[Westheim]

Raccoons (49-33) vs. Indians (40-42)

We swept the Indians over four game earlier this season. They had one of the best pitching staffs in the league, but where hardly scoring any runs, much like the Indians teams in the early 80s. This was also a 4-game set.

These lowly-scoring Indians started the series with a 3-run inning against Scott Wade. Our 15-game winner was just not sharp in the game, and with a 3-0 deficit was in for trouble. O’Morrissey homered in the second, but overall the Raccoons didn’t really know how to handle the Indians’ Jesse Carver, who was 6-8 despite a 3.18 ERA going into the game (Wade: 15-0, 3.23 ERA). A light drizzle set in during the third inning and persisted throughout most of the rest of the game. Wade was knocked out in the sixth on the way to his first loss of the season, when the first four Indians all reached base in that inning. The bases were loaded, and Jason Bentley allowed all runners to score, and one more, doing little to ease the pain. The Coons rallied in the bottom 6th, with a 3-run homer by Jeff Martin, his first dinger for the Raccoons, before the rain intensified and forced a 44-minute delay. The rally continued afterwards. Dumont singled, Johnston doubled to score Dadswell, who had walked just before the delay. Suddenly, the tying run came to the plate with one out, but they only scored one more and trailed 8-6. Lagarde entered in the top 7th, and all hope had to be abandoned instantly. He faced four batters – all four reached base. The Raccoons ship sank with astonishing speed, as the bullpen was destroyed, and it was SO bad, that Bobby Quinn pitched in the ninth inning – the first time ever that a Raccoon position player took the mound, but we only had Turner and Berry, the starters for the next two games, and a worked up Grant West left. Indians won, 17-7. Johnston 2-5, 2B, RBI; O’Morrissey 2-4, BB, HR, RBI; Martin 3-5, HR, 3 RBI; Dadswell 2-4, BB, HR, RBI; Dumont (PH) 2-2, 2B;

Yeah, that team that didn’t score any runs scored quite a few here. Crisis alarm! This necessitated roster moves, of which the following were made:

-Ben O’Morrissey was optioned to AAA for another arm, as we called up MR Yasushi Suto (this was really only because of the bullpen situation, not because O’Morrissey had done anything wrong)
-Jason Bentley (5.28 ERA) was demoted to AAA, and Carlos Gonzalez was added to the 40-man roster to pitch out of the bullpen
-Dirk Campbell (5.96 ERA) was waived and designated for assignment and AAA CL Albert Matthews was called up to make his debut.

Who is Albert Matthews? We had picked him in 1987 in the supplemental round of the amateur draft, 39th overall. He had since raced through our system, mostly as a closer, appearing in 141 games, saving 97 and averaging a 1.81 ERA. His splitter was so filthy, it needed to be outlawed, really. At age 20, there was much to love here. This year, he had an 0.61 ERA in AAA and was clearly underwhelmed there.

And now back to baseball, and game 2 of the series. The Indians took the club to Jason Turner, scoring two runs early. But they lost SP Robert Vazquez to injury in the second inning, leaving things to their (formidable) bullpen. Tim Hess came in for long relief and dominated the Coons. But an error by makeshift SS Bill Taggart got them started in the bottom 5th. A walk to Dadswell, a scratch hit by Miranda, and the Coons were in business. Turner came up with one out and the sacks full and singled to center. A 2-out single by Bobby Quinn scored two and tied the game. Hall got on, and Osanai then doubled to deep right to clear the bases. Taggart’s leadoff triple and scoring on a sac fly made the game closer again, 6-4 Coons in the top 6th. Turner didn’t go further, but rather Carlos Gonzalez came into the game in the seventh and we hoped for him to collect six outs. He did so, pitching decently, and West saved the game without much trouble. 7-4 Raccoons. Hall 2-4; Osanai 1-4, 2B, 3 RBI; Dumont (PH) 1-1, RBI; C. Gonzalez 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

Steven Berry and Terry Reynolds were both roughed up early in game 3, which was 3-3 after two innings. A Francisco Estrada homer put Berry behind 4-3 in the second, but Osanai tied it with a solo shot in the bottom 6th. Here, the Raccoons unleased some 2-out terror, breaking up Reynolds and scoring four more runs with the back to the wall. Albert Matthews made his debut in an 8-5 game in the top 8th, pitching a perfect inning to much applause for a debutee, and Grant West closed that one as well. 8-5 Raccoons. Osanai 4-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI; Higgins 2-4, RBI; Martin (PH) 1-2, RBI;

Game 4, and Reyes was swimming as much as the Coons starters the last three days. The Indians took a 2-0 lead in the fourth, while the Coons had had the bases full with no outs and hadn’t scored in the second – they AGAIN had the bases loaded in the fourth with no outs (and the same three guys on: Osanai, Dawson, Dadswell), and this time cashed in. Reader hit an RBI single, Miranda grounded out for an RBI, Reyes struck out, and Johnston drove in a pair with a double to left. Hall homered the next inning, and Reyes settled in and got better as the game progressed. He ended up going eight. The Coons led 5-2 through eight, but Grant West was unavailable after pitching six of the last eight days. Juan Martinez did well in his absence and collected the save. 5-2 Coons! Osanai 2-3, BB, 2B; Dadswell 1-2, 2 BB; Reyes 8.0 IP, 10 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, W (8-3);

The Indians claimed Dirk Campbell that day, too, so the circle closes here, since we got him originally off waivers from the Miners. That was in May of 1987, and he had two good seasons, but this year he’s horrendous. He’s two weeks away from turning 35, and with young relievers pushing up, maybe it’s for the better, even for the Indians (doubtful?). They got some bad news on the same day, too, but see below.

Raccoons (52-34) vs. Canadiens (45-39)

This was the last series before the All Star break. We led the Canadiens by six, had been swept in the last series, and now they had won six in a row, and this had all the recipes for disaster.

In the opener, Kisho Saito punched out Seitaro Ogawa and Art Garrett in the first to get to 100 K’s before the All Star break. But Saito fell 2-1 behind early on. Osanai left the bags full in the fifth, and Martin pinch hit for Saito with two down and two on in the sixth and also made an out. Matthews allowed a run in the seventh, and the Raccoons just didn’t manage to put up any offense and lost the game, 3-2 Canadiens. Johnston 3-4, BB; Lagarde 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K;

Bobby Quinn threw out two runners at the plate from right field to end two innings, and it still wasn’t enough.

3B Raúl Solís reached on an error by Jeff Martin to start the middle game, and scored on a balk by Scott Wade – and the Canadiens were in business in the first. The Canadiens added two in the second, with balls getting through Osanai and Higgins, and Wade throwing a wild pitch. It was the most impossible collection of everything possibly going wrong … going wrong. Wade went seven, but the Raccoons were shut out by Robbie Campbell, who went eight innings, and lost 4-0, after landing only four hits. Quinn (PH) 1-1;

Again, the Vile Frenchmen from the Land of the Much-Smelling Elks took the lead in the last game, this time after stealing off Vinson in the third, and then scoring on a scratch hit. The Coons countered with their 2-out terror in the bottom 3rd. Higgins singled, Quinn singled, Hall walked, Osanai cleared them up with a double JUST over CF Colin Irwin, who was a stud as a defender, and if he couldn’t get it, nobody could. The Canadiens chipped off a run in the sixth, which was also the last inning for a wild Jason Turner, who walked five in this outing. The bullpen went nuts in the seventh and blew a 4-2 lead, with both runs on Matthews. Worst news were that Osanai was already out of the game, pulled for defense with Dumont at first. The Coons had them on the corners in a tied game in the bottom 7th, with one out. Martin pinch hit in Osanai’s old spot and singled up the middle to score Higgins from third. “Double play” Dawson came up, and grounded into a double play. Grant West entered in the ninth, up 5-4. No margin for error. The leadoff man, Solís, got on, but West grabbed the ball a bit tighter and surrendered the next three batters. 5-4 Coons. Higgins 4-4; Quinn 2-3; Osanai 1-3, 2B, 3 RBI; Martin (PH) 1-1, RBI;

Logan Evans got the win after blowing the lead in the seventh. Sometimes, this baseball thing is a strange game.

All Star Game

The Raccoons sent four players in SP Kisho Saito, SP Scott Wade, C Sam Dadswell, and 1B Tetsu Osanai. The Condors had five, the Knights four. In the FL, the Capitals and Blue Sox dominated with five nominations each.

The Continental League won, 10-8, while the Raccoons featured only on the fringe. None of the two pitchers appeared, and the others didn’t start. Osanai drew a walk and scored in his only appearance, and Dadswell made an out.

Yasushi Suto was optioned back to AAA and O’Morrissey recalled before the season resumed after the break.

In other news

July 6 – Indians ace SP Robert Vázquez (6-4, 3.20 ERA) is out for at least a full year with a torn rotator cuff, suffered in a game against the Raccoons. Vázquez, 26, is already 65-44 with a 2.64 ERA for his career.
July 7 – Another pitcher goes down: three months ago, PIT Wilson Cordova (10-4, 3.45 ERA) pitched a no-hitter, now he’s out for the season with a torn flexor tendon.
July 7 – 21-year old LAP Jason Leonard (6-4, 4.29 ERA) tosses a 3-hit shutout as the Pacifics beat the Wolves, 8-0.
July 8 – ATL 3B Luis Barrera (.256, 4 HR, 29 RBI) will be out for a month with a herniated disc.
July 8 – Veteran TIJ INF Hector Atilano (.279, 6 HR, 34 RBI) will miss a few weeks with an oblique strain.

Complaints and stuff

Those Canadiens, huh?

This was a rather modest home stand, and not a good show case for the team. We’ll hit the road now for Indy, New York, and San Francisco.