[Westheim]

Raccoons (66-76) @ Canadiens (66-76) – September 14-17, 1998

The Canadiens have already taken the season series against us, humiliating us to a heartache-inducing 10-4 record so far this year. What could possibly be more frightening and annoying than playing four more in Elkland?

Projected matchups:
Manuel Movonda (10-11, 2.88 ERA) vs. Jose Marquez (11-15, 4.65 ERA)
Randy Farley (12-5, 2.87 ERA) vs. John Collins (8-17, 5.02 ERA)
Miguel Lopez (8-13, 4.09 ERA) vs. Joe Hollow (3-0, 0.86 ERA)
Bob Joly (2-0, 0.53 ERA) vs. Jose Dominguez (13-7, 4.52 ERA)

John Collins vs. the Raccoons this year? It ain’t pretty. For us. Four starts, 2-2, 1.53 ERA. That’s your Raccoons offense for you.

Game 1
POR: 2B Ingall – SS Guerin – CF Reece – C Turner – 3B Crowe – 1B Michel – RF Newton – LF Kowalchuk – P Movonda
VAN: 2B B. Butler – 3B Sutton – RF H. Givens – CF Ledesma – 1B Valenzuela – C J. Lopez – LF Moreno – SS Duarte – P Marquez

Two walks and a wild pitch by an unhealthily wild Jose Marquez in the first inning did nothing to aid the Coons in scoring. By contrast, Bob Butler hit a leadoff jack off Movonda, and the Elks seemed to be in business. It would not be Movonda’s game. While Michel tied the game with a home run in the second inning, Movonda eventually gave up a 2-out RBI single to the opposing pitcher in the fifth, and left after six with over 110 pitches on the clock and down 2-1. Marvin Ingall kindly took him off the hook with a leadoff homer in the eighth inning, though. With plenty of left-handed batters up in the bottom 8th, we went to the useless piece of ****, who blew the game out of the water in no time, facing five batters and allowing a hit and three walks. Daniel Miller struck out Jose Valenzuela, but was then also defeated and all of Donis’ runs scored. 6-2 Canadiens. Parker (PH) 1-1; Michel 2-4, HR, RBI;

Game 2
POR: 2B Ingall – RF Brady – CF Reece – C Turner – LF Parker – SS Caddock – 3B Utting – 1B Wedemeyer – P Farley
VAN: 2B B. Butler – LF J. Durán – RF H. Givens – 1B Valenzuela – C J. Lopez – 3B Sutton – CF Moreno – SS Duarte – P J. Collins

The perfect humiliation for the Suckoons was facing John Collins again, and remaining hitless through five innings against a pitcher that allowed 233 hits in 191.2 innings this season. Collins also gave the Canadiens the lead, because why not, with an RBI groundout, down 1-2 to Farley, in the second inning. Farley was terrible, with awful control, and walked batters left and right. Collins’ no-hit bid wasn’t broken up until the sixth when Clyde Brady homered off him to tie the game. Bottom 7th, Angelo Duarte led off with a single to left. Farley accepted Collins’ bunt and took it to first, then left for Tamburrino, who got Butler, and then drilled Jorge Durán. Then he walked Givens. Suddenly the bags were abuzz, and the Canadiens threatened to storm away again, but Tamburrino struck out Valenzuela and the 1-1 tie remained tied firmly. Partly responsible were the Suckoons, who whiffed eight times against Collins, and didn’t remove him until the eighth. With two out, Turner singled, and Parker hit a double to right. Everybody but Turner would have scored, but we had a pair in scoring position with two down. Lefty Jesus Morales replaced Collins, which prompted us to hit for Caddock with McLaughlin, who lined to the left, where Angelo Duarte made a leaping grab. Inning over. The Canadiens in the bottom 8th ended up with Jorge Lopez on third base with NO outs, and Kelly Fairchild somehow wiggled out of that. Then in the ninth, offense came from the unlikeliest of sources: Paul Kirkland was taken deep with one out – by Wedemeyer. Scott Wade retired the side in the bottom ninth. 2-1 Coons. Parker 2-3, BB, 2B; Wedemeyer 2-4, HR, RBI;

We recalled Stephen Buell from rehab in St. Pete to spend the last two and a half weeks of the season with his brothers in fail. If health permits of course. Maybe he will break a hair in his first game back and goes straight back to the DL. We are experienced with frail leftfielders (Dan the Man), but Buell’s season was just an endless sea of pain…

Game 3
POR: 2B Ingall – SS Guerin – CF Reece – C Turner – LF Buell – 3B Crowe – RF Brady – 1B Michel – P M. Lopez
VAN: 3B B. Butler – LF Hudson – CF Ledesma – 1B Valenzuela – C J. Lopez – RF Moreno – SS Pyatt – 2B Weston – P Hollow

After allowing two runs in the first inning, Joe Hollow really got some pressure in the third. After Reece reached on an error by Bob Butler, Turner singled, and Buell was plunked. Mike Crowe worked a walk to force home Reece, 3-0, and there were still no outs in the inning. Brady singled, scoring Turner, 4-0, and then – fín. Michel struck out, Lopez popped out, and Ingall lined out to Hudson. While the Raccoons assumed four were enough and went to sleep, Miguel Lopez still had a job to do. He did not allow a hit through three innings, and while the Canadiens got a few knocks off him after that, they never to past second base. In the top 8th, we again had the bags full then, and again with no outs, again including an error. Ingall’s sac fly ended Hollow’s day, Jackie Lagarde came in and ended the Coons’ unambitious offensive ambitions. Lopez instantly ran into a Randy Darke infield single, followed by a homer by Bob Butler that cut the lead back to 5-2. Lopez didn’t finish the inning, which fell to Kelly Fairchild. Scott Wade came out in the ninth and again allowed no runners, ending the game with three grounders to Ingall. 5-2 Coons. Turner 3-5, RBI; Brady 2-4, BB, RBI; Michel 2-3, BB; Lopez 7.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, W (9-13);

This win ensures we won’t tie the all time worst mark of 5-13 against the Elks this season. It also opens the window to collect our 1,800th overall regular season win still here in Vancouver. That’d be somethin’!

Game 4
POR: SS Guerin – RF Brady – CF Reece – LF Parker – 3B Crowe – 2B Caddock – C Castillo – 1B Wedemeyer – P Joly
VAN: 3B Sutton – 2B Corona – RF H. Givens – CF Ledesma – 1B Valenzuela – C J. Lopez – LF Moreno – SS Duarte – P Dominguez

Joly surrendered a run in the first inning, then came to bat in the second with the bags full and no outs. He grounded to left, where somehow Angelo Duarte managed to miss the ball and Joly tied the game with an RBI single. Guerin’s double play grounder plated a run, but also killed the inning. But the Elks had Joly’s number and turned the score back in their favor in the third, 3-2, yet the game was tied with another Wedemeyer home run in the fourth inning, 3-3. Joly left after six, not getting a decision when Brady struck out with Guerin on second base, ending the top 7th. The game was still tied in the bottom 8th, when I made the cardinal mistake of letting Donis pitch in a remotely close game. He walked Givens, which led to his exit, while Miller saved the situation with K’s to PH Bob Butler and Jose Valenzuela. Newton ran for Castillo when the latter singled to lead off the top 9th, but was thrown out stealing. The game went to extra innings, but the Coons continued to fail, even when donated two walks in the top 10th by Enrico Gonzalez. Crowe, who ended up a dreadful 0-5 again on the day, and Caddock leaving the runners on. Costa then lost it on Henry Given’s walkoff double in the bottom of the inning. 4-3 Canadiens. Reece 2-4, BB, 2B; Castillo 2-4; Wedemeyer 2-4, HR, RBI;

Raccoons (68-78) vs. Knights (65-81) – September 18-20, 1998

The Knights have yet to lose a game against the Raccoons this season, despite a struggling pitching staff, and the third-most runs surrendered in the Continental League.

Projected matchups:
Jose Rivera (13-8, 2.58 ERA) vs. Tynan Howard (7-14, 3.84 ERA)
Kisho Saito (5-13, 3.01 ERA) vs. Daniel Perez (13-11, 3.66 ERA)
Manuel Movonda (10-11, 2.89 ERA) vs. Carlos Asquabal (5-3, 4.33 ERA)

Game 1
ATL: CF Árias – 3B Morales – 2B Palácios – LF Kinnear – 1B J. Jackson – C J. Johnson – RF M. Smith – SS Tanaka – P Howard
POR: 2B Ingall – RF Brady – 3B Crowe – C Turner – LF Buell – SS Guerin – 1B Wedemeyer – CF Newton – P Rivera

The Knights left the bags full in a wild first inning, which also saw Jose Rivera hit Vern Kinnear in the ribs. Fans weren’t sure whether to cheer, or boo, or cry, or just continue feasting those fat curly fries. Both teams displayed incredible offensive ineptitude in the game, amassing three hits apiece through seven innings, which was even more horrible for the Knights, who faced a pitcher who was just barely hitting the vicinity of the strike zone. Rivera finally faced annihilation in the eighth with a leadoff walk to Morales. Manuel Gomez ran for him, and Rivera’s pickoff went past Wedemeyer, moving Gomez to second. While Palacios made an out, I opted for the left-hander to face Kinnear, so it was Donis time. The Knights didn’t bite and sent Tadanobu Sakaguchi, who grounded out, but moved Gomez to third. Tamburrino then came in to strike out Joe Jackson and end the frame. The game remained scoreless as Tamburrino pitched the ninth. Nesto Martinez came in to pitch the bottom 9th for the Knights, and he had already ten losses on him on the year. Make it eleven, boys. Nope, wasn’t gonna happen. Bottom 11th. Ingall led off against Yosuke Memoto and grounded in front of the plate. Neither Memoto nor catcher Edgardo Ramos managed to make a good play and Ingall beat it out for an INGALL SINGLE. Brady came up and in our desperation we called a bunt. Brady laid one down, Joe Jackson – now at third – came in and zinged it to first, where Palácios stretched after it, but in vain. Two men on through no achievement of our own! Caddock hit for Crowe to counter Memoto, but grounded out, yet the winning run was on third for Turner with one out. Turner was walked, though, bringing up De La Rosa in the #5 slot, and Neil Reece hit for him. Reece had a rough month, not hitting a lot, whiffing steadily, but his eye was still decent. Memoto tried not to pitch in the zone too much – and didn’t hit it at all. Reece drew four straight balls, and the fans were glad it was over. 1-0 Raccoons. Ingall 2-5, 2B; Reece (PH) 0-0, BB, RBI; Rivera 7.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 5 BB, 2 K; Tamburrino 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K; De La Rosa 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, W (4-4);

Sometimes, a bases loaded walk ain’t that shabby. Sometimes, it gives you a milestone win. Like the franchise’s 1,800th here. And we’re now 1-6 against Atlanta on the year. Woot!! Progress!!

While this was a cringeworthy outing from Jose Rivera in general, walking five, and plunking two, he didn’t allow a run and now ties SFB Jorge Chapa for the CL ERA title!

Game 2
ATL: CF Rogers – 3B Morales – LF W. Taylor – 1B J. Jackson – RF Sakaguchi – 2B Chapman – C E. Ramos – SS M. Gomez – P D. Perez
POR: 2B Ingall – RF Brady – CF Reece – C Turner – LF Buell – 1B Wedemeyer – SS Guerin – 3B Caddock – P Saito

Saito was not very good. The Knights got a few hard fly balls off him – yet all managed to find some outfielder to catch them, while the soft and meek balls all fell in somewhere. He walked the edge of the volcano early on, as the Knights left men aboard in the first two frames, and Joe Jackson grounded out to Guerin with two men in scoring position in the third. Guerin had also hit a sac fly in the bottom 2nd to give the Brownshirts a 1-0 lead. Manuel Gomez finally got to Saito in the fourth with a 2-run double. And that was his 14th loss of the year. A Will Taylor home run made it 3-1 in the fifth, and Saito was finally chased with three straight singles to start the sixth. The Suckoons stood and watched. Some picked their nose. That was all the action. Daniel Perez pitched a complete game in a blowout once the brown bullpen was soiled in the seventh. 9-2 Knights. Buell 2-3; Wedemeyer 2-4, 2 2B, RBI; Grandridge 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K;

I cried some. Saito very calmly called someone in Japan that night. Nobody understood a lick of course.

Game 3
ATL: CF Árias – C J. Johnson – 2B Palácios – LF Kinnear – 1B J. Jackson – 3B M. Gomez – RF Rogers – SS Tanaka – P Asquabal
POR: 2B Ingall – SS Guerin – CF Reece – C Turner – LF Buell – 3B Crowe – RF Brady – 1B Utting – P Movonda

Doubles by Guerin and Turner gave Movonda a 1-0 lead in the first inning. That’s it, Colombian Beauty, now roll with it, they said. Movonda 1-hit the Knights through five, but a leadoff double by Peter Rogers in the sixth spelled out the signs of impending doom. The park promptly collapsed over Movonda, not spectacularly, but sure enough, with a 2-out RBI single by Jesus Árias that dropped just a few feet in front of Buell. Bottom 8th, Guerin led off with a single off Memoto. A run-and-hit was called on the first pitch of Reece’s AB. Reece sliced over Memoto’s offering, but Guerin was barely safe because Johnson had to double clutch and didn’t get a quick throw off. Reece was then walked intentionally and forced out on Turner’s grounder. Runners on the corners, one out, perfect double play scenario, so it was the more stunning that Buell lined PAST Sosa Tanaka and the Coons took the lead. The Raccoons failed to tack on, but lost Buell on Chris Parker’s PH grounder to second when he became entangled with Tanaka and limped off. Scott Wade appeared and surrendered the first two Knights in the ninth, before Kinnear doubled to right. Jackson came up and grounded sharply to second – but Ingall made the play to first. 2-1 Raccoons. Guerin 2-3, BB, 2B; Buell 2-4, RBI; Movonda 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K, W (11-11);

Guess what. Stephen Buell has torn ankle ligaments and will make a FOURTH trip to the DL, and this time for good.

Speechless and stunned, that’s what I am.

In other news

September 14 – The Scorpions beat the Wolves, 3-1, but SAL Roberto Quintero (.334, 8 HR, 65 RBI) keeps comin’ through, extending his hitting streak to 35 games. He now has tied hitting streaks by Manuel Doval (1988-89) and Clement Clark (1992) for fourth place overall, but is still 12 games behind Claudio Rojas’ mark of 47 games from 1983.
September 15 – SAL Roberto Quintero takes sole position of fourth place in hitting streaks with two singles in a 7-4 loss to the Scorpions.
September 15 – CHA OF Matt Adams (.324, 15 HR, 66 RBI) is out for the year with a fractured finger.
September 16 – Rookie SAC SP Julio Morín (2-2, 2.85 ERA) tosses a 2-hit shutout against the Wolves, 3-0 for the Scorpions. Among the fatalities is Roberto Quintero’s hitting streak, which ends at 36 games.
September 19 – Season over for LAP 1B Marty Battle (.309, 15 HR, 79 RBI) after suffering a fractured rib.

Complaints and stuff

7 games, 17 runs. Do the math yourself. If I were allowed to only strangle ONE sucker on the roster every day, I wouldn’t get done until season’s end.