[Westheim]

Raccoons (47-34) @ Loggers (32-48) – July 7-10, 2014

The Loggers had successfully made it back into last place in the North, their usual place of dwelling, and were on another cold streak as the Raccoons were coming in for the road leg of their annual four-and-four at the Break. The Loggers still scored plenty more runs than the Critters, ranking eighth in the league, but their pitching was in the bottom three, with the rotation running a 5.16 ERA that was dead last in the CL. The Raccoons had so far gone 2-1 against the Loggers.

Projected matchups:
Hector Santos (9-3, 2.04 ERA) vs. Brian Patrick (6-7, 5.54 ERA)
Daniel Dickerson (3-2, 4.03 ERA) vs. Gabriel Caro (10-4, 4.09 ERA)
Jonathan Toner (7-5, 2.96 ERA) vs. Adam Euteneuer (2-11, 5.96 ERA)
Bill Conway (5-3, 2.53 ERA) vs. Bruce Morrison (5-10, 5.17 ERA)

That’s a full set of right-handed starting pitchers.

Game 1
POR: CF Carmona – 2B Sambrano – 3B Nunley – RF Bednarski – LF Richards – 1B Quebell – C Alexander – SS Taylor – P Santos
MIL: 2B J.J. Rodriguez – LF Knowling – RF Dally – 1B M. Rucker – CF Enriquez – 3B D. Jones – SS O. Sandoval – C Leach – P Patrick

Mike Rucker was in a prominent spot on the CL home run leaderboard with 16 shots, but in the first inning it was Zach Knowling to get ALL of a Hector Santos pitch and mash it for an early 1-0 lead. The lead didn’t last, mainly because Patrick was out of control. He walked three before the Coons got a hit, but when they got that hit, a Nunley single in the third inning that sent Sandy Sambrano to third base with two outs, things started to roll. Patrick lost Bednarski on four pitches, then conceded a 2-run single to Ron Richards, but Bednarski was thrown out by Dally at third base on the play, ending the inning.

Something about Hector Santos was not right, though. He had no strikeouts the first time through, and the velocity was down a bit. The Loggers got 2-out singles by Victor Enriquez and Dan Jones in the fourth, but Oscar Sandoval left them stranded when he whiffed, and while Foster Leach grounded out to start the bottom 5th, there was something noticeably off about his landing. Ivan the Druid inquired, along with the pitching coach, and ultimately Santos admitted to his right heel being on fire – so bad was the pain. Not keen on breaking one of our young stars, Santos was removed from the 2-1 game, nixing a chance at his 10th win of the season. Chris Mathis was sent in to hopefully cover some distance (and appeared along with Merritt in a double switch), and he had yet to allow a run in nine innings this year. Knowling made him, knocking a leadoff jack in the bottom 6th, his second of the day.

And not only was Patrick still pitching in the seventh inning with impunity despite having already walked six, no, the day got worse. Jon Merritt hit a 1-out double in the top of the seventh, but slid hard into second base and got a knock on the chest. He was also removed from the game, with Sandy now sliding over to third base and Bergquist entering at second. Sandy would hit a 2-out triple to plate Bergquist, the go-ahead run was in, 3-2. Zack Entwistle then made his first appearance for the Critters after Seeley had hit for Mathis, resulting in a K and Sandy stranded at third base. Entwistle’s inning was perfect, with 2 K hung on Sandoval and Leach. The ninth saw Sandoval drop a double play grounder by Bergquist, and while Carmona rolled to Rucker for the first out of the inning (and his fifth on the day), Sandy came through again, this time with a 2-out single to center. Although Bednarski drove in another run, and the game was out of save range, Angel Casas still pitched the bottom 9th. He hadn’t been out in a few days, and there was not really anybody else available. The Loggers went down in order. 6-2 Raccoons. Sambrano 2-3, 2 BB, 3B, 3 RBI; Howell (PH) 1-1; Richards 2-4, BB, 2 RBI; Merritt 1-1, 2B;

Now, everybody exhale. Ivan the Druid did his best, and despite that, no one died. Jon Merritt had a strained rib cage muscle, and Hector Santos had a sore heel, but neither injury was serious. They were listed as DTD. Hector Santos may or may not miss his last start before the All Star Game, we’ll have to see about that.

Bednarski had not gotten a day off last week, which was rectified in the next game. Also, Danny Margolis would make his major league debut, paired with the veteran Dickerson, who was old enough to call his own game and not be confused by the greenhorn that was almost 15 years his junior. We also determined that Jon Merritt was available for pinch-hitting if push came to shove, but would not go into the field.

Game 2
POR: CF Carmona – LF Sambrano – 3B Nunley – RF Richards – 1B Quebell – 2B Bergquist – SS Taylor – C Margolis – P Dickerson
MIL: 2B J.J. Rodriguez – LF Knowling – RF Dally – 1B M. Rucker – CF Enriquez – 3B D. Jones – SS O. Sandoval – C Leach – P Caro

The Raccoons had four singles in the first inning, but scored only when Carmona came home on Nunley’s sac fly. Foster Leach’s RBI double in the bottom 2nd got the Loggers back even, but Nunley shrugged and just drilled a homer in the third to get the Critters back into the lead. While the Raccoons would otherwise hit plenty of singles, they also left plenty of men on. Through five, they had nine hits to their two runs. The Loggers hit into double plays twice and stranded a run at third base to help Dickerson maintain balance before Carmona added a run with his third homer of the season in the top 7th, and his second in three days. Dickerson made it through eight on the power of another double play, nicely started by Nunley. His spot was up leading off the ninth, so he was hit for right there (and the lead was only 3-1, AND there were three lefties up in the bottom 9th). Cookie and Sandy got on in the ninth, but were stranded, and given what was looming in the bottom of the inning, Thrasher got the save opportunity. He struck out Knowling and Dally before he lost Rucker in a full count. Victor Enriquez catapulted an 0-1 pitch to deep right, but Richards made the play on the track. 3-1 Raccoons! Carmona 3-5, HR, RBI; Sambrano 2-5; Nunley 2-4, HR, 2 RBI; Richards 2-5; Quebell 2-4; Dickerson 8.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, W (4-2) and 1-3;

Danny Margolis’ debut was rough, to put it mildly. He grounded out his first time up, and then struck out, struck out, and … struck out. Caro rung up eight, so he was not alone, but … yuck. Only Dickerson was handed multiple K’s outside of Margolis.

The Furballs had 13 hits in total, including two homers, and they still only scored three runs. Oy.

Game 3
POR: CF Carmona – SS Howell – 3B Nunley – RF Bednarski – LF Richards – 1B Quebell – 2B Bergquist – C Alexander – P Toner
MIL: SS O. Sandoval – LF Knowling – 1B M. Rucker – 3B D. Jones – 2B Roncero – RF Hodgers – CF Gilmor – C Leach – P Euteneuer

Cookie singled, was caught stealing, but the Coons still scored in the first inning on a Nunley double and Bednarski single. Richards actually doubled, too, but Quebell struck out to leave two in scoring position. Four hits, one run, again. But Euteneuer was bleeding already, and there would come more runs onto the board quickly. Rob Howell had a 2-out, 2-run double in the second inning, then was thrown out at home on Nunley’s single, but Bednarski opened the third with a homer, 4-0. Cookie led off the fourth with a ringing double to left, his third hit on the day, but then waved for the trainer after standing up at second base. Ivan the Druid trudged out, listened, nodded, then shrugged, and returned to the dugout with Cookie in tow, never taking his hands out of his pockets. Seeley replaced Cookie...

The run would score, since Matt Nunley also made it to 3-for-3, and he socked a colossal homer to center. That made it 6-0 in favor of Toner, who had been perfect the first time through the order, whiffing five. Nunley’s run ended in his fourth appearance, coming against long man Troy Charters, who had order restored after Euteneuer’s four horrible innings, but Toner kept motoring, putting away the entire Loggers order the second time through again, K’ing four this time. Bottom 7th, Oscar Sandoval and Zach Knowling both hit choppers back to Toner for easy outs, while Mike Rucker went down with a huge swing nowhere near the pitch.

All things must end, however. For Charters, he buckled in his fourth inning, with Nunley driving home a run with a single, 7-0. For Toner, he smacked Dan Jones with an 0-2 pitch. The runner would be erased when Silvestro Roncero grounded to Bergquist for a double play, and Victor Hodgers also went there for the 24th out. But since the Jones at-bat, the rhythm was gone. Toner came out for the ninth, didn’t find the plate, and walked Nick Gilmor on four pitches. The pitching coach went out to try to work some magic with a verbally induced mental adjustment. It didn’t help. Foster Leach hit the ****tiest blooper into left, and Ron Richards wasn’t going to get that. Leach had a double, but Richards at least killed off Gilmor, who tried to score. Enriquez grounded out to short, and Sandoval popped out as Toner completed the most bitter one-hitter. 7-0 Raccoons. Carmona 3-3, 2B; Nunley 4-5, HR, 2B, 3 RBI; Bednarski 2-4, BB, 2 RBI; Quebell 2-5; Toner 9.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K, W (8-5);

Well, that was the third shutout for Toner, not only in his career, but also in 34 days.

I still have crying to do, though. And it doesn’t relate to Cookie Carmona, who had a tweak in his back, but it was reportedly minor (though, never trust a guy that makes a more sane impression when stoned). He was the third guy on the roster listed as day-to-day. We might not start him (and not play him) for the last four games before the All Star break. He should be good afterwards, and there was no need to do additional damage.

Game 4
POR: 2B Sambrano – SS Howell – 3B Nunley – RF Bednarski – LF Richards – 1B Quebell – C Alexander – CF Seeley – P Conway
MIL: 2B J.J. Rodriguez – LF Knowling – RF Dally – 1B M. Rucker – 3B D. Jones – SS O. Sandoval – CF Hodgers – C O. Castillo – P B. Morrison

Nunley came close to a homer in the first inning, but was denied even a modest double by Dally against the wall. Conway was tasked with securing a sweep here, struck out the side in the first, and to the horror of the home crowd developed his own no-hit bid. Orlando Castillo, in his second major league game, walked in the third, Mike Rucker walked in the fifth, but the Loggers couldn’t buy a hit. But the Coons weren’t that much better, landing two hits in the first five innings, but that was not enough to push something across against Bruce Morrison. Hitting into double plays in the fifth and sixth didn’t help, either. In the event, the no-hit bid was not to be foiled by any batter – but by the weather. It started to rain in the bottom of the sixth inning, and the rain quickly got heavy. The game went into delay, never to emerge from that again.

The league frustrated everybody by postponing the game into SEPTEMBER, scheduling completion for the 12th, the beginning of our last road trip to Milwaukee. The two 4-game sets in between will take place in Portland.

Raccoons (50-34) @ Titans (39-48) – July 11-13, 2014

The Titans were ninth in runs scored and fourth in runs allowed, and they also had the best bullpen in the Continental League, but somehow it just wasn’t working out for them, wasn’t it? Well, except when they played the Raccoons, whom they were 5-4 against this year.

Projected matchups:
Nick Brown (8-4, 2.69 ERA) vs. Melvin Andrade (3-8, 5.56 ERA)
Hector Santos (9-3, 2.04 ERA) vs. Paul Kirkland (4-4, 3.17 ERA)
Daniel Dickerson (4-2, 3.68 ERA) vs. Toshiro Uenohara (4-5, 3.97 ERA)

Kirkland would have opened the series, but he had a sore elbow and was flipped with Andrade, who had to go on short rest. If Kirkland would be unable to go on Saturday, the Titans would have to send all three starters on short rest, or get someone from AAA. Anyway, so far all their starters remain right-handers.

Game 1
POR: 1B Sambrano – SS Howell – 3B Nunley – RF Bednarski – LF Richards – C Alexander – 2B Bergquist – CF Seeley – P Brown
BOS: SS M. Rivera – 2B J. Gutierrez – LF E. Clark – 1B T. Ramos – RF R. Lopez – C T. Robinson – 3B Rentz – CF Thurman – P Andrade

Brownie had not won any of his last six games, and while run support was an issue, there was also the bigger context of age showing, and we weren’t talking about slight wrinkles. But he had beaten the Titans on Opening Day, and maybe he could channel that experience and get back onto the winning track.

Sandy drew a leadoff walk to start the game, but Rob Howell was right there with the double play. A run came on the board in the second, however, with Ron Richards doubling and scoring on Bergquist’s single to left that barely escaped Mike Rivera. Brown sat down the first six, including three strikeouts, which put him at 100 K for the season – and he was only the third Raccoon to get there in 2014! (gasp!)

The strong early impression for Nick Brown wildly didn’t last, and the Titans blew him up in the fourth inning, rapping four consecutive doubles (Earl Clark, Tony Ramos, Rodrigo Lopez, Tim Robinson), and Brown also issued a walk before Andrade grounded into an inning-ending double play. For the longest time, the Raccoons offense did NOTHING, before Nunley hit a leadoff double into the rightfield corner in the sixth inning. Bednarski singled, putting the tying runs on the corners with nobody out and giving Ron Richards a chance to make an impression as to whether that trade might end up being worth it. While I was hoping for a 3-run homer, Richards’ actual single to center was still scoring a run, 3-2, and the go-ahead run was on, but of course Dylan Alexander struck out. Bergquist singled, loading them up, and then Seeley, after two ugly hackouts, lined a soft single to center, too, tying the game. While the pen was rested, the bench was short, and what was on there and healthy was not exciting – Quebell would be a DEFINITE double play. So Brown batted for himself, grounded into a force at home, and Sandy lined out to right, keeping the game tied and three men stranded. THE OFFENSE.

Brown pitched another inning, which was messy, then was done after 99 pitches, receiving another no-decision. He had walked four in six innings. Sugano replaced him, but allowed a single to Jose Gutierrez and walked Earl Clark in the bottom 7th. Tony Ramos struck out before Zack Entwistle came out with two on and two out, facing Lopez, who would ground a 2-1 pitch hard to left, Nunley with a sliding grab, jumping up and firing to first in one motion, but the throw was bad, bouncing 15 feet from Sandy Sambrano, who swiped desperately – and contained it! Inning over! And it still didn’t help. The offense remained agonizing, and the Titans chained together doubles once more, by Zachary Thurman (off Entwistle) and Xavier Williams (off Thrasher) to score a 2-out run in the bottom 8th. Tommy Wooldridge sawed off the Raccoons in a hurry in the ninth. 4-3 Titans. Richards 3-4, 2B, RBI; Bergquist 3-4, RBI;

Well, that was awful.

Game 2
POR: CF Sambrano – SS Taylor – 3B Nunley – RF Bednarski – LF Richards – 1B Quebell – 2B Bergquist – C Margolis – P Santos
BOS: SS M. Rivera – 2B J. Gutierrez – LF E. Clark – 1B T. Ramos – RF R. Lopez – C Porter – 3B Rentz – CF Thurman – P Kirkland

The Raccoons stole three bases in the first inning and scored zero runs. Sandy and Taylor both walked, with Sandy stealing one right away, and then they stole a pair in tandem, and it just wasn’t enough, was it? Nunley popped out, Bednarski struck out, Richards flew out. Quebell doubled to start the second, and Margolis hit his first career base hit, a single, putting runners on the corners. Sandy came up with two outs and singled to right for a 1-0 lead. Ron Richards’ first Coons homer followed in the third inning, but then came with nobody on base. A bad bunt by Santos cost a run in the fourth as he got Margolis forced out. Sambrano doubled with two outs, but Santos had to hold at third, and Taylor flew out easily to Lopez.

All that ****ing up of course had to come back to bite the team with a whipping sound. Santos was still up 2-0, running a 1-hitter through three, but walked Jose Gutierrez to start the fourth. That didn’t seem bad, but soon a balk and a single by Earl Clark created a sticky spot, and once Tony Ramos hit an RBI double, Portland was in trouble. Santos had gone to junk from one inning to the next, and the Titans continued to swing away. Tommy Rentz would hit a go-ahead RBI single, Zachary Thurman doubled and hurt himself, being replaced by Xavier Williams, but then Santos couldn’t even remove Kirkland, who hit a 2-out, 2-run single. Santos threw a wild pitch to Rivera, who then hit an RBI single. That made it 6-2 for the Titans, and that was it all for Hector Santos, the former ERA leader in the Continental League – that was over. The Raccoons were completely shell shocked and stopped stranding runners because they stopped to get on base, at least until Bednarski wonked a homer in the eighth. That only got the Coons to 6-3, however. Then Margolis started the top 9th with a single off Ricardo Rocha, which was enough of a straw to send Carmona to bat for Chris Mathis, but he popped out. Sandy singled, bringing up the tying run … Taylor. At least he countered the righty Rocha, grounded between the mound and first base, Rocha and Ramos got into another’s way and Rocha threw the ball past the hustling Gutierrez for a 2-base error. One run was in, and the tying runs in scoring position with one out for the ****ing middle of the order, three-through-six batting a combined 3-for-15 on the day. Nunley walked, which was not necessarily a good outcome, and Bednarski hit into a double play on a 3-1 pitch. 6-4 Titans. Sambrano 3-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Margolis 3-4; Constantino 2.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K;

Bill Conway, our glorious #5 starter, now leads the CL in ERA, by the way.

So much crying to do, so much crying.

Game 3
POR: 2B Sambrano – SS Taylor – 3B Nunley – RF Bednarski – LF Richards – 1B Merritt – C Alexander – CF Seeley – P Dickerson
BOS: SS M. Rivera – 2B J. Gutierrez – LF E. Clark – 1B T. Ramos – C T. Robinson – RF R. Lopez – CF X. Williams – 3B Rentz – P Uenohara

There had been a big inning on Saturday, there was a big inning on Sunday, and again it was not the Coons’. Of course it wasn’t. Dickerson was hittable right out of the gate, and it wasn’t just your a single here, a single there. No, the hits were hard, and he sprinkled in a few walks as well. The Titans scored a run in the first inning, then blew him wide open right in the second. When Earl Clark hit a 2-out, 2-run homer, that ran the score to 6-0, and the Raccoons and their ****ing inept approach at the plate were already swept. Dickerson lingered into the fourth until Gutierrez loaded him with a seventh run on a 2-out single (after a wild pitch, his second on the day). By the sixth, the clueless Critters had hit into three double plays, while not getting even close to scoring. The Titans didn’t really stop scoring… they put two on Mathis in the sixth, ravaging him for four hits, most of them hard. Thrasher allowed a run in the seventh, but the road team never gave as much as a squeal. 10-0 Titans. Bergquist 1-1;

Okay, that Richards trade was stupid. Should have stated selling instead.

Also, that ***hole Rivera took off in a 9-0 game here. Thrasher walked the batter on the fifth pitch, but still. That ***hole dare come to Portland…!

In other news

July 7 – TOP SP Juan Ortega (6-8, 4.21 ERA) comes through, blanking the Capitals on two hits in a 1-0 shutout.
July 9 – A fractured thumb will put NAS 3B/1B Antonio Esquivel (.322, 11 HR, 54 RBI) on the shelf for the rest of the month at least.
July 9 – The Buffaloes have only one hit in regulation against the Capitals, but walk off on Jimmy Roberts’ homer in the bottom of the 10th, beating Washington 1-0.
July 10 – The Capitals acquire SP Brian Benjamin (6-8, 4.50 ERA) from the Wolves, sending over two prospects.
July 12 – SFW SP Tony Hamlyn (11-3, 2.91 ERA) had a chance to break the career strikeout record held by MIL Martin Garcia in his start against the Stars, but suffered a tweaked oblique early in the game and remains seven strikeouts short.
July 12 – The Blue Sox pick up SP J.J. Wirth (8-5, 4.51 ERA) from the Pacifics for 3B Felipe Flores (1-for-5, 0 HR, 3 RBI) and #28 prospect OF/1B Jon Correa.
July 13 – A new 20-game hitting streak is born in time for the All Star Game, as OCT INF Emilio Farias (.379, 1 HR, 31 RBI) has connected in as many games with a single in the Thunder’s win over the Falcons.
July 13 – The Bayhawks shell out three prospects to get CL Salvadaro Soure (2-3, 3.00 ERA, 19 SV) from the Stars. Soure already was with the Bayhawks from 2002 through 2008.

Complaints and stuff

First and foremost, **** Foster Leach. Just **** him. I hate him. **** him.

Phew. I needed that out of my system.

After Toner’s shutout and Brown at least surviving for a nominal quality start, the Raccoons didn’t have the top three pitchers in ERA in the Continental League anymore – they had the TOP FOUR. Santos (2.04), Conway (2.38), Toner (2.72), Brown (2.78), all ahead of VAN Sam McMullen (2.81). (Of course this was before the Saturday massacre) Nobody else in the CL was under three. And all the while the Crusaders are moving further away.

Are the Pacifics selling? They have some juicy players on that roster.

D-Alex actually did win the fan voting for catchers for the All Star game. There is no justice. Cookie finished second among centerfielders, and Brownie, Santos, and Casas all made the top 5 in their pitching categories. No love for Toner. No justice. At least Toner made the All Star game (along with Brownie and Santos, as well as Dork-lex), but Carmona was left out. No justice at all. YOU WANT JUSTICE?? SEEK IT ELSEWHERE!!

Josh Gibson went unclaimed and arrived in St. Petersburg on Wednesday. He’s been fairly useful the last few years, but this year… hnnggh. Maybe he can recollect himself. Still not bad for a position player drafted in the eighth round.