[Westheim]

Raccoons (10-22) vs. Cyclones (18-14) – May 11-13, 1999

Strong offense, poor pitching was the order on these Cyclones, which compared unfavorably to our much run-over pitching staff. Their 165 runs scored ranked second in the FL, and while they’re rotation was beleaguered, they were still winning plenty of games. Probably not a playoff team, but certainly enough to sink those puny Furballs.

Projected matchups:
Randy Farley (2-3, 3.27 ERA) vs. Russ Ewing (4-2, 5.64 ERA)
Bob Joly (2-3, 5.83 ERA) vs. Marc Padgett (4-3, 5.68 ERA)
Kisho Saito (0-6, 6.93 ERA) vs. Alfonso Velasco (4-2, 3.21 ERA)

Game 1
CIN: 2B Berman – 3B R. Gonzalez – LF Morris – CF A. Rojas – 1B Maldrum – C J. Silva – RF Horton – SS MacKillop – P Ewing
POR: 2B Ingall – RF Brady – CF Reece – 1B C. Gonzalez – C Branch – SS Guerin – LF Buell – 3B Caddock – P Farley

The Cyclones got chainsawed in this one, as they never even as much as slightly threatened Randy Farley, who was dominant, and only the occasional wildness removed him from the game after eight shutout innings on 116 pitches. Farley had gotten support early with a 2-run first in which a Clyde Brady RBI triple was a key element, and two more in the second via a Caddock homer, before the Raccoons fell asleep at the wheel. They would wake up in time however to completely crash the Cyclones bullpen in the eighth inning, plating six additional runs. Daniel Miller got the last three outs then. 10-0 Raccoons. Ingall 2-4, BB; Brady 2-4, BB, 3B, RBI; Reece 2-5, 2 RBI; Gonzalez 2-4, 2B, RBI; Parker (PH) 1-1, 3B, 3 RBI; Farley 8.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K, W (3-3);

Great, splurged all their run allotment for the series at the first opportunity again, and now the Cyclones will face the squishy part of our rotation …

Game 2
CIN: C J. Silva – 3B R. Gonzalez – LF Morris – RF Bailey – 1B Maldrum – 2B Donaldson – CF Horton – SS MacKillop – P Padgett
POR: 2B Ingall – RF Brady – CF Reece – 1B C. Gonzalez – LF Buell – C Castillo – SS Caddock – 3B Crowe – P Joly

Just like the day before, a triple plated the first run of the game, but this time it was David Horton’s in the top 2nd. Joly – part of said “squishy” part of the rotation – was hittable, but the Cyclones missed their chances, getting only three runs out of ten hits and two walks in 5.1 innings. Joly was removed after hitting Julio Silva and Jackie Lagarde escaped a two on, one out jam in the sixth. The Coons trailed anyway, 3-1, and this time Padgett went eight innings and the Raccoons were uttlery clueless. They didn’t even get the tying run to the plate in the last few innings… 3-1 Cyclones. Caddock 2-3, RBI; Lagarde 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K;

Game 3
CIN: 3B R. Gonzalez – C J. Silva – LF Morris – 2B Berman – RF Bailey – 1B Maldrum – SS Donaldson – CF G. Aguilar – P Velasco
POR: 2B Ingall – RF Brady – CF Reece – 1B C. Gonzalez – C Branch – SS Guerin – LF Parker – 3B Crowe – P Saito

Gonzalez singled to start the game and Saito threw a wild pitch to advance him, but nothing came of that. Bottom 1st, more messy player behavior. Ingall led off with a double, but now Velasco threw a wild one, then walked Brady. Reece grounded to Donaldson, who ran past the ball and everybody was safe, 1-0 Coons. Gonzalez drew a walk. Still nobody out, but the bags were loaded, Brach flew out to left, but Velasco was a big mess already. Guerin singled, 2-0, and then Velasco issued walks to Parker and Crowe, 4-0. Saito had the chance to explode the score already, but he struck out, and Ingall’s pop to short ended the inning. Yet, Velasco didn’t get any better in frame #2, the Coons threw three more runs on the board, and Velasco was purged. Up 7-0, not a cloud in the sky, this was Saito’s to lose, and the Coons didn’t stop there, but hung another three runs on well-travelled long reliever Lorenzo Ángel in the fourth. Saito meanwhile was not fooling anybody, and most at-bats didn’t go very deep. The Cyclones readily made contact, but you were reminded of a start of good old Scott Wade a few years back. Grounder after grounder after grounder, all soft, and with our prime defensive infield, the Cyclones didn’t get a man on until the fifth, when Larry Maldrum singled, and he was instantly removed on a double play. Saito didn’t even get a K until whiffing Douglas Donaldson in the eighth inning. Saito entered the ninth on a 2-hit shutout, with Alfonso Rojas, the pitcher slot, and Ramiro Gonzalez coming up. What’s the worst that can happen? Rojas popped out, Pedro Villa popped out, and then Gonzalez singled to right. C’mon Kisho, stop fooling around. Julio Silva singled right threw Ingall, putting Gonzalez on third base. No! No! It can’t end now! Dan Morris was a left-hander, and Saito’s last man, with Juan Martinez warming up. A patient Morris ran the count to 2-0, then grounded past Saito. Ingall got it, turned, and didn’t get a throw off. Gonzalez scurried home. Martinez came in, drilled Dennis Berman, and then served up a grand slam ball to Will Bailey. 12-5 Raccoons. Gonzalez 2-2, 2 BB, 2B; Guerin 2-4, 3 RBI; Parker 2-3, BB, 2B, 5 RBI; Saito 8.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, W (1-6);

You know, on one hand, I was gonna scream “KIIISHOOOOOOO!!!” after his annual win … and then that happened. He just can’t find peace? I don’t know. However, I am sure the baseball gods had a good chuckle about this one!

We resolved our short bench after this game, and I tried to demote Brad Tamburrino (!!!), but he refused. Those players and their “rights”! So, Manuel Martinez was awarded back to St. Pete after a promising debut, and I’m sure we can find room for him (and Nordahl and Ford) eventually. Samy Michel was recalled for now.

Raccoons (12-23) vs. Loggers (20-13) – May 14-16, 1999

Just like the Coons, the Loggers struggled with wildly different performances from their pitching staff, with some guys locked in as usual, and some being blown up every five days. Their pitching overall was efficient, though, ranking 3rd in runs allowed in the CL, while their offense was only 7th. The Raccoons, with the two most recent blowouts of the Cyclones, have even broken into the upper half for offense in the CL, outscoring the Loggers 157-152 to rank fifth! We will not mention that the Loggers have played two games less, no, no. No.

Projected matchups:
Jose Rivera (3-3, 4.39 ERA) vs. Rafael Garcia (2-3, 3.83 ERA)
Esteban Flores (0-0, 6.00 ERA) vs. Davis Sims (1-2, 8.19 ERA)
Randy Farley (3-3, 2.74 ERA) vs. Simon Walton (4-3, 4.75 ERA)

Walton will be the first and only southpaw we see this week.

Game 1
MIL: SS B. Hernandez – CF Fletcher – RF C. Ramirez – LF Hiwalani – 3B J. Cruz – C L. Ramirez – 1B D. Evans – 2B J. Perez – P R. Garcia
POR: 2B Ingall – SS Guerin – CF Reece – 1B Gonzalez – C Branch – LF Buell – RF Parker – 3B Crowe – P Rivera

Offense was slow, with both teams amounting to three singles in the bottom 5th, when the Coons had Chris Parker on second with one out and Rivera batting. Garcia looked stunned once Rivera rammed a double off the wall in center to plate the first run of the game, and next plunked Ingall and walked Guerin. Neil Reece had the chance for a big bang here, but Garcia didn’t give him anything to hit. The count ran full, before Reece finally rolled a grounder to third, and almost fell on his face stumbling out of the box. This looked like a ready-made double play, home and first, but the ball about died halfway up the third base line, and Jorge Cruz was slow to come in and HAD NO PLAY!! All hands safe, Reece huffing and puffing at first, 2-0 ahead, we waited for the inevitable double play, which didn’t come, but neither did another hit and we got only one more run, 3-0. Rivera pitched a strong game, almost like Saito the day before, while the defense actively trying to betray him late in the game. Crowe made an error that put a second man on with one out in the seventh, and Ingall made a catastrophic throwing error leading off the eighth, but Rivera always wiggled out, and then came the ninth, the score still 3-0, and do you go to Wade? Scotty’s recent success was nothing to write home about. Rivera remained in, Cristo Ramirez doubled with one out, and OH MY GOD PANIC!! Hiwalani grounded out, which brought up Jorge Cruz, OPS’ing .858 on the year. Well, it wouldn’t get any easier behind him and he was not the tying run anyway. Cruz took an 0-1 pitch to left, and OH NO RAMIREZ IS TURNING THIRD, and Buell has the ball, Buell goes home with it – THROW IT LIKE A MAN, STEPHEN!! Buell beamed Ramirez out at home, and this one was NOT blowing up late. 3-0 Coons!! Reece 3-4, RBI; Rivera 9.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, W (4-3) and 1-3, 2B, RBI;

Phew. I got a little excited there at the end.

In his 76th start in the majors, Rivera pitched his fifth complete game, and his fourth shutout. Plus, he gave the Coons a chance to actually have a WINNING WEEK. (gasps)

Game 2
MIL: SS B. Hernandez – CF Fletcher – RF C. Ramirez – LF Hiwalani – 3B J. Cruz – C L. Ramirez – 1B D. Evans – 2B J. Perez – P Sims
POR: SS Guerin – RF Brady – CF Reece – 3B Gonzalez – C Branch – 2B Ingall – LF Buell – 1B Michel – P Flores

The winning week would have to wait. Flores was stripped down to his underpants in the second inning, failing to get anybody out, and was charged for five runs. The Coons got two runs in the bottom 2nd, and then had the bases loaded with no outs in the third – and failed to score. Branch fouled out, Ingall whiffed, and Buell lobbed out to center. Never mind they also left the bags full in the fourth… While Fairchild pitched in long relief into the sixth before getting stuck (yet the Loggers would run themselves out of it when Branch punched out Fletcher trying to steal), the Coons got another leg up in the bottom 6th. Michel singled, Parker singled, and while Guerin flew out, Brady then singled up the middle to get the score to 5-3 and getting Reece up with the tying runs on. Parker and Brady pulled off a double steal much to the Loggers’ surprise, but now Reece didn’t get anything to hit and walked eventually. Bases loaded #3. Gonzalez popped out, Branch rolled out to Perez. Gotta be kidding. And then the game just blew up. Gonzalez made an error to put Hiwalani on base to start the seventh, and then Lagarde would issue three walks. Miller came in, drilled Perez, and the rout was on, four runs scored. And yet, although they trailed 10-4 into the bottom 9th, they got the tying run to the plate. Crowe led off with a single, Michel walked, and Newton singled, bases loaded, no outs. Guerin drew a walk, 10-5, and while Brady grounded out, a run scored, 10-6. Reece then singled to left center, 10-7, and now Gonzalez could tie it if he would magically rediscover how to drill a ball for 400 feet. His infield single didn’t do the job, but upped the tension here, as Caddock stepped in with the chance to walk off his team. Yeah right. He struck out, as did Castillo. 10-7 Loggers. Brady 2-5, BB, RBI; Reece 3-4, 2 BB, 2B, 2 RBI; Crowe (PH) 1-1; Michel 2-3, 2 BB, RBI; Parker (PH) 1-1; Fairchild 3.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K and 2-2, 2 2B, RBI;

Left the bases loaded … FOUR TIMES. FOUR TIMES IN ONE GAME!!!

We had 15 HITS! They had EIGHT!! And WHO WON THIS GAME???

RAGE.

Game 3
MIL: SS B. Hernandez – CF Fletcher – RF C. Ramirez – LF Hiwalani – 3B J. Cruz – C L. Ramirez – 1B D. Evans – 2B Sullivan – P Walton
POR: SS Guerin – 2B Ingall – CF Reece – 1B Gonzalez – LF Buell – RF Brady – 3B Crowe – C Castillo – P Farley

Farley was torn up in the first inning, four runs on six hits, and we would not have a winning week. It was that simple. Farley was crowded while soldiering on into the fifth. The Raccoons were nowhere to be seen but for a nifty play in the second inning. With Buell on third and two down, Castillo laid down a perfect bunt for a suicide squeeze, and Buell scored. After that, not much movement from the Furballs until the sixth. Still down 4-1, Reece and Buell flocked onto base. Crowe came up with two down, having a terrible season batting .212. Well, he upped his stats here, ramming a 3-run homer out of left field, and that tied the game with the Loggers out-hitting the Coons 12-5 at that point. Oh wait a sec – Castillo is stepping in. Pitch, knock, soar, home run, Coons ahead 5-4. Wow. What we failed to find however, was adequate relief, as Jackie Lagarde blew the lead instantly in the top 7th. Jorge Perez decided the game in the ninth with a solo home run off Juan Martinez. 6-5 Loggers. Crowe 2-4, HR, 3 RBI; Parker (PH) 1-1, 2B;

Oh, we left the bags full only once in his game, in case you wondered, in the seventh.

In other news

May 10 – Young Buffaloes closer Sancho Rivera (0-0, 8 SV, 0.93 ERA) has torn his rotator cuff and is out for the year.
May 11 – LVA SP Francisco Sanchez (0-2, 3.97 ERA) is heading to Tommy John surgery with a torn UCL.
May 16 – CHA John Woodard (3-3, 5.36 ERA) sparkles in a 1-0 shutout over the Bayhawks, fanning seven and allowing only two hits.
May 16 – The list of starting pitchers out for the year keeps growing fast: IND Chang-se Park (3-2, 3.33 ERA) joins the list with a partially torn UCL and hopes to avoid Tommy John for now.
May 16 – SAL 2B Bryan Andrews (.237, 0 HR, 12 RBI) has a badly broken kneecap and could also miss the entire remainder of the season.

Complaints and stuff

With every month that goes by, the November 14, 1989 trade that saw us acquire a 17-year old Dominican pitcher named Jose Rivera from the Condors for infielder Stephen Hall is looking better and better. And better.

Jose Rivera so far: 78 G (76 GS), 34-21, 2.98 ERA, 1.23 WHIP
Stephen Hall (career): 850 G, 2,923 AB, .252/.335/.354, 31 HR, 323 RBI, 30 SB

Saito has 17 to go to 250. Let’s see, he’s on pace for four wins this year, so … yeah, we will have to extend his contract!

He’s shoddy this year, but he’s not the only one to blame for the pitching staff to rank 11th or 12th in every single category except BABIP (which is not really a pitching achievement) and walks allowed (5th). The offense is all over the place, draws the most walks for the best OBP in the league, and they still don’t score runs. 8th in home runs! WHAT?? Well, if your backup catcher leads the team in dingers, something’s gotta be amiss…

2-week homestand continues next week with the Titans and Condors in town, so we have a splendid chance of dropping under .300 for the year.