[Westheim]

Raccoons (15-10) @ Loggers (12-12)

This was a 4-game series and we better perform here, because a bad Loggers series killed our momentum last year, and a bad Loggers series could cost us here. Taking three out of four was certainly desirable. There were however indications that the Loggers and their strong start were fake. Their pitching had been bottom of the Continental League (11th) so far. Their rotation had been beleaguered, and the offense was mildly effective. Their run differential was -13.

If the first inning in game 1 was an indicator, we’d have a good series, as the Raccoons roughed up Scott Murphy for two runs there, driven in by Quinn. The offense fell silent after that, though. Kisho Saito got into trouble with two leadoff singles by Raúl Rodriguez and Santiago Rodriguez in the bottom 3rd. Murphy bunted the runners over, but Saito got out by striking out the 1-2 batters, Emilio Roman and Bob Grant. In the bottom 5th, Saito faced the Rodriguezes again. Raúl got on, and Santiago shot a no-doubt homer to tie the game. Those were indeed the 7-8 hitters of the Loggers, and Saito had nothing against them in this game. Saito was the one to wake the Raccoons offense from it’s mid-game snooze then in the top 7th, hitting a double off the wall in right center with one out. Salazar walked and Higgins came through with a 2-run triple. Hall scored him with a sac fly, 5-2. The Rodriguezes were to lead off the bottom 7th. Saito went out to face them. He got Raúl, but Santiago singled, however Saito escaped by means of a Charlie Justin double play. Matthews came close to blowing the lead in the eighth with two men on and Gates Golunski shooting out to center, but Glenn Johnston made the play to end the inning. Grant West would not have been available for this game, but the Coons took the book out of my hands with a leadoff triple by Salazar in the ninth, and Higgins brought him in. 6-2 Raccoons. Salazar 2-4, 3B, 2B, RBI; Higgins 1-4, BB, 2B, 3 RBI; O’Morrissey 2-4, 2B; Saito 7.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, W (4-1) and 1-3, 2B;

This game ended Daniel Hall’s string of consecutive multi-hit games, in fact he went 0-2 with two walks and a run batted in. Also, another so-so stat: David Vinson threw out Emilio Román stealing in the first inning. It was his first CS this season, he had gone 0/16 before. Ouch. I was aware of the fact that we could not seem to control opposing runners, but hadn’t dived into the numbers yet.

Jason Turner faced off against Davis Sims (2-0, 2.96 ERA) in game 2, the only Loggers starter not yet brutally be-clobbered by the opposition this season. The Coons were happy to fill that hole and batted through the lineup in the top 1st, scoring three runs before Turner left them good ol’ bases full. There were runners on the corners in the top 2nd with Quinn 1-2 behind. With two out, Quinn swung over Sims’ offering – and would have ended the inning, had catcher Duane Smith been able to catch the ball. The ball rolled away, and Neil Reece scored from third. Turner did not have a good game here, occasionally struggling with control and the six left-handers in the lineup were able to get in on him at times, and a 5-0 lead became a 5-2 lead in the fourth, and Turner then made a fielding error in the fifth that brought the tying run to the plate with one out, but he struck out Grady Young and got Drake Evans to ground out to end the inning. Turner covered six innings with 104 pitches before showering. Ken Burnett pitched in relief, but left with a finger blister. The Coons took away a save opportunity with a 2-out run in the ninth, making it 6-2, but Lagarde put a man on in the bottom of the inning. The next batter, Cristo Ramirez shot a bouncer past Lagarde, who in vain stretched for it. Higgins made an error on the play, putting two runners in scoring position, and Lagarde remained on the ground holding his thigh. Grant West came out to strike out a struggling Jesus Jimenez and save a 6-2 win, but we had just lost two relievers. Hall 2-6; Osanai 4-5, BB, 2B, 2 RBI; Higgins 2-6; Vinson 3-4, BB; Lagarde 1.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

Notes on game 2: all nine Coons starters had at least one hit in the game; also, the injuries to our relievers were per se not crippling for them, but for the team as a whole. Burnett’s blister would take a few days to heal, and Lagarde would be hobbled with a mild hamstring strain for a day or so.

Game 3. The Coons left two on in the top 1st, and Robert Vázquez fell 1-0 behind in the bottom 1st. Top 2nd, one of those dreaded bases loaded, nobody out situations, and with Vázquez at the plate. He grounded up the middle, SS Raúl Rodriguez got to it, to first, SAFE!! And would you know, he was the only Coon to get a run in in this inning. Salazar struck out, Higgins flew out to short center, and Hall grounded out. Vinson struck out to leave runners on the corners in the third. Agony. Dan the Man finally came through in the fourth with a 2-out RBI single collecting Higgins, which gave Vázquez a 2-1 lead, which just refused to grow. The Coons left the bags full in the sixth when Johnston popped out to left. Top 7th, O-Mo at first with one out, Vázquez to the plate – and again the pitcher came through with an RBI double. Unbelievable. He was promptly left at second base. Unbelie- … Two were left on in the eighth. Vázquez put two men in scoring position with two out in the bottom 8th. Albert Matthews was brought in to face the right-hander Jimenez, who popped out to Johnston. Top 9th, bases loaded, one out. Hall struck out, Osanai flew out. Come on, that can’t be …! West had a 1-2-3 inning, saving the 3-1 Raccoons win. Hall 2-5, BB, RBI; Johnston 2-4, BB, 2B; O’Morrissey 2-3, 2 BB; Vázquez 7.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, W (5-0) and 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI;

Team LOB: 19. NINETEEN!! They played only nine innings, for fur cap’s sake!! Individually, they left THIRTY-EIGHT men on base! That’s impossible! They coulda won a zillion to one!!

Matt Higgins struck out in the sixth. Why is that of importance? It was his first K this season after going the entire month of April without whiffing, and completing 120 PA without a strikeout! I think that’s uber-awesome.

April was over, but Scott Wade’s April Agony wasn’t. It had turned into May Malaise. He took 32 pitches through the first inning, blowing a 1-0 lead, then could not hold another lead in the fourth. He was not sharp, not at all, as he got into many 2-strikes count, but could barely remove anybody himself. The Raccoons appeared to break out with a 3-run fifth, including RBI doubles by O’Morrissey and Osanai, the latter driving in two. Ocasionally, Wade DID get a big K, like to the struggling slugger Jimenez in the bottom 5th, when there was one out and runners on the corners. Jimenez got to Juan Martinez in the seventh, though, with a 2-out RBI single. Wade was already out there, having barely gone six frames. The Coons led 7-3 in the bottom 9th when Carrillo came in and walked the first three men, all on full counts. Oh no. West was really unavailable. Lagarde came in, and he struck out Ramirez, and he struck out Jimenez. Quinn took care of Young’s flyer to right. PHEW!! 7-3 Raccoons. O’Morrissey 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Osanai 2-5, 2B, 3 RBI; Flores 2-3, 2 RBI; Arnold (PH) 1-2, 2B, RBI; Cordero 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K; Lagarde 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, SV (1);

A sweep – how sweet! Let’s ignore for the moment that they made it a bit hart on themselves in this series.

Raccoons (19-10) @ Miners (10-18)

Here came a team that was phenomenally struggling. They ranked close to the bottom in runs scored, runs allowed, and most shocking was their bullpen ERA: 7.90! Four guys in their rotation had ERA’s of five or more.

The exception to that was Leland Lewis, who was 3-1 with a 2.98 ERA and probably wished himself onto a better team at the moment (although Lewis, 33, was a career Miner, 422 starts, and still motoring strong with a 183-139 lifetime record, with a very good 3.26 ERA).

Ex-Coon Armando Sanchez hurt Steven Berry with a 2-run home run in the first inning of the opener. The battery of Berry and Vinson had a hellacious day. By the third, the Miners led 5-0, Vinson had committed a throwing error, and Berry had thrown two wild pitches. I couldn’t stand his sight past the fourth inning. Bob Arnold pinch hit for him in the fifth and successfully ended the inning with a double play. The Raccoons crawled back into the game in the middle innings with one run in the fourth and two in the sixth, but the weather-hardened Lewis held them there through eight. Johnston’s 1-out single in the top 9th brought the tying run to the plate. The struggling Jose Amador walked Vinson, which brought up Dawson. Should we really have him hit here? Maybe he could hit a dinger? He flew deep to right, but Willis Turner made an amazing catch to retire him. Reece grounded out, and the Raccoons lost, 5-3. Hall 3-4, RBI; Osanai 2-4, 2B, RBI;

Game 2 saw the Raccoons rough up Pittsburgh’s David Castillo with four extra base hits in the second inning, taking a 3-0 lead. Kisho Saito had a 2-out RBI double in the inning, then was roughed up himself in the bottom 2nd for two runs. Castillo was knocked out in a 4-run third, where the Raccoons had the sacks full with no outs and at got all their runners in for once, before Saito was also knocked for two more in the bottom 3rd, 7-4, but he held the damage there. Still, Saito went only five this time, which increased the strain on the pen after Berry’s bad start the previous day. The Raccoons scored single runs each time from the fourth through the sixth before they put the rout on with a 5-run eighth. In the bottom of that inning however, the Miners got to Cordero and battered him for two runs and three men left on. Matthews walked in a run before a double play grounder ended the inning. The Raccoons got two runs back in a major offensive barrage, and won the game handily, 17-7. Salazar 2-6, 2B; Higgins 2-6, 2 2B; Hall 2-4, BB, 2B, 2 RBI; Quinn 2-3, 2 BB, HR, RBI; O’Morrissey 2-6, 3 RBI; Johnston 2-6, 3 RBI; Vinson 4-5, HR, 2B, 5 RBI; Martinez 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K; Matthews 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K;

Our bombardment here put us atop the Continental League in runs scored with 150! We also had the best record in baseball now at 20-11.

And after hitting 17 runs the day before, the Raccoons failed to get to Joe Lane jr. in the rubber game. While Jason Turner fell behind in the second on an unearned run, and trailed 2-0 after three, Lane was puzzling the Raccoons big time. And he was one of those 6+ ERA guys. Maybe an error by RF Guillermo Valdez got them going, which put the leadoff man Bobby Quinn on base in the fifth. Salazar followed that up with a single. Runners on the corners, nobody out. O-Mo singled through on the right side, getting the Coons on the board, and Vinson lined over SS Rod Carey to tie the game. Higgins, batting leadoff, eventually brought in the go-ahead run. Turner loaded the bases in the bottom 5th, but punched out Valdez to escape with the 3-2 lead alive. Turner rebounded for 2.1 more solid innings before leaving due to an elevated pitch count and with the lefty Valdez coming up. The Raccoons got an extra run in the sixth inning. West came in for the ninth and walked pinch hitter Robinson Flores to get things started. Carey grounded for a force at second, but scored when Armando Sanchez doubled to left. It was the first run allowed by West this year and now the game was in grave danger. Gonzalez had replaced Osanai for defense, but even he could not get to Jerry Phelps’ grounder into right. Quinn got to that single ball as Sanchez rounded third and went for home. Quinn rocketed the ball right into Vinson’s glove – tag – OUT!! César Cruz made the final out. 4-3 Raccoons! Salazar 3-4, 2B; O’Morrissey 2-3, BB, RBI; Turner 7.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, W (4-2) and 1-2;

As the only team with a winning record in the CL North, we now led by five games over the tied Canadiens and Indians.

Raccoons (21-11) vs. Pacifics (20-12)

Here came the second-best team in the ABL, certainly quite the matchup. They had however already allowed 146 runs, 7th in the Federal League, and their rotation ranked 8th with a 4.51 ERA, so they were all but impregnable. Unfortunately, we’d show them the all but impregnable bottom of *our* rotation as well in this series.

But first came the still loss-less Robert Vázquez. The Pacifics threatened early in the first inning, putting two men in scoring position with nobody out, but Vázquez was able to strand them. The Coons also stranded runners in scoring position in their half of the first. Anibal Rodriguez homered off Vázquez in the third, 1-0 Pacifics, and they moved to 3-0 in the fourth. The Raccoons just could not land a hit with runners in scoring position, and were unable to hurt Angel Romero on the mound for L.A. at all. Romero went seven, and Vinson led off the bottom 8th with a double. Raffaele Antuofermo hit Matt Higgins, bringing the tying run to the plate. Now, I contemplated whether to pinch hit Quinn for Arnold on Quinn’s day off, but didn’t, and Arnold struck out. With everything running away, Quinn then pinch hit for Antonio Gonzalez (who had spelled Salazar in the field), and Quinn knocked it deep, deeper, GONE!! One rip tied the game, 3-3. The game went into overtime, where Salazar, who now had to come out despite getting his deserved rest, drew a leadoff walk in the 11th. Lagarde had pitched two innings and came up to bat. We were tight in the pen. Lagarde was to bunt, but fell to 0-2. Clarence Bowen’s third pitch was in the dirt. At 1-2, Salazar went with the pitch, which was low, Lagarde held up, and Salazar was safe. Lagarde then struck out. Leadoff batter du jour was O-Mo, and he hit it out to left, Jonah Frank going out there, but he didn’t get it! O-Mo hit a walkoff double! 4-3 Raccoons. Gonzalez 2-3; Quinn (PH) 1-1, HR, 3 RBI; Salazar 0-0, BB; Martinez 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K; Lagarde 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, W (2-0);

In game 2 Scott Wade (2-3, 5.09 ERA) had two chances: get to .500, and get below five. Either would be appreciated, preferably both. He certainly got early run support, a 2-run homer by Tetsu in the first, then drove in a run himself in the second, and the Coons added two in the third to make it 5-1 through three. Home runs by Daniel Hall and Carlos Cook made it 6-2 after the top 6th, and Wade made an error in the seventh that led to an unearned run, 6-3. It was a game of errors anyway, with two on either side. Hall had the other error for the Brownshirts. With two out in the eighth, Wade walked Ignacio Sosa, ending his night. Cordero came in, but walked Doug Belding, and Vinson couldn’t get out quick enough to convert César Mejia’s grounder into an out. Bases loaded, tying runs aboard for Jose Milanda. Matthews came in to face the right-hander, who shot his first pitch to deep center – into Glenn Johnston’s glove. West surrendered a home run to Glenn Adams in the ninth, but saved the game. 6-4 Coons! Quinn 2-4, 2B, RBI; Dawson (PH) 1-1; Wade 7.2 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, W (3-3) and 2-3, RBI;

The very game we moved him into the leadoff spot, Ben O’Morrissey went 0-5, killing a 10-game hitting streak. Great.

Steven Berry was battered early in the last game, surrendering two runs in the first inning. The Coons loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom 2nd. Vinson struck out, and they only got a sac fly from Gonzalez. Berry struck out. Down 2-1, and with Berry not being too good, but holding his ground, the Raccoons couldn’t get the ball on the ground in the middle innings. Greg Cain was not too great either for L.A., but the defense made a few plays that robbed the Raccoons. They were 2-hit until Hall hit a 1-out single in the fifth. Osanai made an out, before Quinn singled to right and Hall went to third. Salazar up the middle – it got through, the game was tied. It was not tied for long. A 2-run homer by Doug Belding buried Berry again quickly in the sixth, and they made it 5-2 in the inning. Berry struck out eight through six innings, but again left with a terrible line. Could the Raccoons come back once more and spare their starter a loss? The ball just didn’t want to fall onto the green for them. Johnston hit a huge line drive out to right to start the eighth, but it was caught. Quinn drew a leadoff walk from Joaquin Bastos in the bottom 9th. Down by three, that was not enough. Two outs were made. Reece pinch hit for Gonzalez and grounded to Kevin Lewis, and the Pacifics could not make the play. The tying run came to the plate, which would be Carrillo, so somebody had to pinch hit, preferably a power bat. All eyes on Mark Dawson (Arnold and Flores were also left, but didn’t fit the job description). Dawson struck out. 5-2 Pacifics. Quinn 2-3, BB; Carrillo 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K;

In other news

May 1 – IND C Victor Cornett (.240, 7 HR, 18 RBI) joins a small circle of power batters that have hit three home runs in one game, Cornett doing so against the Canadiens. The Indians still lose, 9-7. All of Cornett’s dingers come off Robbie Campbell, and all are solo shots, two leading of innings. He also had a sac fly for a 3-3, 3 HR, 4 RBI line. He is only the seventh player to achieve this feat in ABL history, joining Ben Simon (POR, 1977), Michinaga Yamada (NYC, 1980), David Rivera (RIC, 1981), Matt Mason (RIC, 1983), Edgardo Garza (MIL, 1987), and Michael Root (ATL, 1989).
May 1 – DEN LF Dale Wales (.237, 3 HR, 15 RBI) will be out for about a month with a sprained ankle. He hit over .300 the last two seasons.
May 3 – TIJ SP Woody Roberts (4-2, 2.03 ERA) 3-hits the Scorpions, as the Condors take an 8-0 win.
May 4 – CIN SP Vicente Perez (3-0, 3.08 ERA) tosses a 1-hitter against helpless Loggers, taking a 4-0 win. The lone hit against Perez was a double by Duane Smith, who was thrown out trying to get to third base in the fifth inning.
May 5 – The Wolves will be without catcher Les Harper (.297, 3 HR, 13 RBI) for six weeks. The 26-year old has suffered a torn flexor tendon.
May 8 – SFW RF Enéas Spinelli (.394, 3 HR, 21 RBI) will have to sit three months with a dislocated shoulder. The 5th place Warriors, three games out, will certainly be missing that hat.
May 8 – ATL 1B Manuel Guzman (.307, 3 HR, 14 RBI) also goes down. He has a fractured foot and will miss about five weeks.

Complaints and stuff

That was a very good stretch, despite a few obvious shortcomings of the offense (19 LOB…). The only two games we lost were Berry’s starts. I’m seeing a pattern here.

Over 20% into the season, the Raccoons rank first in the offensive categories SLG, OPS, RS, H, XBH, and K, while we are top 3 in most other categories. The only category we are not great is a former point of excellence of us, back in the mid-80s: drawing walks. The pitching staff ranks top 3 in all but one categories, and leads in ERA, bullpen ERA, OBAVG, and K; that other category is HR, where we rank 6th due to hitter-friendly Raccoons Ballpark. Individually, Tetsu is 3rd in RBI, Higgins leads the CL in SB, and Turner leads in ERA.

I KNEW IT!! It’s a great team!

For the most part at least. There is a certain roster spot that cries for improvement. We won’t call names here.

Random note of weirdness: do you have any idea how often I write Logan Evans’ name when Jason Turner is pitching? I don’t know where that comes from… well, they’re both black, and there is some rather vague similarity in facial features, and of course they came up through our minor league system. Still, Evans is more than ten years older and away from Portland for a few years now. Their pitching styles have very, very little in common. I don’t get it.

By the way, what is Logan Evans up to? He’s still with the Stars, where he went 11-13 with a 4.14 ERA last year, and this year he is 2-1 with a 3.28 ERA. His control is abysmal, he walked 122 last year, and is 10/17 in K/BB this season.

Random note of weirdness #2: who leads the Stars in wins? Hint: it’s another ex-Coon. Answer: Richard Cunningham! Four wins in relief for him so far, despite getting battered to a 7.02 ERA. Baseball is the strangest game.