[Westheim]

Raccoons (0-0) vs. Canadiens (0-0) – April 7-8, 2009

We start the season with a 2-week homestand, which in turn starts with a 2-game series against the stinking Elks.

Projected matchups:
Nick Brown (0-0) vs. Juichi Fujita (0-0)
Jong-hoo Umberger (0-0) vs. Rod Taylor (0-0)

Game 1
VAN: CF Holland – LF E. Garcia – 3B Suzuki – RF D. Morris – C G. Ortíz – SS Rice – 2B Dobson – 1B F. Jones – P Fujita
POR: CF Castro – 2B Correa – LF Alston – RF Black – 1B Quebell – 3B R. Martinez – C De La Parra – SS Howell – P Brown

To start the 2009 season, the Raccoons loaded the bases without ever getting a base hit. After Castro grounded out in the bottom 1st, Correa reached on an error and Alston and Black both walked to set up Adrian Quebell, who flew out to left, where Enrique Garcia caught the ball, then threw out Jose Correa at home. The Elks actually scored in the second inning without having gotten a hit off Brownie, who walked two in the inning and was scored upon on a groundout. He had entered the season with 1,598 strikeouts and had whiffed Enrique Garcia in the first, but then didn’t hit his locations. Ross Holland eventually became victim #1,600 in the third inning, but by then Brown also had three walks on his ledger, before becoming the first Raccoon to actually hit safely in the season with a single to right to start the third inning. Brown eventually scored on a wild pitch in that inning, but that was on the other side of a 46-minute rain delay. We’re in Oregon after all.

The left side of the infield had been a nerve-wrecking sore for Brown the entire last season (mainly Martinez), but in the fourth inning it was Rob Howell to set up the Canadiens for another run with an error, but he made up for it with a 1-out RBI single plating Martinez in the bottom of the same inning, tying the game again. The Raccoons then took their first lead of the year in the next inning on a 2-out RBI double by the Duke that scored Ron Alston from first base. But the early rain and control issues cut Brown’s Opening Day outing rather short. Despite striking out four in a row between the fifth and sixth innings, a 2-out single by not-Raccoon Gary Rice ended his day in the top 6th. Law Rockburn struck out Jerry Dobson to preserve Brownie’s chance for an Opening Day win. Meanwhile the Elks were slacking to remove their starter Fujita when it got hairy for him in the same inning. The Raccoons had Ricardo Martinez on third base with one out, but Fujita struck out Howell to get closer to ending the inning. Matt Pruitt batted for Rockburn, a left-hander to oppose Fujita, but the Elks remained with their starter, even after Pruitt doubled, even after he walked Castro, even after Correa’s single, and after he walked Alston, but when the Duke plated two more with a single, they finally considered making a move to the pen. Avtandil Tarakhanov starved the two Coons that were still on base, but the score had been blown open into a 5-run lead that the Raccoons wouldn’t relinquish. There was a minor bullpen hiccup in the eighth inning when Bryan and Cash put on a man each, but Marcos Bruno came in and struck out all three batters he faced into the ninth inning to suffocate the Elks for good in this season opener. 7-2 Brownies! Black 2-4, BB, 2B, 3 RBI; Martinez 2-4, 2B; Pruitt (PH) 1-1, 2B, RBI; Brown 5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, W (1-0) and 1-2;

Normally I wouldn’t list Brown’s outing under the honorable mentions at the end of the game, but the rain shortened his outing some and I might have been a bit overly cautious after the Rice single. Two more wins to a hundred, which is the next interesting countable.

Game 2
VAN: CF Holland – C G. Ortíz – RF D. Morris – LF J. Thomas – 3B Suzuki – SS Rice – 1B F. Jones – 2B Dobson – P R. Taylor
POR: CF Castro – 2B Correa – LF Alston – RF Black – 1B Quebell – 3B R. Martinez – C De La Parra – SS Howell – P Umberger

And here we had our first wicked game of the season. Jong-hoo Umberger didn’t strike out anybody in his first start of the season, but hit an RBI single that brought the score to 3-0 in the bottom 5th, and pitched a shutout for 8.1 innings before he ran out of juice and loaded the bases. At that point, the run factory had churned out seven markers again, which included a pair of 2-run homers by Quebell sandwiching Umberger’s offensive prowess, striking Taylor in the second and sixth innings. The Raccoons added another pair of runs in the seventh in which both Howell and Correa hit triples to keep the line moving. But Umberger ran out of gas and left Donald Sims to dissect a bases loaded, one out situation in the ninth with Gary Rice, a switch hitter at the plate and lefty Freddie Jones behind him. Rice fouled out, Jones grounded out to Correa, and the Raccoons opened the year with a (shortened) sweep of the Elks. 7-0 Coons! 2-4, 3B, RBI; Black 2-4; Quebell 2-3, 2 HR, 4 RBI; Umberger 8.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 0 K, W (1-0) and 1-3, RBI;

Against the Elks, even a shortened sweep is a sweet sweep.

Raccoons (2-0) vs. Knights (1-2) – April 10-12, 2009

The Knights had won their opener against the Falcons, but had been routed in the next two games, and their starters’ ERA was an ugly 7.80 after three games. But we wouldn’t see the two roadkills in this series, and instead get two fresh guys and their Opening Day hurler, 25-year old Kurt Doyle, a former ninth rounder by the Buffaloes that the Knights had signed last April to a minor league deal. He had struck out a total of 32 batters in consecutive AAA starts later in the same month and had debuted in the Bigs immediately after that, but went 10-13 with a 4.72 ERA in his rookie campaign, not nearly averaging 16 strikeouts per game, or even six per nine innings.

Projected matchups:
Javier Cruz (0-0) vs. Chris Lamb (0-0)
Colin Baldwin (0-0) vs. Sadakuno Imamura (0-0)
Greg Grams (0-0) vs. Kurt Doyle (1-0, 3.00 ERA)

Lamb will be our first left-handed opponent in this season.

Game 1
ATL: CF Kelsey – SS Kester – LF J. Morales – 1B Jo. Garcia – 2B C. Martinez – RF Ju. Garcia – 3B Younger – C Delgado – P Lamb
POR: CF Castro – 2B Correa – LF Alston – RF Black – 1B Quebell – 3B R. Martinez – C De La Parra – SS Howell – P Cruz

Chris Lamb retired the first ten Critters he faced before Jose Correa took a walk in the bottom 4th, just a half inning after Javier Cruz had allowed his first run of the season on a Carlos Martinez RBI single. The Raccoons’ first hit of the day would be a score-flipping 2-run home run by the Duke of Smack, and that hit sat lonely in the Raccoons’ ledger for a while. Cruz didn’t get into danger until the seventh inning, when the Knights had two singles by Julio Garcia and Kenneth Younger and then a productive groundout to put pressure on the Raccoons, but Gonzalo Munoz, hitting for John Kelsey, grounded out to first to end the inning. Cruz’ day ended with a leadoff single by Jaime Kester in the eighth. Donald Sims didn’t greatly help in diffusing the difficult situation with the tying run on base, giving a single to Jose Morales before Jorge Garcia thankfully hit into a double play. That left the tying run on third base with two outs and Carlos Martinez batting, but when Bruno came out to face the right-hander, the Knights went to left-hander Kevin Bond, who drew a full count walk, before Bruno threw a wild pitch to tie the game just before he struck out Julio Garcia. Chris Lamb then promptly fell apart, allowing a single to Yoshi Nomura, walked Castro, and then allowed a tie-breaking RBI double to Correa. Another run scored on Alston’s sac fly before Enrique Meneces shut down the offense. It was enough, though, with Angel Casas posting his first save of the season on two strikeouts and Lou Urban’s foul pop. 4-2 Critters. Black 1-2, 2 BB, HR, 2 RBI; Nomura (PH) 1-1; Cruz 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K;

So Bruno grabbed his first win of the season, but I’m not happy about this one.

And you’d think that 3-0 has you pretty high up in the division, but no. The Titans and Crusaders are both 4-0.

Game 2
ATL: C Delgado – 1B Bond – LF J. Morales – 3B C. Martinez – SS Kester – CF Ju. Garcia – RF Jo. Garcia – 2B Olvero – P Imamura
POR: CF Castro – SS Correa – LF Alston – RF Black – 1B Quebell – 3B R. Martinez – 2B Nomura – C Esquivel – P Baldwin

At some point, a Raccoons starter had to get into a rough inning and get raked for multiple runs, and Baldwin had picked the shortest match. Right after a 2-out RBI single by Black gave him a 1-0 lead after three innings, Baldwin ran into a Morales homer and a Kester triple in a 3-run fourth inning that sent him spinning for a while, but the Raccoons would put up a crooked number of their own in the bottom 4th. It was the second time in the game that Castro and Correa got on with no outs. The first time Alston had killed the effort mostly with a double play (but Black had that 2-out hit), and this time he limited himself to a groundout to first. Black scored one run again with another single, getting the team to 3-2, before Carlos Martinez’ throwing error tied the score on Quebell’s grounder. After Ricardo Martinez fouled out, Yoshi Nomura had his third hit of the game, this one a liner into shallow left that scored a pair and gave Baldwin a 5-3 lead that was promptly threatened with dismantlement, but a double play dug out Baldwin in the sixth and he was hit for in the bottom of the inning before he could do more damage to the cause.

Imamura entered the bottom 6th on five walks and jumped that number to seven with free passes to Pruitt (batting for Baldwin) and Castro. Correa flew out for the first out before Imamura threw two wild pitches to Alston before walking him as well. That was finally enough damage for his manager, who sent lefty Patrick Mercier to face the Duke of Smack, oddly resulting in a strikeout, and Quebell whiffed as well, but at least we had tacked on that gift run. But gifts weren’t over yet: Quebell made an error to start the top 7th that snowballed into two unearned runs on Law Rockburn and a much closer 6-5 game. Soon enough, everything eroded for the Raccoons. Ed Bryan put on Kester to start the eighth inning and was yanked for Bruno, who allowed the tying run to score on Jorge Garcia’s single, before Black made a grievous error that gave the Knights the lead on an Antonio Olvero fly. Errors galore continued in the ninth, when Correa made one at short that actually didn’t lead to a bazillion runs, and Olvero made one for the Knights that put Martinez on base in addition to Quebell with one out and Paco Leoniedas pitching. When Nomura popped out, we had to either bat an 0-4 Sergio Esquivel and hope for something, or send Trevino to pinch-hit and then have some nut catch if we went to extras, since De La Parra had already pinch-hit somewhere else to no effect. Esquivel stood no chance, so we rolled the dice, and Trevino came out to bat in a crazy move, but lined out to Olvero. 7-6 Knights. Black 2-5, 2 RBI; Nomura 3-5, 2 RBI; Pruitt (PH) 1-1, BB;

We made FOUR errors in that game. Martinez didn’t make any. So I think that qualifies as a wicked game. Not a good one, though. We had no extra base hits, and seven singles (for six runs). We had scored four runs with four hits the day before but that had been with the help of the oomph.

Ya, wicked game.

Game 3
ATL: CF Kelsey – SS Kester – LF J. Morales – RF G. Munoz – 2B C. Martinez – 3B Bond – 1B Ju. Garcia – C Delgado – P Doyle
POR: 2B Correa – 1B Quebell – LF Alston – RF Black – C De La Parra – 3B R. Martinez – CF Trevino – SS Howell – P Grams

Errors galore didn’t seem over yet with a throwing error by Quebell right in the first inning, but Gonzalo Munoz hit into a double play before things could get ugly on Grams, who had spent a number of years in the Knights’ dress, but they surely weren’t here to shower him with presents. Unless home runs counted, in which case Kevin Bond made him a present, a size 1 one, in the fifth inning. That was the first run off Grams in a Coons uniform, and it set his team back 1-0.

Through four innings, the Raccoons had had three singles, and their entire lineup held three players with a batting average of .215 or better: Correa, Black, and … Grams. Everybody else had not seen a single ball well in the entire series, and Ron Alston was perhaps worst of all, coming to the plate with a .396 OPS in the bottom 5th with two men on. Maybe the resulting 3-run homer, the 242nd of his career (13th all time), could be a spark to the whole outfit? At least the Duke followed up with a homer of his own, and was batting .500 at that point.

Grams got a second present from Carlos Delgado that ended his day in the seventh inning, but also counted for only one run. Yet when Bryan was taken deep by Morales in the eighth, things got dicey with a 4-3 score, but the bottom 8th started well for sure with an Alston single and a Black double off Mercier. Ultimately the Coons let themselves be held to a sac fly, despite loading the bases, upon which Rob Howell hit into a double play. Casas issued a leadoff walk to Carlos Martinez in the ninth, but retired the next three batters without issues. 5-3 Coons. Alston 2-4, HR, 3 RBI; Black 3-4, HR, 2B, RBI; Grams 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, W (1-0) and 1-2;

The Titans remained undefeated in the first week, 6-0, but the Crusaders lost a game on Sunday. The Loggers, probably a lock for last place, started the year 0-6.

Raccoons (4-1) vs. Aces (5-2) – April 13-15, 2009

The Aces were the only winning team in the South after the first week, with everybody else at 2-4 or 2-5. It was early, but they ranked t-3rd (with the Coons) in runs scored and in starters’ ERA in the CL, and sixth in runs allowed. The Raccoons had allowed the least runs so far (only 14!).

Projected matchups:
Nick Brown (1-0, 1.59 ERA) vs. Jack Thomas (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Jong-hoo Umberger (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Jimmy Young (0-1, 6.43 ERA)
Javier Cruz (0-0, 2.57 ERA) vs. Bob Bowden (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

Jack Thomas will face off in a duel of left-handers, while the other two games have pairs of right-handers ready to go.

Game 1
LVA: 1B McDermott – 3B F. Soto – LF Cameron – RF R. Garcia – SS Dahlke – C T. Turner – CF Sambrano – 2B H. Jones – P J. Thomas
POR: CF Castro – 2B Correa – LF Alston – RF Black – 1B Quebell – 3B R. Martinez – C De La Parra – SS Howell – P Brown

Tom Dahlke, whom we twisted and turned to get this winter, and just couldn’t, homered off Nick Brown to give the Aces a 1-0 lead in the second inning. The lead was short-lived, however, with Black scoring on a Martinez sac fly right before De La Parra hit a solo homer to put Portland ahead, and Black hit into a run-scoring double play in the third inning that brought the score to 3-1.

This was a wicked game, too. Consideration should be given to the fact that Howell and Brown put the first countables into our saves column – by pulling off a 2-out double steal in the fourth inning. This was after Nick Brown’s SECOND infield hit of the day. Castro struck out to call off the parade, though. Second point in this case: again rain held Nick Brown away from the seventh inning. This time a heavy shower went down in the sixth just as Brown strolled to bat with two out and nobody on. We kinda hoped for the game to be called, but the delay lasted just under an hour. The game resumed with Brown grounding out, then getting replaced by Rockburn in a 3-1 game in which the Raccoons led in hits, 11-2. Third point that this was a wicked game: Rockburn blew the game in a hurry. Ricardo Garcia hit a leadoff triple, Tom Dahlke singled him in, stole second, and eventually scored on a horrendous 2-out bloop into no man’s land by Howard Jones that tied the score. Brownie sat in the dugout, not happy.

Although Dave Hughes started the bottom 8th by striking out the Duke, the Raccoons quickly developed a threat on Quebell’s walk and the following single by Pruitt, hitting for Martinez. Quebell went to third aggressively, was safe, and Pruitt pulled up to second as Quebell drew the throw from Ricardo Garcia. We got the lead on a wild pitch, but while walks to De La Parra and Nomura loaded the bases, Trevino and Castro balked out of the chance with pathetic outs. But at least we were up 4-3 and could send Angel to do away with the Aces. Again, a batter reached base, but Casas soon ended the game with a strikeout to Sandy Sambrano. 4-3 Critters. Alston 2-4; Black 2-4, 2B; Pruitt (PH) 1-1; Howell 2-3; Brown 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K and 2-3, SB;

Tom Dahlke ties for the league lead in home runs with three. Hmz.

Game 2
LVA: 1B McDermott – C Durango – CF Cameron – RF R. Garcia – LF L. Taylor – SS Dahlke – 3B F. Soto – 2B H. Jones – P Young
POR: CF Castro – 2B Correa – LF Alston – RF Black – 1B Quebell – C De La Parra – SS Howell – 3B M. Gutierrez – P Umberger

Something was wrong with Jong-hoo. The first four Aces all reached base on a single by McDermott, who got thrown out stealing, walks to Eduardo Durango and Don Cameron, and then a Garcia single. Logan Taylor hit a huge fly to center, that came down just at the edge of the warning track for a sac fly, and Howell somehow played Dahlke’s quick bouncer into the third out to avoid major damage, but something was WAY off here.

Young sported impressive black sideburns, but not many pitching credentials and got burned for two runs in the bottom 1st, which the Aces reclaimed in the third on Ron Alston having a ball dropping out of his glove. Instead of the third out, an error was logged and Durango and Cameron scored from third and second, respectively. Earlier in the inning, Umberger had struck out Sean McDermott for his first K after 11 innings of work. He then struck out the 7-8-9 batters in order in the fourth, which was only a brief respite before his complete implosion in the fifth inning in which the Aces never stopped hitting him for three runs and a 6-2 lead. The Raccoons completely stopped getting on base along with Umberger’s timely departure. The daily rain delay took place in the eighth inning, after which the Aces took apart John Richardson for two runs. 8-3 Aces. Castro 2-4; Alston 3-4, 2B, RBI; Cash 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K;

This was not a wicked game. This was just an awful game.

Game 3
LVA: 1B McDermott – C Durango – CF Cameron – RF R. Garcia – LF L. Taylor – SS Dahlke – 3B F. Soto – 2B H. Jones – P Bowden
POR: CF Castro – 3B Correa – RF Alston – 1B Quebell – LF Pruitt – 2B Nomura – SS Howell – C Esquivel – P Cruz

The Aces kept going with Cameron drawing a 2-out walk in the first, bringing up Ricardo Garcia and a 2-run homer for instant frustration. They added a third run in the third inning, while the Raccoons were glaring bleakly. The 27-year old Bowden, who hadn’t started a game at the major league level at all in 2008, was completely befuddling the Critters, who couldn’t get their heads out of the cavity beneath their tails. While Cruz wasn’t all that bad for himself, the rest of the team certainly was and they weren’t a threat until Tomas Castro suddenly hit a gapper with two outs in the bottom 7th that scored Esquivel (who had reached on a bloop single) and brought the score to 3-1. Correa fouled out to waste the scoring chance, just before the daily shower moved in. Cruz was chased by Bob Bowden’s leadoff single on a 1-2 pitch in the eighth rather than actual nature, and Bryan barely kept the runner on base. When Alston hit a leadoff single in the bottom 8th, the tying run came to the plate and we were looking for a clever spot to insert the Duke on his off day, although probably not before the Aces would send a left-handed reliever. They didn’t, not even after Pruitt’s single, with Yoshi coming up. Granted, he was not the most fearsome batter, but he ripped a double just fair to deep left that plated both Alston and Pruitt and tied the game at three. Bowden was still in there, and the .167 Howell was begging to be batted for with a runner in scoring position. The Duke of Smack fell to two strikes before upping the score by two runs with a no-doubt-at-all home run to left. In good tradition, Angel pitched with the leadoff man on base in the ninth inning, but pulled through before the weather could drown the attendance. 5-3 Furballs! Alston 2-4; Pruitt 2-4; Black (PH) 1-1, HR, 2 RBI; Cruz 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K;

I admit, emotionally I had this one in the loss column by the third inning. But you can’t beat the Duke! Not even on his off day.

Raccoons (6-2) vs. Titans (8-1) – April 16-19, 2009

The Titans tied the Crusaders for the division lead with identical 8-1 records, while the Raccoons were third, 1.5 games out. They were second in runs scored (POR: sixth) and led the CL in the least runs allowed, with one less run over the plate against them as against the Raccoons. Their rotation had put up a league-dominating 2.10 ERA so far, but their pen, when even needed, had been shaky with a mark more than twice that.

Projected matchups:
Colin Baldwin (0-0, 4.50 ERA) vs. Ray Conner (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Greg Grams (1-0, 2.70 ERA) vs. Jorge Chapa (1-0, 2.57 ERA)
Nick Brown (1-0, 1.54 ERA) vs. Jesus Cabrera (1-0, 1.32 ERA)
Jong-hoo Umberger (1-1, 2.70 ERA) vs. Jesus Elmore (2-0, 3.18 ERA)

We get two left-handers first, then two right-handers later in this series. I was still trying to give everybody a day off in this first longer set of games, and so far Alston, Quebell, and Correa had played every game. The two left-handers up front offered a chance to sit them in shifts, first Alston, then Quebell on Friday, and Correa on Saturday against the right-hander.

Game 1
BOS: CF J. Gusmán – SS Sato – C Suda – LF Hayashi – 2B Higashi – 3B M. Austin – RF Britton – 1B M. Berry – P Conner
POR: LF Castro – 2B Correa – 1B Quebell – RF Black – C De La Parra – 3B R. Martinez – CF Trevino – SS Howell – P Baldwin

Nobody could remember seeing four Japanese batters in order in a lineup before, but the Titans fielded them from the #2 through #5 slots on Thursday. The entire Titans lineup hit singles with little effort against Baldwin in the early innings, leading to two early runs, while the Raccoons’ order continued to not do much at all against Ray Conner. Their first chance only came up when Conner encountered a sudden bout of wildness in the fifth inning, issuing three walks, including one to Black with the bases loaded and two outs. De La Parra then quickly flew out to left where Tokimune Hayashi, an international free agent, didn’t have to move more than two feet to catch the ball. Baldwin went seven, allowing a solo homer to Mark Berry for three runs total in this mediocre outing, while the Raccoons continued to tread water until Matt Pruitt scored on Jose Correa’s 1-out double in the bottom of the inning. That brought the tying run into scoring position with the biggest bats next, and Quebell promptly homered after making nothing but poor outs for a week, flipping the score in the Coons’ favor, 4-3. Bruno pitched a quick eighth, and Hayashi was injured in the bottom of the inning, catching a Trevino fly. With Angel Casas having pitched three of the last four days and his history of getting hurt in April, AND three left-handers up in the top 9th, Donald Sims was assigned the inning. He struck out Gerardo Rios and got a pop from Apasyu Britton before the Titans threw right-handers at him. He walked Julio Silva, with Luis Alonso next. He dumped a clunker that couldn’t be played by anybody between third and home, and two Titans were on after the infield single. The Titans did NOT hit for Javier Gusmán, leaving Law Rockburn in the pen, but Sims really had to get him. Howell had his 2-2 pop. 4-3 Raccoons. Quebell 2-3, BB, HR, 2 RBI; Baldwin 7.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, W (1-0);

Game 2
BOS: CF J. Gusmán – 3B M. Austin – C Suda – RF G. Rios – LF Britton – 1B M. Berry – 2B Sato – SS D. Silva – P Chapa
POR: CF Castro – 2B Correa – LF Alston – RF Black – C De La Parra – 1B Pruitt – 3B R. Martinez – SS Howell – P Grams

Black put the Coons up 1-0 with a sac fly in the bottom 1st, but Grams was wildly adrift from the start. A double play saved him in the first, we pitched around Daniel Silva to somehow get the third out from Chapa in the second, and in the third he had the bags full with one out when Britton bounced one right into his glove to get a force out at home. All that dumb luck had to run out at some point, and it did in the most horrendous manner. Just when the Raccoons left Castro dying at third base in the fifth inning, Grams shoveled himself another hole in the top 6th. Silva was walked intentionally for the second time in the game to get to Chapa with two outs, and Chapa lined a fat pitch into the gap to score two runs and give the Titans – and himself – the lead. He sure didn’t hold it for long, though: the Duke led off the bottom 6th with a homer, knotting the score at two. With one out in the top 7th, Grams put Suda on with a single, and when we sent Bryan to deal with left-handers, the Titans threw right-handed pinch-hitters at him, who of course all reached. Rockburn had to pitch to Luis Alonso with the sacks full and still only one out, struck him out, then got a groundout to Howell from Kunimatsu Sato to end the inning. When Howell hit a double to start the bottom 7th, Rockburn’s bunt was crap enough to get Howell tagged out, and then Castro hit into a double play. Against Manuel Martinez in the bottom 8th we loaded the bags in hitless fashion with two walks and Nomura taking one to the ribs, putting up Martinez with two out and batting .179. Quebell was still on the bench, and this was as good a spot as any. Quebell came in, the count ran full, and Quebell drew a walk to break the tie! We couldn’t hit for Howell, who grounded out. Again it was a 1-run lead for Angel Casas, who had “Quasimodo” Suda, Jim Brulhart, and Takahashi Higashi on his plate. Suda grounded out on 3-1, Brulhart popped out at 0-2, and Higashi went down blinking. 3-2 Furballs. Martinez 2-3; Rockburn 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, W (1-0);

Between the top 8th and top 9th, seven of the nine defensive positions changed occupation for the Raccoons in this game, as Trevino, Nomura, Quebell, and Esquivel entered the game, and a few guys moved positions, plus a new pitcher. Only the Duke and Howell remained at their spots.

Game 3
BOS: CF J. Gusmán – SS Sato – C Suda – RF G. Rios – LF Brulhart – 2B Higashi – 3B M. Austin – 1B M. Berry – P Cabrera
POR: CF Castro – 1B Quebell – LF Alston – RF Black – 3B R. Martinez – 2B Nomura – SS Howell – C Esquivel – P Brown

Full count walks would be the bane of Brownie in this start. He issued four of those in the first three innings, casually shooting his pitch count to almost 80, and also walked in a run in the third inning. By then the Raccoons had lost Tomas Castro to injury and had displayed much agony at the plate. Oh, and the rain came in the fourth inning today, forcing a 70-minute delay, and got Brown out of the game after … four innings. It was outrageous.

The Raccoons had to at least get him off the hook, and they had Alston and Black on first and second with no outs during the delay. Three ****ty outs later, John Richardson took over on the mound, almost was blown up by Jim Brulhart, and then became the second reliever in two days to be unable to lay down a bunt without getting the man on base killed off. With Trevino playing for Castro in the leadoff spot, no prizes could be won, either, and the entire lineups’ rank ineptitude was baffling. Mark Berry eventually homered off Richardson to put the Titans ahead 2-0. A Martinez double went unexploited in the sixth, and in the seventh Pruitt hit a 2-out triple. Trevino walked, deferring the matter to Quebell, who took a few wild hacks before happening to meet a ball. He drilled that one almost 450 feet, however, and the score was flipped in the Critters’ favor, 3-2.

We had entered the wicked phase of the game. Marcos Bruno came out, struck out Suda and Rios, then walked Brulhart and Higashi. What the heck was it NOW!? Off Bruno and Bryan, the Titans would then hit four consecutive RBI singles to completely kill off the will to live in at least one GM in attendance. The Raccoons had the tying run at the plate in the eighth, but – ugh… 6-3 Titans. Martinez 2-4, 2B; Pruitt (PH) 1-1, 3B;

What the heck is wrong with this offense … and what the ****ing **** is wrong with Marcos Bruno …!!??

Meanwhile Tomas Castro had some mild back spasms and was listed as DTD for two days. Since he wasn’t hitting the ball anyway, we could just leave him on the bench for Trevino, who wasn’t hitting the ball either.

Or maybe we wouldn’t play at all. The despicable Portland April that had cut short all of Brownie’s starts and had messed with a bunch of other games on this homestand completely went to **** on Sunday, drowning the city in a torrent storm. Baseball could not be played, our matchup with the Titans was postponed and rescheduled as a double header for August 21, the next time they’re in town. This will be in the middle of a 6-day homestand with the Miners coming in first, with a 3-game set in New York following the Titans series before another off day.

In other news

April 6 – The Federal League’s great season opener between the Stars and Gold Sox takes five minutes to get ugly, with the Stars hitting a couple of extra base hits off DEN Antonio Donis, who then drills DAL Hector Garcia in the shoulder. Garcia storms to the mound swinging his bat, and both are ejected and suspended for three games.
April 15 – VAN 1B Tony Ramos (.286, 0 HR, 3 RBI in 7 AB) has a 22-game hitting streak dating back to 2008 snapped by the Condors.
April 15 – LAP SP Raúl Fuentes (1-0, 4.80 ERA) 3-hits the Miners in a 1-0 Pacifics win.
April 17 – NYC RF/LF Stanton “Clockwork” Martin (.476, 6 HR, 18 RBI) ravages the Loggers all by himself in an 8-2 Crusaders win, nailing five base hits with two homers, a double, and 5 RBI. He takes over the lead in all CL triple crown categories with this performance.
April 17 – A mild hamstring strain will keep CIN RF/LF/1B Will Bailey (.280, 2 HR, 7 RBI) off the field for two weeks.

Complaints and stuff

The Duke was The Man in Opening Week, batting .526 with 2 HR and 8 RBI to be chosen as the CL’s foremost hero.

De La Parra sucks, Howell sucks, Trevino sucks, Martinez sucks, Esquivel sucks, Bruno sucks, Baldwin sucks, Bryan sucks, the entire lineup sucks, the weather sucks, and we still don’t get proper bratwurst done at the park, which sucks. Outside of Black and a bit of Alston and Correa the entire lineup is dead.

You should stock up on Rob Howell merchandise now, since I have a hunch we won't sell that for very long.

The funny Elks sent a trade proposal on the 14th, offering Gary Rice for Nick Brown and Law Rockburn. I had a good laugh.

Randy Farley, now 35, spun a 5-hitter in his first game of the season, beating the Gold Sox in a Capitals uni.