid has future Bush League legend stamped on his forehead.

#75: Loss, 5-8 (13)… you see, our problem is that we’re not very good. Here, after knotting this one up at 5 each during the bottom of the 8th on the back of a 2-run double courtesy of Leo Bullock, we’d go dormant, withered up and yellow, like Texas grass during the winter months. CL Payton Inzen would be charged with the loss after letting three runners plate during the bottom of the 13th – 2 on a 2-run TANK and another on a wild pitch – and New York’s RP Regis Lua (sometimes OOTP generates the perfect names, doesn’t it?) earned his 3rd win of the season after turning in 1.1 innings of hitless work and striking out our side during the bottom of the 13th… yeah, Regis mowed down Skyler, Leo, and Simon Harris, in that order, to close the show. Yikes.

Record: 37-38, .493. 5th AL West
Up Next: The season of our discontent continues with the Mexico City Jaguars due in town tomorrow for a 3-game set.

[pauwoo]

Vs. Mexico City Jaguars (25-50, .333, 6th NL West)
If we’ve struggled to find 3rd gear, Mexico City has struggled to get it out of park. Already 75 games into the season and these Jaguars have only managed to win a third of them as they’ve taken a step back after finishing 5th in the NL West on a 71-91 record last season. And, long gone is 2084’s 2nd-place team who looked like a sure-fire World Series entrant after dispatching Philadelphia in 3-straight before succumbing to the eventual champion, the Los Angeles Leopards. SP Patrick Torres, their 25yo, 2x Victor Pacheco winning fireballer, is mired in a subpar, 7-7 season and boasts a 5.06 ERA while their offense, as a unit, has taken two giant steps back, falling to a 6th place ranking in the National League for the first time in who knows how long. This, then, is an opportunity – for us. An opportunity to get back on the program, to start working towards our white, red, and then gold chips… to readopt that one day at a time mentality, and, with any luck, to get this monkey off our back and to shed our losing ways once & for all.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP M. Holman (1-6, 3.62) vs RHP B. French (4-5, 5.45)
RHP N. Barilla (2-2, 2.88) vs RHP W. Tajima (3-7, 5.88)
RHP W. Macomber (4-6, 3.03) vs RHP P. Torres (7-7, 5.06)

#76: Win, 5-0… So, we did what we were supposed to do. We beat up on the playground weakling, hoisted the little bugger over our head, and tossed him into the Jungle Gym. Frodo, in one of his more mean-spirited efforts, did most of our offensive work here, finishing 2-for-4 at the plate with a 2-run TANK, 3 total RBI, and a run, while Micah Holman, despite turning in several tip top performances for us this season, picked up just his 2nd victory, after turning in a 6-inning, 7-hit, clean sheet before handing things off to Peter Yamaguchi and Wendell Winston to close things out. Four burgled bags for the club with two of those belonging to 3B Shane Fukumoto, and 4 expertly crafted double plays for the team as they found ways to bail out our staff every time one of them found himself in a bit of trouble. Good stuff from the club today – we need more of this kind of thing, and fast.

#77: Win, 2-0… We’d hold Mexico City, and their formerly legendary offense, scoreless once again with SP Norman Barilla earning the win after turning in a 9 K, 5.2-inning performance before handing things off to a chain of four relievers with Yamaguchi, Bridges, and Fletchall each earning a hold, and CL Noah DiMaio picking up his 23rd save of the season. Skyler Dickey and Simon Harris were responsible for our only runs, each on a single, as we nearly lulled our hometown crowd to sleep in this one despite earning our second win in a row and, finally, climbing over .500 again.


Elsewhere: LF Captain Christopher Albano, who’s currently plying his trade in Short Season A ball with the Danbury Hatters (a Buffalo affiliate), went 3-for-4 with a GRAND SLAM to lead his club to a satisfying, 7-5 win over the Waco Rivermen. With the win, Danbury improved to 38-29 this season and Albano, who has only played in 39 of those games, is now hitting 386/442/556 with 4 homers and 33 RBI. Also, CRAZY TRADE ALERT… the Phoenix Coyotes sent 35yo LEGEND Heathcote Kinton to Montreal for 2 minor league starters and a minor league reliever… Heathcote, always a bridesmaid, never a bride, may find himself with a last gasp opportunity to win a World Series as the club he’s joining is currently tied with Philly and New Orleans at the top of the pops in the NL East.

#78: Win, 10-3… we opened this one with a 4-run bottom of the first and scored 10 runs in total despite hitting only one extra base hit – a double for Frodo – as a club and, ultimately, earned the sweep by utterly destroying the no good, down on their luck Mexico City Jaguars who may have the misfortune of being one of the worst clubs I seen in this file for some time. Leo finished 3-for-4 with 3 RBI and 2 runs of his own while Skyler and BRUUUUUCE Sarmiento each drove in two each, respectively and the staff, led by William Macomber’s 6-innings of 8-hit, 3 earned work, kept Mexico City in check once again as the boys, playing against some really weak competition here, have seemingly taken the opportunity to get back on form and look like a fit club built for the long haul.

Record: 40-38, .512, 5th AL West
Up Next: We’ll take our customary day off on Monday before travelling to Brooklyn for a 3-game set.

[pauwoo]

@ Brooklyn Americans (42-36, .538)
These Americans are like us… not bad, middling, average whilst believing they are not, deluded, armed with an inflated sense of self… and, while both of us still have time to find greatness, to go on a run, and to force our way into the playoffs, that outcome seems to become less likely with each passing day. This, then – in my mind – is an important set… a set that will establish which of our two teams can use the other as a steppingstone, a catalyst, as the turning point in what has been a markedly so-so campaign…

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP B. Sánchez (10-2, 3.01 ERA) vs RHP G. Wayne (6-4, 2.75 ERA)
RHP D. Hornbrook (3-5, 4.58 ERA) vs RHP M. Martin (7-4, 4.34 ERA)
RHP M. Holman (2-6, 3.36 ERA) vs RHP C. Murphy (8-4, 3.86 ERA)

#79: Win, 9-2… the boys came out gangbusters in game one, led by Bernal Sanchez from the mound and RF Simon Harris at the plate. Sanchez picked up his 11th victory, improving to 11-2 on the year with a 2.92 ERA while Harris paced the offense during a 3-for-3 day that included a double, a 2-run TANK, 3 total RBI, and two free passes while Bruuuuce Sarmiento drove in three of his own on a bases-clearing double during the 3rd inning. Two double plays and THREE SWIPED BAGS – all courtesy of Shane Fukumoto – for the club as we dominated the Americans to open things up here and will, undoubtedly, look for ways to do it again tomorrow.

#80: Loss, 3-6 (12)… Peter Yamaguchi gave up the ghost to RF Dave Brewster during the bottom of the 12th as his 3-RUN TANK would do us in here, walking us off unceremoniously after we carried a 3-3 tie into extras. Brooklyn DH Loren Rondeau fanned four times against our staff, turning in a GOLDEN SOMBRERO within the first 9-innings, but, that domination wouldn’t be enough for our group of hurlers as Brooklyn would find a way to knot this series up with the rubber match all set for tomorrow afternoon. Skyler Dickey brought one in on a SAC FLY during his 0-for-4 day and our backup backstop, Chaz Gildea, finished 1-for-4 with a solo homer and a run-scoring single… but, without a few more contributions sprinkled in by the rest of the lineup it wouldn’t matter as the boys got handled here just one day after dominating the Americans on their turf.

#81: Loss, 0-1… we’d exit stage left on a whimper with the Brooklyn Americans lulling us, and likely their fans, to sleep with a tip-top pitching performances from their starter Cam Murphy – 7-innings, 3 hits, 0 earned, 5 K’s – and relievers Ram Chen & Evan Tibbs (who earned his 17th save striking out the side during the top of the 9th). For our part… we sucked. No extra base hits, 9 K’s as a squad, an error charged to Blanco Whitt’s account, and we managed to leave all four of the men who made it on out there with nowhere to go. We needed this set – like, it had the look of a critical series, a potential turning point, and, instead, as is our wont, we came out of it still living in the 5th slot on the AL West table and on a near .500, 41-40 record. For shame.

Record: 41-40, .506, 5th AL West
Up Next: We’ll welcome the Salt Lake Alpines to PDX for a three-game set. They’re 32-49 this season… so, you’d think this would have all the makings of a slam dunk – but it doesn’t… Nah – we’ve shown ourselves to be completely capable of having our behinds handed to us by inferior clubs with little difficulty and much regularity.

[pauwoo]

Vs. Salt Lake Alpines (32-49, .395)
Mired in a real funk, like Cam Gallagher & The Tasty Soul without the requisite positivity and enthusiasm, these Alpines have been content to sleepwalk through the first half of 2086. The Alpines have lethargically approached the first half of the 2086 season, a stark contrast to their 2nd place finish in the AL West division just a year ago and their fanbase’s optimism from 2085 seems misplaced now… Here as they begin the 2nd half of the 2086 campaign, these Alpines are ambling down the same old, well-worn path they’ve followed to 5th place finish after 5th place finish throughout their less-than-storied history – just another aimless, moribund club shuffling along the road to obscurity.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP N. Barilla (3-2, 2.53) vs RHP F. Bursley (4-2, 1.33)
RHP W. Macomber (5-6, 3.13) vs RHP W. Long (3-4, 6.26)
RHP B. Sánchez (11-2, 2.92) vs RHP R. Taylor (4-5, 3.91)

#82: Win, 2-0… SP Norman Barilla picked up his 4th win of the season since being called up on May 14th after giving us 7.1-innings of 7-hit, shutout work where he’d also fan 7 batsmen while walking just one lucky hitter and Noah DiMaio earned his 24th save of the year with a near-flawless top of the 9th. We’d also score our only 2 runs by homer as Leo Bullock and C Chaz Gildea did the honors for us here to give our staff & defense all the cushion they’d need to secure the win… two double plays and an OF assist from the defense in this one as well – certainly not the most exciting contest for the fans who joined us at Pendleton Park, but it did have its moments.


Elsewhere: Our recent draft pick, starting pitcher Terry Singleton, was chosen with the 45th overall pick in the 2nd round of this year's draft from Vanderbilt University and he's already demonstrating his potential to our fans. In a recent game for our Triple-A club, the Eugene Ducks, Singleton pitched 7.2 innings, struck out 13 batters, and secured his first professional win with a 3-0 victory over the Lower 9th Ward Reapers (A New Orleans Gators affiliate).

#83: Win, 5-2… Frodo Gonzales’ solo tater during the bottom of the 7th put this one all but out of reach, running our total up to 5 runs on the day and putting the hapless Alpines a position to do something they’re terrible at… come from behind to win a game of baseball. A 2-run dinger for Micky Austin, his 12th on the year, and doubles from Chaz and Simon Harris would round out the offense while Starter, Willaim Macomber, drew even on the season at 6-6 after turning in a nice 6-inning, 5 hit, 2 earned performance that included 7 total K’s.

Injury Alert: 2B Blanco Whitt, who has started each of our 83-games at 2B so far this year, will be out for the next three weeks recovering from a torn ligament in his thumb. Our backup, 2B Takamori Miyake, will take over for now with 2B Antwon Cross being called up from Eugene to provide some depth in his absence Cross saw 15 games of action on the big club in 2085 and did nothing with it - 190/230/224, 1 RBI, -0.3 WAR.

#84: Win, 6-5… we’d rebuff a near cataclysmic comeback from the Alpines with a dramatic, 2-out, walk off solo TANK courtesy of SS Skyler Dickey who finished 3-for-5 with 2 runs scored and that fateful RBI. SP Bernal Sanchez was fine – 8-innings, 4 hits, and 3 earned with 9 K’s – and should have earned the win here but, alas, closer Noah DiMaio blew the save before Skyler found a way to gift him the W during the bottom of the 9th. Two doubles, two homers, and four 2-out RBI for the club, picking up the hard-fought W here and securing a much-needed sweep to charge head-first into the second half.

Record: 44-40, .524, 3rd AL West
Up Next: The 2086 slog continues as the club travels to Dallas for a 3-game set against the 2nd place Chaparrals.

[pauwoo]

With June in the books, here's a quick look at our standings, AL/NL leaders, and the Pioneers clubhouse...

Standings as of July 1st...


American League Leaders...


National League Leaders...


And, last, but certainly not least... our clubhouse...

[pauwoo]

@ Dallas Chaparrals (45-39, .536)
Outpacing our club by one scant game, these Chaps, while good, aren’t the world beaters their self-aggrandizing fanbase would have you believe… things may always be bigger in Texas (debatable) but they definitely aren’t always better. The Chaparrals have a very good offense, ranked 5th overall in our league, but their pitching and defense leave much to be desired… ranked 11th overall as a staff, 11th in runs allowed, and 12th in FIP, Bullpen ERA, and Defensive efficiency. They’re also outperforming the Pyt by 7 games, are the less-than-proud owners of a -36 RDiff, and, if you ask me, are the luckiest club in organized baseball. Here, it’s our hope that their luck will run out and that our recent run of winning form (we finished June with a 14-12 record you guys) will hold.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP J. Fletchall (3-1, 1.22) vs RHP C. Gould (1-5, 5.52)
RHP M. Holman (2-7, 3.28) vs RHP E. Blaxley (5-7, 4.68)
RHP N. Barilla (4-2, 2.18) vs LHP J. Hruska (10-5, 2.61)

#85: Win, 3-0… SP Jeremiah Fletchall gave us 7-inning of 1-hit, shutout baseball en route to his 4th victory in a row and fanned 5 to set the table nicely for our bullpen who, between Nuno Vera, Dom Hornbrook, and Noah DiMaio, allowed just one hit the rest of the way to flummox the much-maligned (by us) Dallas lineup. And, our offense, led by dingers from Frodo and Shane Fukumoto, did what was necessary to keep our winning streak alive in this first of three contested in central Texas. Two burgled bags, one each for Shane and Leo Bullock, and a tasty little double play would round out our highlights here as the boys went off into the warm Dallas night on a well-earned win.

#86: Loss, 0-3… Dallas would exact some small measure of revenge here, hanging each of their three runs on our Starter, Micah Holman, who, as you may know, is mired in a poor, poor season so far at 2-8 despite pitching well in his first season as a Major Leaguer. Of course, those four free passes he doled out today didn’t help his cause much. Nothing doing for the offense either as the boys did nothing with our 8 hits on the day and left 12 runners stranded over the course of the game. This was not the effort we were looking for…


Elsewhere: 3B Leander Dillard, our 3rd round pick (67th overall) of this years Amateur Draft, is filling out his Centennial Cavaliers kit out quite nicely as he finished 3-for-5 with 2 TANKS and 5 total RBI to lead our club to a resounding, 12-1 victory, over the Kitchener Beavers. In 18 games with our Short Season A outfit, Leander has put down a 333/407/528 slash with 3 homers and 12 RBI so far.

#87: Win, 2-0… SP Norman Barilla improved to 5-2 on the year after turning in a tip-top, 7.1-inning, 3-hit shutout and Noah DiMaio picked up his 27th save on the year as our offense, anemic as it was, got back on the good foot here, putting two runs across during the top of the 6th to all but put this one to bed… and with that, as we rest our road weary heads, the club secured a series win to kick off the month, ruined the Chaps’ post-game fireworks show, and skipped town with victory in hand on our way back home.


Elsewhere: Pictured above is SP Troy Schlottman. Troy went to the University of North Carolina. He went undrafted and decided to pursue his baseball dreams further in the Bush League with the Ontario Dumplings. And, he had himself something of a game against the Beaverton Sashimis recently, tossing 6.1-innings of 2-hit, shutout baseball complete with 10 K’s. Kind of fun… but, the real reason I’m highlighting this kid is because his FG is everything.

Record: 46-41, 3rd AL West
Up Next: We’ll head back to PDX where the Seattle Metros will be anxiously awaiting our arrival for another 3-game set.

[pauwoo]

Vs. Seattle Metros (45-42, .517)
With our second winning month of the season stuck firmly in the rearview and a series win already under our belts so far in July, we’ll welcome one of our Cascadia rivals to town for an epic showdown the likes of which our fans haven’t seen since, umm, the last time they came to town… Look, I don’t know what’s going to happen over these next three, and, while we do have the ‘homefield advantage’ to the degree that is even a thing in baseball, the fact is that these Seattle Metros are built a lot like us – they’re good, not great, have been mired in an up & down campaign with the only key difference being that they have lived off a 17-10 month of May so far, having bookended that month with a 10-15 record in April and a .500 month of June. Here’s a set that we should win, one that we must win if we are going to position ourselves for a shot at the postseason, and, if for nothing else other than bragging rights, it’s a 3-game stretch where, in my mind, only a sweep will suffice.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP W. Macomber (6-6, 3.12) vs LHP A. Gunter (10-3, 2.62)
RHP B. Sánchez (11-2, 2.95) vs RHP M. Fauske (8-4, 3.67)
RHP J. Fletchall (4-1, 1.02) vs RHP J. Grace (1-5, 3.92)

#88: Win, 4-1… we’d put this one to bed early, scoring three of our 4 before the start of the 5th, each on a run-scoring single, and would rely on a rock-solid, 8-inning, 4-hit, 1-earned performance courtesy of our starter, William Macomber. Noah DiMaio picks up his 28th save, Leo Bullock swiped his 15th bag, and our defense backed Macomber admirably with two tip-top double plays stranding runners in scoring position on each of them. Three SAC FLIES for the club today as well – we’ll do whatever it takes, ya know what I mean?

#89: Loss, 3-4 (11)… while our effort was valiant, it just wasn’t enough – a 3-run bottom of the 7th, capped off by a 2-run, two-bagger courtesy of Simon Harris, would knot thing up, but, after trading zeroes for a few innings, Seattle snuck one across on a 11th inning, Patrick Adams, homer and, try as we might, our guys didn’t have enough in the tank to answer back during the bottom of that frame. Our closer, Noah DiMaio, is saddled with his 7th loss of the 2086 campaign, our club could manage just one extra base hit, that Simon Harris double I spoke on earlier, and, all said, we left 10 runners stranded, dropping a game at home to one of our fiercest rivals… gross.

#90: Win, 8-1… DH Bruce Sarmiento’s 7th inning GRAND SLAM blew this one wide open, as we managed to secure the series win while simultaneously exacting some small measure of revenge for the misfortune dealt to us by the Metros one short day ago… Micky Austin finished 4-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored, we scored 4 unearned runs off back-to-back Seattle errors during the bottom of the 5th, and got stout performances from starter Jeremiah Fletchall, who would pick up his 5th win here, and relievers Payton Inzen and Peter Yamaguchi. A nice series win, secured on a Sunday, at home in Pendleton Park.


Elsewhere: BJ Escobar, a Bush League mainstay over the last three seasons after spending 11 years with the Miami Herons organization, including 6 years on the big club serving as their backup backstop, who is currently plying his trade with the Pensacola Mummies, had himself something of a day against the Decatur Donnybrooks… Your boy finished 2-for-6 at the plate with TWO TANKS and 6 RBI to lead his club to a ramshackle, 17-8 win over the defensively challenged Donnybrooks… Escobar is trending to amass 4.2 in WAR this season, and, if his pace is maintained he’ll start 76 of Pensacola’s 96 games this season.

Record: 48-42, .533, 3rd AL West
Up Next: We’ll head to Colorado after the All-Star break to do battle against the AL West division-leading Colorado Kings.

[pauwoo]

@ Colorado Kings (55-35, .611, 1st AL West)
Colorado, the current Kings of our division, have it like we want to have it – an offense that runs defenses ragged on the regular, with power and some real verve on the basepaths, coupled with a staff that often runs roughshod over their opposition and that will never, ever give away a game outright. So far in 2086, they’ve been the best club in our league, eclipsing those stalwarts from North Carolina, the Charlotte Imperials, and, save my old club, the Los Angeles Leopards, are likely the best of the best in the Majors… a formidable, if low key surprising, given that they’ve not finished above 3rd in the division since 2079, leader in the American League, who, if they can maintain their current form, could make some real noise come playoff time. That’s the key though, isn’t it? This thing is fluid, fraught with danger, and the road ahead is curved, uneven, and littered with potholes.

#91: Loss, 3-8… Colorado finished us off early, and in brutal, Mortal Kombat-esque, fashion scoring the last of their 8 runs during the bottom of the 4th… opening the game with an extraordinarily long and rapid combination of runs and rock-solid pitching from their Ace, Elias Belanger, who turned in 8-innings of 8-hit, 2-run ball for the Kings. Micky Austin put one out, his 13th, Simon Harris brought one around on a double, and Leo Bullock managed to secure his 16th burgled bag… but, alas, none of that would add up to nearly enough as Colorado styled on our boys during the first of these three games.


Elsewhere: LF Baron Henry, of the Vancouver Mounties, and proud Fresno State alum, finished 4-for-5 with a dinger, 2 runs, and 2 RBI as his club destroyed the Salt Lake City Alpines at home by a score of 12-1. Baron, who was named to his 5th All-Star team this season, is on pace to amass 8 WAR for the season, which, if you’re counting, would be his best season by far and put him in the AL MVP conversation.

#92: Loss, 3-8… in a near carbon copy of last night’s game, Colorado gave us the business once again, though they’d opt for a steadier, spread out shellacking this time instead of punishing us with the type of tight little flurry they did during the first of these three games in their park. Former Leopard, Larimel Alvarez, picked up his 11th victory of the season after turning in a strong 7-inning performance while our guy, Bernal Sanchez, dropped to 11-3 after being chased from this contest after just 3-innings of work. A rough start for us in Denver… let’s hope we can salvage some pride with a victory on our way out the door tomorrow.

#93: Win, 7-2… Simon Harris had enough of Colorado’s disrespect and acted as a one-man wrecking crew for us in this one, finishing 2-for-4 at the plate with a run-scoring double and a 2-run homer as your Pioneers got some of that sweet, sweet get back against the Kings, winning the 3rd of three by a score of 7-2, all but washing away the indignity of being handled so easily over the first two… with this win we can board our plane out of town with some semblance of pride, some modicum of self-respect, even if our ultimate goal, to win this series on the road, wasn’t achieved. Sometimes, in baseball as in life, you have to take what you can get.


Elsewhere: CF Clifton Williams, who is currently plying his trade with the Ontario Dumplings after 7 years trying to make it to the Big Leagues with the Dallas Chaparrals, has spent the last two years in the Bush League… first with the Beaverton Sashimis and now with the Dumplings. And, suffice it to say, your boy is comfortable – he finished 4-for-5 with FOUR HOMERS and SEVEN RBI during a 9-2 win over the Roswell Invaders. His previous best was 3 homeruns in a game, accomplishing that feat back on June 27th in a tilt against the Vallejo Locos. Ontario won that contest too, by a score of 11-4.

Record: 49-44, .527, t-3rd AL West
Up Next: We’ll head into Canada for a 3-game set against the Vancouver Mounties.

[pauwoo]

@ Vancouver Mounties (49-44, .527, t-3rd AL West)
Vancouver is 1st in offense overall, 1st in Runs Scored, and 2nd in AVG, OBP, and OPS… it’s their pitching that is holding them back from giving clubs like Colorado and Charlotte a real run so far this year – but, if they dial that in and improve upon their 12th ranked FIP & pWAR, the sky really is the limit. Here, our goal will be to leverage our 2nd-ranked staff, to lean, heavily on our defense, and to hope that our 5th ranked offense has enough in the tank to help us get it done in British Columbia against a club we love to hate.

Here are the projected pitching matchups, our pitchers listed first:
RHP N. Barilla (5-2, 1.92) vs RHP C. McAllister (0-5, 2.98)
RHP W. Macomber (7-6, 2.97) vs RHP T. Abraham (4-2, 3.40)
RHP M. Holman (2-9, 3.95) vs RHP H. Vaughn (7-6, 3.03)

#94: Win, 2-1… Despite Vancouver’s fierce rally attempt that saw them put a run on the board during the bottom of the 9th, the two runs we scored earlier in the game, one on a Simon Harris homer, his 12th, and the other on a run-scoring single from the recently returned Angel Marino, would hold and we’d come out on top to kick off this set in beautiful British Columbia. Of course, the real story here is SP Norman Barilla delivering a blistering 8-inning, 5-hit, 1-run game with 6 K’s and CL Noah DiMaio earning his 29th save despite giving up a run late.


Elsewhere: SP Joe McMillen, currently getting in his reps with our Eugene Ducks down on the farm, put in some work, at home, against the Fargo Rallybirds, tossing 7-innings of 1-hit, 0-earned ball that included a whopping 9 K’s… Eugene, currently sitting on a real nice 52-38 record, won the game by a score of 3-0 with LF Horado Montesano credited with two RBI on bases-loaded walks.

#95: Loss, 2-6… Vancouver’s SP Tom Abraham brought his A-game while our guy, SP William Macomber, did not. In allowing 5 runs over the course of 5 innings, he’d see his record drop to 7-7 on the year while our offense struggled against Abraham who won his 5th contest of the season after holding the boys to a mere 2 runs in this one… both coming on 1B Angel Marino’s 2-run blast… his, wait for it, FIRST on the year.


Elsewhere: SP Jeff Haugh, a Georgia alum who was drafted 7th overall back in 2081, has finally made good on the promise he showed in college with a NO HITTER for his New Orleans Gators with 9 K’s, 8 ground outs, and 10 fly outs. New Orleans improved to 55-40 on the back of his performance, defeating the Miami Herons, on their turf, by a score of 2-0.

#96: Loss, 2-3… Vancouver’s SP Hunter Vaughn would earn the win, securing the series victory for the Mounties in the process, by turning in a 7-inning, 3-hit, 1-earned performance that included 3 free passes and 5 K’s… it’d be his 8th win of the season and second against our club so far after he put it on us something fierce back on May 12th in a nearly identical performance. Offensively, RF Peter Claw, and his 3-run TANK during the bottom of the first, was the whole show for our rivals from the North as their pitching and defense remained resolute the rest of the way, turning us back towards the States with our tail tucked firmly between our legs.

Record: 50-46, .520, 4th AL West
Up Next: Turns out that, after being bested in British Columbia, we’ll head across the Canadian wilderness on our way to Montreal where those dastardly, 52-44 Alouettes will be anxiously awaiting our arrival.