[Westheim]

I have needed some distance from this %$§@B$ game. Read your comments, appreciated them, but couldn’t come up with a statement after rage-quitting a month ago. In a way, it hurt more than that infamous 19-walks game back in the days that had me rage-quit for TWO months. We set our focus to WIN NOW before the season, and it is obvious that it won’t happen. The pitching staff, and especially the bullpen, is a burning train wreck, and the offense is not up to the task either.

Just for a catch up, we have four players on the DL, three of which will return within a week, plus Itchy, who’s a story in himself.

The possibility of me rage-quitting very soon again is highly likely. I’m more or less coming back since I can’t find something to play with for my life – it’s annoying. I was less choosy ten or even five years ago. I’m getting old (going hard on 27) and old people are constantly grumpy … well … that’s life.

Ah.

Raccoons (23-23) @ Thunder (21-27)

Scott Wade opened the series for the Coons, falling to a homer by SS Tom Nicks in the first inning, which got the Thunder moving. They kept adding from there, and Wade was knocked out with force in the seventh. David Jones was unsuitable to keep runners left on by Wade from scoring and the Thunder took a commanding 5-0 lead in the inning. It was all the more commanding since the Raccoons didn’t get a runner on third base at all until then. Mark Dawson belted a solo home run in the ninth, breaking up Wilson Cordova’s shutout with one out, to become the only Furball to progress past second base. Raccoons lost shamefully, 5-1. Dawson 2-4, HR, 2B, RBI; Dadswell 2-4, 2 2B;

Daniel Hall had overcome his back issues and was back on the team for game 2. Billy Mitchell was sent packing.

Lefty Alejandro Venegas was on the mound in the middle game and fell behind in the first inning as well, but this time Tetsu Osanai was to blame, botching an easy grounder which could (and should) have been the third out. The error derailed into an unearned run eventually after two singles off Venegas. The first two Coons got on in the third, but were left right there. In the fourth, two singles and an error loaded the bags with Brownshirts and nobody out, but Venegas came to bat. He grounded to 1B Hector Roman, but still scored a run. Thompson got the Raccoons ahead with an RBI single, before Armando Sanchez rolled into an inning-ending double play. Bottom 4th: walk, two singles, bases loaded with Thunders and nobody out, and they took their two runs right back. The Raccoons had their next chance in the seventh with their first two men on, but the 3-4-5 batters then flailed in the most flailing ways imaginable. The Thunder sealed the deal in the bottom of the inning. Venegas left two on with one out, and Bentley waved them in, and the eighth wasn’t any better. Thunder rolled over Raccoons again, 7-2. Thompson 2-3, 2 BB, RBI; A. Sanchez 2-5;

In addition to all the other misery, Dani Perez suffered an elbow sprain in the game and would be out for a week. Way to go.

Game 3 had Carlos Gonzalez and Billy Robinson, two pitchers that had had great seasons before, but now combined for a 12.00 ERA. This game could only develop one way: two no-hit bids intact the first time through the lineup! The Coons struck first in the top 4th. Armando Sanchez walked ahead of Daniel Hall. On an 0-2 count, Sanchez was set in motion to at least take a shot at second base, but Hall unexpectedly connected, and well so, for a massive home run to dead center. It was the first of four straight hits for the Raccoons, who added two more runs in the inning. Gonzalez struck out to end the inning, then was shelled himself, and walked three in the bottom 4th, but a grounder to Thompson ended the inning with only one run in and the bases loaded. Hall came back to homer again in the top 5th, this time a 2-out solo shot. Bottom 5th. Error by Jose Sanchez, a walk to Jeff Wagner, and an error by Thompson to load the bases with one out. Gonzalez managed to run himself out of a 5-1 game with a 4-pitch walk to Dave Browne. Tim Moss came in, faced three batters, and three runners scored. Tied game, bases loaded, one out. Two more runs scored against Dirk Campbell. Thunder won, 9-5. Hall 2-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI; Dadswell 2-4, 2B, RBI;

Raccoons (23-26) vs. Condors (29-21)

Could Logan Evans get something going against a mightily powering team? NOPE. Three walks and a wild pitch in the first inning alone helped the Condors to an early 2-0 lead in the series opener. Evans had no control whatsoever over his pitches and walked six in an outing that ended in the fourth inning. Bottom 4th: Osanai singled, Dawson singled, Dumont singled, bases full, nobody out. Jose Sanchez flew out to right and Osanai managed to get himself thrown out at the plate. The Coons still managed to tie the game on an infield RBI single by David Vinson, and a pinch hit RBI single by Kelly Weber. Weber pinch hit for Bentley, who had been penciled in to cover innings, but now was out and Wally Gaston was sent out for long relief. He pitched two perfect frames, seeing the Coons take the lead on back-to-back doubles by Armando Sanchez and Daniel Hall in the fifth. Gaston’s third inning was bumpy and the Condors filled the bags with two down. Gaston to John Fleury – strikeout! Big Wally of old? Cunningham choked in the eighth and Grant West (who had pitched a pointless inning the day before, which came to bite now) entered for a 4-out save opportunity with runners on the corners and a 1-run lead. He got Jeremiah Carrell to ground back to West and the out was made at first base. West even had to bat in the bottom 8th with two down and Jose Sanchez on third base. He grounded behind first for an easy play that was still blown between Carrell and reliever Bob “Butcher” Haines (he of no-hit fame), West was safe and Sanchez scored. West put two on in the ninth, but saved it, 4-2, to end a 6-game skid. Hall 2-3, 2B, RBI; Weber (PH) 1-1, RBI; Gaston 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K, W (2-0); West 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K, SV (13) and 0-1, RBI;

Sergio Martinez came off the DL and Joe Jackson was returned to AAA ball.

So much winning, so much joy, so much rebound by the Condors, who socked Kisho Saito for five runs in the second inning in the middle game, aided by four walks, and he was chewed up for good in the fourth. Great, more strain on the pen. Bentley struck out Bergeron and Sakaguchi with the bags full to at least get on with life, albeit 6-0 down. It was game over there already. Winston Thompson drove in a run sometime along the way to another smelling 7-1 defeat. Hall 2-4, 2B; Bentley 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K;

Marcos Costello returned from a broken hand and Daniel Dumont went to AAA.

That left Scott Wade to be blasted once more before a much-needed off day. Wild John Douglas was his opponent, and while Douglas opened his first inning with a walk to Winston Thompson, Wade had to watch Sergio Martinez bobble an easy grounder before that in the top 1st. Still, the game remained scoreless through four, before Tijuana got a run off a quickly working Scott Wade – maybe a bit too quick at times. Bottom 5th. Kelly Weber singled to start the frame, bringing up Wade. He bunted the 1-1 pitch foul, getting into a hole. Weber was set in motion on the 1-2, which Wade took for a ball. Weber was safe at second and Wade went on to work a walk against Douglas. But Douglas rebounded, K’ed Thompson and Armando Sanchez and then Hall rolled to short. Wade gave up another run in the seventh and was removed when the Raccoons batted in the bottom 7th. A leadoff walk by Weber looked wasted, before Sanchez singled with two down. Hall came up and singled through on the left and Weber dashed home, where the Condors couldn’t make the play, and the runners moved up. Osanai to the plate. Any hit ties the game and possibly means the lead. He rolled out as harmless as possible. That was it. Raccoons lost, 3-1, with another run on Tim Moss. A. Sanchez 2-5, 2B; Dawson 2-4, 2B; Weber 1-2, 2 BB;

In other news
May 27 – The Indians’ Pepe Acevedo (4-2, 2.18 ERA) zeroes in on the Bayhawks and 3-hits them in a 1-0 shutout.

Complaints and stuff

No, it has not been fun. Daniel Hall’s performance was heart-warming, but apart from that it was no fun. Not a bit.