[Westheim]

Butch Gerster was sent back to the minors without having done much since replacing Ramos on the roster. The Raccoons needed the add-on catcher as they did NOT disable Brett O'Dell. Jake Burrows was brought back up. He had an .876 OPS in St. Petersburg, but so far this had not translated at all into success in the majors…

Raccoons (69-54) vs. Indians (49-72) – August 25-27, 2026

Worst batting average, fewest runs scored, and despite a torpid .405 winning percentage not yet a triple-digit negative run differential. Well, almost; -99 was right there. The Raccoons would try to win some more from the Indians, who they had beaten eight out of twelve times so far this year. This required them to beat up on league-average pitching, so everybody was rightfully concerned…

Projected matchups:
Rin Nomura (4-4, 3.36 ERA) vs. John McInerney (7-11, 3.27 ERA)
Rico Gutierrez (12-4, 3.53 ERA) vs. Mo Robinson (4-10, 3.79 ERA)
Mark Roberts (11-8, 2.96 ERA) vs. Chris Munroe (6-6, 4.34 ERA)

Left-right-right on the menu here, it seems. There were two more southpaws currently not up for offerings, including the elusive Tom Shumway (10-13, 3.15 ERA).

Game 1
IND: 2B DeMedio – RF Duarte – SS Pizano – 3B Ju. Jackson – 1B Good – LF Loya – C R. Vargas – CF Linnell – P McInerney
POR: 2B Spencer – SS Stalker – 1B Harenberg – CF Jamieson – RF Kopp – C Tovias – LF Gerace – 3B Bullock – P Nomura

Alex Duarte, once a Coons discard, would torture them forever, hitting a triple in the first inning before coming home on Mario Pizano's single for a 1-0 Indy lead, and while Duarte made a clumsy error in rightfield to put Spencer on base to begin the bottom 1st, the Coons expertly delivered a stinker right in the first inning. After a Harenberg double, runners were in scoring position for Jamieson, who popped out to Bobby DeMedio, and when Kopp walked Tovias found the bases loaded … and popped out to Bobby DeMedio. When Justin Gerace opened the second with a double in the gap, the Coons stranded him at second base. Meanwhile, Nomura was a royal mess, allowing two singles in the third inning, then issued 2-out walks to both Ricky Loya and Ricardo Vargas to force home a run for the Indians. Richard Linnell struck out to strand three there. Nomura's generally confused and disoriented pitching style had him out of the game by the sixth inning, a point at which the Coons had been retired for a dozen in a row, and Steve Costilow took over. At least somebody got rid of their infinite ERA by striking out Vargas to begin the sixth! In fact Costilow put up quite the show, striking out five Indians in two innings; if only the rest of the team would have ANYTHING to show for. Harenberg hit a single in the sixth that was not going to lead the Coons to salvation. Daniel Bullock even hit a single to right with two outs in the seventh… but Matt Nunley lined out to Matt Good when he pinch-hit for Costilow. Bottom 8th, maybe the first actual chance since the opening inning; Jarod Spencer hit a leadoff double up the leftfield line, and then McInerney walked Stalker. Harenberg put an 0-2 pitch in play, right into Pizano's fangs, and the Indians turned an easy 6-4-3 double play, and then Jamieson struck out. Bottom 9th, another shot for the winning run at the plate in this 2-0 depressant. Kopp singled, Tovias walked, and that brought up Gerace against Jose Fuentes, the right-hander with more walks than innings pitched! He popped up a 3-1 pitch for the initial out, and Abel Mora struck out pinch-hitting in the #8 hole. Nunley had stuck around after pinch-hitting earlier and now cracked a 3-2 pitch up the middle, past the middle infielders, and Kopp scored to put the Coons on the board and the tying run 90 feet away in Tovias! Spencer up, first pitch put in play to left, and through between Pizano and Justin Jackson – we're tied! Tim Stalker was hit to load the bases by new pitcher Mike Lake, and that meant Harenberg would get a good pitch to hit. He hit the 0-1 into shallow center, unreachable, and the Coons walked up after playing deader than dead all game long… 3-2 Blighters. Spencer 2-5, 2B, RBI; Harenberg 3-5, 2B, RBI; Nunley (PH) 1-2, RBI; Costilow 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K;

Even after this pitching display, Costilow's ERA is still 13.50 …

There was a change in assignments for the Indians, who moved Chris Munroe up into the middle game of the series. We would probably still get Mo Robinson, but now on Thursday.

Game 2
IND: 2B DeMedio – RF Duarte – SS Pizano – 3B Ju. Jackson – 1B Good – LF Loya – C R. Vargas – CF Metts – P Munroe
POR: 2B Spencer – CF Jamieson – 1B Harenberg – RF Kopp – 3B Nunley – C Tovias – LF Gerace – SS Stalker – P Gutierrez

The Arrowheads lost their cleanup man Justin Jackson in the first inning when he vividly argued strike three to end the inning with the home plate umpire. Tossed he was, replaced in the field by Joe Dale, who made his third major league appearance and was not very experienced at the hot corner. Top 2nd, the Indians loaded the bases on a full-count leadoff walk to Matt Good, then singles by Ricky Loya and Ricardo Vargas into shallow center. Rico reached back and struck out Dwayne Metts (.188 and falling), Munroe, and DeMedio in order to strand them all. He survived a 1-out triple by Pizano in the third inning as well, but not Ricky Loya's leadoff shot in the fourth that put Indy up 1-0. Munroe was still facing the minimum at this point despite two hits for the Coons in the early going. Spencer had singled in the first and had been doubled up on Jamieson's grounder, and Stalker had singled in the third and had been caught stealing.

The Coons reached not only second, but also third base in the bottom 5th for the first time – what a rush. Kopp singled to right, advanced on a groundout by Nunley, then was pinned when Tovias flew out to left. Gerace struck out, except that Vargas could not come up with the ball and Gerace reached on the uncaught third strike while Kopp made it to third base. They were stranded on the corners when Tim Stalker grounded out to Pizano. Gutierrez was toast after six thanks to exploding his pitch count early and was on the hook right until first dips after a leadoff single by Cookie, hitting in the #9 hole for him, in the bottom 6th. Spencer and Jamieson made outs before Harenberg hit a real moonshot, no doubt about it, to right-center, flipping the score just in time to put Rico in line for a W. The paper-thin 2-1 lead was then maintained by Ohl and Boles through the next two innings before Jarod Spencer's aggro base-running created a run in the bottom 8th to serve as insurance. He took an extra base on Jamieson's single going first to third, then went home on a close call when Harenberg flew out to Loya in left. He was safe twice to give Snyder a cushion. He struck out Metts, then allowed a single to Gary Kaczenski, who hit a ball so hard it went through the webbing in Tim Stalker's glove at short. Thankfully the ill-feeling mitten would not be tested again – Snyder finished the game on strikeouts. 3-1 Coons. Harenberg 1-3, HR, 3 RBI; Carmona (PH) 1-1; Gutierrez 6.0 IP, 8 H, 1 R; 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, W (13-4);

Everybody in the starting lineup except for Tovias and Rico had a base hit. Everybody had ONE base hit to be precise…

And no, the Indians pitchers are not that great. The Coons make them look like it.

Game 3
IND: 2B DeMedio – RF Duarte – SS Pizano – 3B Ju. Jackson – LF Loya – 1B Linnell – C Dale – CF Metts – P Mo Robinson
POR: 2B Spencer – CF Jamieson – 1B Harenberg – RF Kopp – 3B Nunley – C Tovias – LF Gerace – SS Stalker – P Roberts

The Indians scored first again, this time in gut-wrenching fashion with a 2-out walk issued to Joe Dale by Roberts in the second inning, then a Dwayne Metts single to left that send Dale all the way to third. Then he threw a wild pitch to Mo Robinson, WALKED him, and was lucky that Jamieson caught up with a Bobby DeMedio drive to end the inning when DeMedio was on 6 K in the series. Alex Duarte, another one of those nagging ex-Coons, robbed Tim Stalker in the gap to end the bottom 2nd when the Coons had Nunley and Gerace on base, and then the whacking of Roberts continued. Hard leadoff single by Duarte in the top 3rd, then a walk to Pizano. Jackson grounded out, advancing the runners on a strong play by Nunley, with Roberts following that good turn up with a 4-pitch walk to Loya, his fourth free pass in the game. Spencer then made an AMAZING flying grab on Linnell's line drive, and Dale struck out hacking to end the inning with three aboard.

After a slow start, the Raccoons used the power stroke again to take the lead in the fourth inning. Kevin Harenberg opened the inning with a hard single into rightfield, and then Terry Kopp lifted a blast over the rightfield fence, putting a hardly-deserving Roberts up 2-1. The inning continued with a Gerace double with two outs, prompting the Indians to bypass Stalker and get the third out from Roberts, which worked nicely for them. All this served to bring up Terry Kopp yet again in the fifth after a Spencer single and stolen base, then an intentional walk to Harenberg. Kopp pulled off the feat to homer in back-to-back innings when he fired a 3-spot into the stands in rightfield, extending the lead to 5-1, and roving reporter from NWSN soon found out that both blasts had landed in the same row, three seats apart, and had been caught by people of the same family. That blast also ended Mo Robinson's efforts for the day, while Roberts limped on a bit further, but got stuck in the seventh, losing Pizano to a 2-out single after a 9-pitch at-bat and that was it for him. Alvin Smith took over, walked Jackson, but got Loya to ground out to Nunley to end the inning. On to the bottom 8th, said Matt Nunley singled up the middle to get going, then was run for by Bullock. The Coons planned to send Costilow into the ninth, and every run was precious. The Coons soon filled the bags; Tovias hit an infield single, Gerace a proper manly single, and then Tim Stalker also pulled Pizano towards leftfield with a grounder that also became an infield single. At this point, Bullock finally scored. The Indians Manny Estrella wasn't getting an out, bleeding two more runs on a Mora single, then made room for David Galmore, who allowed an RBI single to Spencer. Galmore whiffed Jamieson, then gave up a run on Harenberg's sac fly. That gave Kopp another shot after hitting an F9 the last time up. He got a hit, but "only" a single to center. Bullock, the pinch-runner from a while ago, came up to bat, but flew out to Metts to end a 5-spot. Costilow ended the Indians in just three batters, though. 10-1 Coons! Spencer 3-5, RBI; Kopp 3-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI; Nunley 2-4, 2B; Gerace 2-3, BB, 2B; Mora (PH) 1-1, 2 RBI; Roberts 6.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, W (12-8);

Raccoons (72-54) vs. Aces (65-62) – August 28-30, 2026

Last set with Las Vegas this season, and the Aces had yet to win a game from the Coons, sitting down 0-6 in the season series. The Raccoons had never gone 9-0 on a CL South opponent, and had not even won seven from the Aces in 12 years. The Aces had rallied a bit from a terrible start to the season, they were fourth in runs scored, but they were also really cursed with some putrid pitching. They were conceding the second-most runs in the Continental League, and despite being slightly over .500 they were 54 runs below even. Both their rotation and their pen were in the bottom three in the league.

Projected matchups:
Kyle Anderson (9-6, 3.73 ERA) vs. Ed Hague (15-9, 4.00 ERA)
Dan Delgadillo (9-4, 2.64 ERA) vs. Joel Trotter (8-12, 5.26 ERA)
Rin Nomura (4-4, 3.26 ERA) vs. Samuel McMullen (7-10, 3.85 ERA)

Sam McMullen would be the only southpaw in this set, although they could also use Matt McCabe (5-6, 4.40 ERA), a third righty to push him out of the series.

Game 1
LVA: CF Serrano – RF Leija – 1B M. Hamilton – C T. Robinson – SS A. Medina – LF Raynor – 3B A. Velez – 2B Moroyoqui – P Hague
POR: 2B Spencer – CF Jamieson – 1B Harenberg – RF Kopp – 3B Nunley – SS Stalker – LF Carmona – C Burrows – P Anderson

While the former Crusader now in an Aces uniform no-hit the Coons effortlessly through four innings, Anderson was facing the minimum through four on a 1-hitter. That would change in the fifth when a pitchers' duel became something else as Ron Raynor and Alberto Velez hit 2-out singles, and then Jesus Moroyoqui hit a 400-foot bomb to left that put Vegas up 3-0. Even Hague singled to make it four in a row before Danny Serrano flew out to Jamieson in centerfield. Terry Kopp would get the Coons' first hit with a single up the middle to begin the bottom 5th, but nothing came of it. Burrows' leadoff walk in the bottom 6th led to Anderson bunting into a double play, which was the worse when Spencer's 2-out single and Jamieson's RBI double could have been much bigger. Still, the meat part of the order was up as the tying run, and Harenberg missed a score-knotting homer by less than five feet as he doubled off the rightfield wall to get Jamieson home, 3-2. Kopp flew out to left, keeping the Coons a-trailing until they staged another 2-out upset in the bottom of the seventh. Cookie singled, Burrows snuck a ball through former Furball Matt Hamilton that went unplayed as it went into foul ground for long enough to allow somewhat aged and stale Cookie to score on an RBI double, and THAT tied the game. Mora hit for Anderson, but flew out to Luis Leija. Was another comeback win in the works? Kevin Harenberg told you to better bet, homering off Hague with two down in the bottom 8th to put Portland on top, 4-3! With the left-hander Hamilton leading off the ninth, the Coons now tried to be cute and sent Brotman into the inning. The Aces pinch-hit with Saverio Piepoli, who flew out easily to Kopp, and only then came Snyder, rung up two, and this game was in the books! 4-3 Furballs! Harenberg 2-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI; Burrows 1-2, BB, 2B, RBI; Anderson 7.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K;

With a Crusaders loss on this Friday, the Raccoons moved into second place, but were still three games behind the damn Elks.

Game 2
LVA: CF Serrano – 3B A. Velez – 1B M. Hamilton – C T. Robinson – SS A. Medina – LF Raynor – RF Piepoli – 2B Moroyoqui – P Trotter
POR: 2B Spencer – LF Jamieson – 1B Harenberg – RF Kopp – CF Mora – 3B Nunley – C Tovias – SS Bullock – P Delgadillo

Everything went to plan for Portland when Delgadillo got bum-rushed for two homers by Tim Robinson and Ron Raynor in the second inning, putting Vegas up 2-0. Apparently, coming from behind was the new challenger way to go about the North. Unfortunately there was not only the problem of the Aces tacking on an unearned run in the third, which began with Serrano walking and Velez reaching on a Harenberg error, then saw two productive outs, but not only saw the Raccoons bat like under heavy sedation – which was the usual way of things here – but also saw Tovias thrown out at second base trying to stretch a leadoff single into two bases to begin the bottom 3rd. He was the only Critter to reach base at all the first time through. They had three hits total through five, but never put a paw on third base. When they finally did get on the board with a Harenberg leadoff jack in the bottom 7th they had successfully lulled most of the attendance to sleep. It took them even longer to draw a walk off Trotter, who had issued 102 free passes already this year, but didn't give out one to a Critter until Nunley drew four balls with two outs in the bottom 7th, but Tovias struck out to end the inning. A Spencer single made Jamieson the tying run in the bottom 8th, also with two down, and he also struck out against Trotter. The Coons' 6-game winning streak ended for good when the Aces tagged Alvin Smith for two runs in the ninth, including a Piepoli homer. 5-1 Aces. Harenberg 3-4, HR, RBI; Delgadillo 7.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, L (9-5);

Our marriage to second place had been but brief – the Crusaders zoomed past again.

Game 3
LVA: CF Serrano – 3B A. Velez – LF Raynor – 1B M. Hamilton – C T. Robinson – SS A. Medina – RF Bednarski – 2B Moroyoqui – P McCabe
POR: 2B Spencer – CF Mora – 1B Harenberg – RF Kopp – 3B Nunley – C Tovias – LF Gerace – SS Stalker – P Nomura

No southpaw named Sam, instead Matt McCabe in the rubber game for Vegas, while the Coons stuck to their left-hander. There was also rain in the forecast for that extra bit of suspense. Without much delay though the Coons got a single from Spencer, a home run from Harenberg, and were up 2-0 in the first and both those guys also had 11-game hitting streaks as the week was about to end. The rain delay however was coming, and it came as early as the second inning after Rin Nomura had thrown only 26 pitches. He continued of a 45-minute delay, finishing the second inning with a final strike to Mike Bednarski (argh!), but the pen better not get too complacent out there… Nomura started the top 3rd with a leadoff walk to Moroyoqui, but the Aces had McCabe swing away – tough choice with a .122 batter – and he grounded to Stalker for a double play. And after THAT … Serrano reached on a throwing error by Tovias, going to second base, then scored on Alberto Velez' single. Ron Raynor's homer flipped the score, Hamilton doubled, and somehow Spencer got leather on Tim Robinson's scorched rocket. Well, that had gone quick.

Bottom 3rd, the Coons got back even at three with a walk to Mora to start the inning, then McCabe knocking Harenberg. Kopp grounded into a fielder's choice, but Nunley singled past Moroyoqui, bringing home Mora from third base to knot the tallies. Maybe McCabe was also melting away! Tovias ripped a 2-1 into shallow center to load the bases, but that brought up a do-or-die Gerace and a slumping Stalker. But guess what – both knocked RBI singles to the right side, putting Portland up 5-3, and that brought up Nomura's spot. And the Raccoons left him in, and fully expected to pay for it. For now, Nomura hit ANOTHER single to right, 6-3. Spencer hit a sac fly to left, plating Gerace and knocking out McCabe, with reliever Kevin Woodworth retiring Mora to end the inning in a 7-3 score. Nomura continued to look crummy, but maybe could still be carried through five. Bednarski (grrrr!) reached on a 1-out single in the fourth, but was caught astray of first when Moroyoqui lined out to Harenberg and was doubled off to end the inning. After all the hassle Nomura struck out the side in the fifth, but that was still all for him, although at day's end he had not allowed an earned run in the 7-3 game – all the Aces' runs had been on Tovias' errant throw.

Woodworth held up into the sixth before Mora and Harenberg reached base and occupied the corners. Terry Kopp hit an RBI double, 8-3, and then Nunley (!) was walked intentionally to load them up, which was then Mike Kress' problem, facing Tovias, who managed to just barely chip a 2-2 pitch into play and cause enough confusion to bring home a run on the groundout, and then Kress couldn't fully remove Gerace in that count, either, yielding an RBI single to right-center, which got the Coons into double digits and probably sealed their second straight 5-1 week. Stalker grounded out. Mora would add one final run with a sac fly in the seventh. 11-3 Furballs! Spencer 2-4, 2B, RBI; Harenberg 2-4, HR, 2 RBI; Gerace 2-5, 2 RBI; Jamieson (PH) 1-1, 2B; Nomura 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, W (5-4) and 1-1, BB, RBI; Costilow 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K;

In other news

August 24 – Rookie DEN LF/CF Abel Madsen (.277, 5 HR, 12 RBI) will be out for up to four weeks with a sprained thumb.
August 24 – A sprained wrist could see SFB RF/LF Cesar Martinez (.273, 15 HR, 58 RBI) miss the rest of the season.
August 25 – Washington 3B/SS Guillermo Obando (.287, 2 HR, 58 RBI) churns out a triple, two doubles, and two singles for 7 RBI in the Capitals' 21-6 smothering of the Cyclones.
August 25 – NYC CL Steve Casey (5-4, 1.94 ERA, 40 SV) will be shut down for the next three weeks with a strained back muscle.
August 25 – OCT RF/LF Brett Dobbs (.163, 2 HR, 9 RBI) hits a walkoff home run for the only tally in the Thunder's 1-0, 10-inning win over the Aces.
August 26 – DEN INF Nick Herman (.239, 10 HR, 56 RBI) has a home run, two doubles, and two singles, driving in two in a 12-4 Gold Sox win over the Wolves.
August 28 – All the Canadiens need on Friday is a 7-run seventh to beat the Knights, 7-4.
August 29 – TIJ 1B Kevin McGrath (.314, 24 HR, 89 RBI) has a 20-game hitting streak thanks to two hits in the Condors' 6-5 loss to the Indians.
August 30 – Five different players land four hits apiece in a 13-10, 13-inning madhouse win for the Capitals over the Stars, but a Dallas player leads all in RBI; DAL OF/1B Adam St. Germaine (.264, 6 HR, 43 RBI) has only three hits, but two go for extra bases and he drives in six overall while going down to defeat with his team.
August 30 – Season over for BOS SP Jeremy Waite (10-11, 4.48 ERA); the 28-year-old is suffering from elbow tendinitis.

Complaints and stuff

Kevin Harenberg was Player of the Week again, for the second time this month. This week he batted .478 (11-23) and homered four times, driving in ten. Yup, he is RED HOT. Which is the main reason I made the Druid check all the important equipment. The stretcher, the defibrillator, the oxygen tank, the neck brace, the spare wheelchair, even Cristiano Carmona's wheelchair – once (not: if) Harenberg goes down to injury, he needs all the best treatment he can get!

5-1 once more! The Elks went even, and the top of the division is huddling up as we are almost at roster expansion. We have already plundered St. Pete for many of its riches, so maybe we should at this point look at what our DL can give us down the road. First, Kevin Surginer will come off the DL. He actually has to be activated on Monday, meaning somebody has to vacate the roster. Maybe Burrows. O'Dell pinch-hit twice on the weekend and while he went 0-2, Tovias will probably be able to go ONE day without breaking a leg!

The clock on Alberto Ramos reads four weeks, and there are five weeks left to play. *Crucially* the final week of the season will see us play the Elks and Crusaders *on the road* - I'd give an arm and a leg to have Ramos back by then!

News on Gomez and Gonzalez are rather grim; neither can be expected back before the end of the regular season.

Balls get past fielders all the time, but this month I think Matt Nunley finally showed his age. The total numbers don't really show it yet, but I feel like he is starting to lose his tight defensive grip on the hot corner.

What comes up next? We will be off to the East Coast next week, hitting up Atlanta and Boston. The Crusaders will be in for three the week after that. We actually have 17 games left with teams in the race in the North; seven with Boston, six with New York, and four with the goddamn Elks. And we are only 17-20 against these teams this season… we also lost our interleague complement this year, 8-10. We were on our best against the Arrowheads and the South; there is a chance that we win all the season series against the CL South teams.

Fun Fact: From 1983 through 1993, the Raccoons and Elks finished 1-2 in any order eight times, but have done so only once since.

That was of course 2012.

Ray Gilbert.

Darkness.