[Westheim]

Jorge Romero was diagnosed once we were back in Portland. He had a torn labrum and was out for four months, give or take a week, with a rehab assignment that was September, so his season was about over.

As was the Raccoons season as a hole. At 7-14, they were already bad, and without the ace of the staff, and Evans, who had led the league in ERA(!), it was over. Berrios was slotted to #1 and Powell to #2 in the rotation. Ned Ray was called up to do mopup duties, that was the third lefty in the pen, but on April 26, I was already way past giving a crap.

The Raccoons started the Loggers series with a 5-2 loss, then scored four in the first inning in game 2. Of course, this was not enough for Powell, who made his first start of the season and was tagged for five over 4.2 innings by the least-scoring team in the CL. (The second-least scoring team? The Raccoons of course) The Raccoons lost that one 5-4 with scoring stopping there. Angel Costa was down to the last strike in the bottom 9th but singled to keep his 18-game hitting streak alive, but Sullivan grounded out to end it. Ocasio got five runs of support by the third inning, but his game was as shameful as it could be. In three plus innings he threw two wild ones and hit THREE batters. I tossed him outta there, but Baker found no way out of the inning either with the bases loaded, nobody out and one already across. Hatfield to the rescue it was 5-5 after 3 1/2 innings. He went four innings but took the 7-5 loss.

Eight losses in a row now. We had owned the Loggers to the tune of 22-14 the last two years, now we were 0-5 against them. April 30. Time to clean house. Roman Ocasio (0-1, 8.00), Bill Baker (0-1, 7.56 from the pen), Johan Dolder (.158 with nothing scoreable), and – with tears in my eye – Daniel Hall (.143, 0 HR, 13 RBI) were sent to AAA ball. Hall actually had the second-most RBI on the team, but he initially had batted behind Costa and then Sánz and Johnston, all batting around .300, so that might have kept his ribbies up. Anyway, I can not keep somebody whose batting is that far off. He had actually more walks than hits.

Two AAA relievers were called up and not the usual choices of Vazquez and Coleman. I turned to Frank O’Rearden, a lefty, and Bill Craig, a righty. O’Rearden had been projected to be a closer, but didn’t have the stuff, but he was able to keep his numbers in the green zone in AAA. Craig was average throughout, I didn’t expect a lot but to eat an inning or two here or there and stay below four with his ERA. Craig was a short term replacement before I could dig out another starter. Until then, guys like Ben Jenkins or Brett Justice would have to start games. Or (twitch) Ned Ray. I called up Ben Cox as well. He had been acquired in the off season and had been projected as a strong hitter. By now he had been rated down a bunch. The other callup was Alberto Salgado, a first baseman, solid at the plate. He would pinch hit only, since Johnston was too valuable to bench. Salgado was 28 and had no options. In case he refused a demotion back to AAA I would happily fire him – not much to lose there.

Robby Davis moved to leadoff in LF, Flores was benched as well for batting a mile below .200 … I’d give Cox a few starts over Pickett to check out his abilities in the field and at the plate. CF was his worst outfield position, but still solid.

The Canadiens came to town. We lost 6-1 in the first game on three homers of Jerry Morris, whose acquisition by now was officially considered a mistake. Cox debuted 2-3 but was caught stealing, Salgado flew out in a pinch hit appearance, and Craig pitched the ninth with an unearned run that scored on a ball thrown away by Maloney. Agony. 5-0 up after one inning in game 2, the Raccoons had their lead slowly chipped away by bad pitching. Gaston entered in a 2-run save situation, blew it in the ninth and lost it in the tenth, walking four. Downed 7-6, and Powell coming up. Neither team landed any big hits during the regular distance. Powell pitched eight scoreless, but the defense bailed him out here and there. The Raccoons walked off with a 1-0 win in the 11th inning. Cox and Flores singled and double stole, forcing an intentional walk to Costa to set up a big play. Sullivan bashed one to center and Cox tagged to score. Lopez was the winning pitcher after going three scoreless himself.

8-19 record, how sweet. With interleague play upon us, we first had to chew through the offensively challenged Buffaloes, and then go against the defending champions Warriors.

Ned Ray had somehow made his way back to the rotation after the injuries that had befallen the more deserving players. He started game 1 against the Buffaloes. Will it surprise anyone that the game was a loss? The Raccoons led twice, but Ray always found ways to get into trouble, he did not K anyone, and one run scored on a wild pitch. Raccoons lost 4-2 after getting nothing out of a bases loaded-nobody out top 7th, when the game was still tied.

More desperate moves. Robby Davis (batting 1-18) was benched for Rob Pickett (0-7 as PH, but .241 overall). Pickett led off instead of a cooled down Costa, who had stopped hitting altogether after his hitting streak had ended at 19 the week before. Pickett responded immediately with a 3-6 day as the Raccoons took off with a 4-run second to give Jerry Morris his first win as a Raccoon in the 6-3 victory. Gaston actually managed to save one successfully. Albert Salgado got his first ABL hit and Frank O’Rearden got his first pair of K’s in. Game 3 was a 5-3 loss on the bullpen, allowing four runs in the bottom 8th with Jenkins, Hatfield, and Justice involved. Rob Pickett was injured and would be out for about six weeks. Of course he would, he was remotely playing okay the last two games. Pickett went to the DL when diagnosed during the next series and Dolder was recalled for necessity of defense, although he had not deserved it at all.

Pedro Sánz was injured in the first Warriors game and was day to day with an aching neck. It was certainly no surprise the Raccoons were whipped cleanly by the defending champions, who led their division again, and lost 4-0, 7-5 (in 14 innings), and 6-1. The middle loss was especially nerve wrecking. The Raccoons offense gave Ned Ray a 4-0 lead after two innings that Ray managed to give up through a grand slam.

What a terrible team, and crippled through the losses of Romero, Evans, Pickett, and Zuniga. Next up road trip to the east coast for the Titans and Crusaders, then for the rest of the month games against the CL South Knights, Bayhawks, Condors, and Aces. The Condors are the only team of ten played against that the Raccoons posted a winning record against so far, 3-0. A 2-2 tie against the Indians, and then nothing but losses.

In other news:
May 3 – Rebels LF Conrad Hamilton goes 5-6 with 8 TB and 2 RBI against the Miners in a 15-10 win. He only misses a home run for the cycle.
May 5 – The Blue Sox’ David Hicks is hitting .391 and now has a streak of 20 consecutive games with a hit.
May 5 – The Bayhawks lose their starter Walt McCorkindale for the season with a torn labrum. McCorkindale had entered the season 24-24, but had gone 2-5 with an ERA over six so far.
May 8 – Michael Ball, a starter that the Raccoons were after repeatedly, is traded from the Gold Sox to the Capitals for infielder Alberto Beltre.
May 8 – The Thunder end the hit streak of Hicks at 21.

Raccoons have lost 15 of their last 17. Don’t look at the standings. It’s an ugly sight.