[Westheim]

Raccoons (88-61) vs. Bayhawks (68-81) – September 21-23, 2026

The Bayhawks were dead and knew it and were also on a 6-game losing streak, which was just a perfect opportunity to take this series from them and race towards the playoffs ourselves. The season series was tied 3-3 at this point, and that was the only CL South season series we still had to pack away and win this year. The Bayhawks had a similar problem to the Coons, having much higher a batting average (4th) than runs scored (9th), and their pitchers had also allowed the fourth-most runs. They had one of the worst pens in the league, which also wasn't helping them.

Projected matchups:
Rin Nomura (8-4, 2.83 ERA) vs. Allen Reed (14-11, 3.75 ERA)
Rico Gutierrez (15-5, 3.45 ERA) vs. Ruben Cervantes (10-15, 5.07 ERA)
Mark Roberts (13-10, 3.12 ERA) vs. Troy McCaskill (3-3, 3.78 ERA)

Hey, a southpaw! Hadn't seen one in a while! That was Allen Reed we were talking about. Their other starters in question where common run-o'-the-mill righties.

Game 1
SFB: C Carpenter – 3B Quantrille – 1B Lloyd – SS Camacho – 2B Pick – CF Lazaro – RF V. Contreras – LF Valadas – P A. Reed
POR: 2B Spencer – SS Stalker – CF Jamieson – 1B Harenberg – LF Gerace – RF Alfaro – C O'Dell – 3B Gerster – P Nomura

While I was still wondering who some of these people in the Baybirds' lineup were, Bob Lloyd's double and Omar Camacho's single put that team up 1-0 in the first against Nomura. Justin Gerace would pull that run back with a solo home run in the bottom 2nd, but Lloyd remained trouble, hitting another double in the third. That one came with two outs and went up the rightfield line. Jeremy Quantrille was sent from first base all the way around, only to be greeted at home plate with a ball hurled back in precisely and terrifyingly by Omar Alfaro, and Quantrille was slapped out by O'Dell to end that inning. Unfortunately, the Coons' Rin Nomura would continue to give up base hit upon base hit, including three straight 1-out singles in the fifth inning to Reed (yup!), Eric Carpenter, and Quantrille, which brought up Bob Lloyd again. He hit another sharp ball, but this time he didn't get it up. It was down, right at Butch Gerster, and Butchy Boy did NOT butcher it, but rather zipped it 'round the old horn for an inning-soiling double play.

But Allen Reed wasn't the only pitcher a bit of a pain up in the other pitcher's bum. Nomura also hit a single in the bottom 5th, actually his second in the game, and Spencer worked a walk. That brought up Tim Stalker with one out, and he ran the count full before driving a ball to left. It hurtled towards the foul pole, but remained just fair, and just over the fence for a tie-breaking 3-run homer! While that remained the Coons' only 3-run homer in the game, Bob Lloyd was up for another double play ball hit to Gerster, that happened in and ended the eighth inning for San Fran, and Nomura was still alive at that point, which was surprising giving his early stutters, but once he got that 4-1 lead, he really started to go into lockdown mode. Jonathan Snyder put the game away, a neat win completed in a swift two hours and 11 minutes! 4-1 Coons! Stalker 2-4, HR, 3 RBI; Alfaro 3-4, 2B; Nomura 8.0 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K, W (9-4) and 2-3;

Omar Alfaro is glowing white hot. Not red hot. Red hot is for kids. White hot!

Also, the Elks lost, allowing us to zoom out to three games of lead, and the magic number was 10 as of Monday night. It was down to just 4 for the Titans, who also lost.

Game 2
SFB: CF Hawthorne – C Carpenter – RF Ryder – 1B Lloyd – SS Camacho – 2B Pick – 3B Pulido – LF Valadas – P McCaskill
POR: 2B Spencer – SS Stalker – RF Alfaro – 1B Harenberg – 3B Nunley – CF Kopp – LF Carmona – C Tovias – P Gutierrez

Back from the flu, Rico would not see a left-handed bat in the Bayhawks' lineup and was instantly greeted by a George Hawthorne double down the leftfield line. That was not the only scorched line drive of the opening inning. Zachary Ryder hit one to right for an RBI single, and Omar Camacho also lined a single to center, but Pat Pick eventually struck out to get the inning over with. Again, the Raccoons had a quick answer, this time an Alfaro homer (what the heck was going on??) that tied us up in the bottom 1st. It would have done more if Jarod Spencer, after a leadoff walk, hadn't been caught stealing two pitches earlier. It wasn't going to be Spencer's game, neither Rico Gutierrez'. The Bayhawks kept whipping him, with a Ryder double in the third inning, then a walk to Bob Lloyd. Omar Camacho blasted a 3-run homer to left, and Jose Pulido and Troy McCaskill hit sharp grounders for singles in the same inning. Hawthorne also spanked a ball, but at Stalker to end the inning. Nope, we wouldn't grow old with Rico in this one… he ended up lasting four and a third, knocked out by a Pulido RBI single that ran the score to 5-1. The Coons would get a run back in the bottom of the inning on Tovias' double to right-center, a balk by McCaskill, and then Matt Jamieson's pinch-hit, run-scoring groundout.

Gutierrez' misery was the chance for Juan Barzaga, who pitched two innings and whiffed four Bayhawks, but the Coons had yet to kick the offense into gear. Through six they had only four base hits against McCaskill, who held a 5-2 lead, but made a few bad pitches in the bottom 7th. Cookie singled, Tovias ripped another double. Gerace batted for Barzaga and drove a ball to deep centerfield, but couldn't get the ball past Hawthorne. Cookie scored on the sac fly, 5-3, but the inning was going to end with Spencer's easy fly to Jaques Valadas… except that the 26-year-old Venezuelan dropped the ball from his glove. With Tovias on the run, the Coons scored another run, 5-4, and Spencer was at second base. Kyle Koel batted for Stalker to get a platoon advantage on McCaskill, but flew to left, and this time Valadas made a sure grab.

Surginer was going to have a cozy eighth until Tovias mishandled Hawthorne's strike three that should have ended the inning. Hawthorne legged it out to first base, Surginer walked Eric Carpenter, and when the Baybirds sent Tomas Caraballo to pinch-hit, the Coons countered with Jeff Kearney, who secured an inning-ending strikeout. Enter Omar Alfaro again, whose show was far from over. He hit McCaskill's first pitch of the bottom 8th for 400 feet to right-center, and that tied the game. OMAR ALFARO!! On the other side of the coin, Matt Nunley threw away Lloyd's grounder in the ninth, putting the leadoff batter on second base with nobody out. Ricky Ohl was on the mound and not amused, but got Camacho to ground out, whiffed Pick, and then handled Tony Ruiz' grounder for the final out with Lloyd stranded at third base. That put up the bottom of the order with a chance for a walkoff, but McCaskill lasted nine innings in retiring them in order, except that this didn't give him a complete game – the game went into overtime, and the Raccoons had a pretty bad record in extra inning games, and just look at Billy Brotman out there. One man on, two men on, and then Ryan Anderson with a pinch-hit 3-run homer to left. The Coons were retired on three grounders by Brian Gilbert in the bottom 10th. 8-5 Bayhawks. Alfaro 3-5, 2 HR, 2 RBI; Tovias 2-4, 2 2B; Barzaga 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K;

At least the Elks lost as well, and we were still up three games.

But I REALLY want to win that rubber game on Wednesday, and thus the season series!

Unfortunately, there was no game on Wednesday. There was rain all day long, no game, and the rubber game was postponed to Thursday.

Game 3
SFB: CF Hawthorne – 3B Quantrille – RF Ryder – 1B Lloyd – SS Camacho – 2B Pick – C Carpenter – LF V. Contreras – P Cervantes
POR: 2B Spencer – SS Stalker – RF Alfaro – 1B Harenberg – LF Gerace – 3B Nunley – CF Jamieson – C Tovias – P Roberts

Again, San Francisco scored first. Pick and Carpenter lined singles to go to the corners in the top of the second, and then Victor Contreras hit a ball to Jamieson in centerfield. Pick scampered home and it was 1-0 for the other guys again. And for the third time in the series the Coons got a home run to make up the deficit in quick order: this time Matt Nunley exacted revenge with a 2-out homer in a 1-2 count. Jamieson hit a ball off the top of the fence in leftfield, missing another home run by about six inches, and while Tovias walked unintentionally with two outs, Roberts grounded out to end the inning. Roberts also was the second straight left-handed pitcher we sent out that didn't exactly dominate a right-handed lineup. The Birds kept whacking hits. After Ryder walked with one out in the top 3rd, after which Bob Lloyd struck again, doubling past Gerace in leftfield. Gerace however got a perfect bounce off the fence, and fired home in time to kill Ryder at home plate. Camacho was then retired by Nunley on a nifty play. Portland would move out to a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third. Jarod Spencer hit a leadoff double, advanced on a passed ball, then scored on Alfaro's grounder to short. However, there was still a problem – Roberts. He allowed a 1-out triple to Jeremy Quantrille in the fifth, couldn't get a K on Ryder, and surrendered the ball on another grounder to short, tying the score 2-2 again.

And Roberts wouldn't get any better. Not only pitching, but also fielding was eluding him. Hawthorne grounded to the mound to begin the seventh inning, Roberts threw to first, but past Harenberg, and the leadoff man was on second base. Oh noes! There was a long mound conference, Roberts remained in the game on 79 pitches, got PH Valadas to pop out to Jamieson in shallow center, then Ryder to shallow right. Then we walked Lloyd intentionally to get to Camacho – what a trickster move, that would surely win us the game! Grounder to short, Stalker to Harenberg, inning over! Well, it technically couldn't win the Raccoons the game, since no offense of their own was involved, and certainly not Roberts, who was pinch-hit for in the bottom 7th to no great effect as Mauricio Garavito, an undistinguished left-hander, retired them in order. The Coons kept the Baybirds from scoring, too; Alvin Smith and Josh Boles did the eighth, Snyder did the ninth, and righty Ying-hua Ou would face the 5-6-7 batters in the bottom of the ninth, and retired them on just seven pitches. More extra innings. Yay, gravy. But maybe this time there would be W at the end? Steve Costilow held the opposition away in the top 10th, and then Tovias hit a leadoff single off Ou in the bottom 10th. With two spare catchers, Tovias' presence was then no longer required. While Terry Kopp batted for Costilow, Bullock ran for Tovias, but the Bayhawks still almost would have gotten a double play when Terrific Terry bounced a ball back to the mound. Perfect serve for Ou, throw to second – and that one was less than perfect. Camacho couldn't come up with it, and the winning run moved to second base. Spencer lined out to Ryder, which was unfortunate, because that one had written walkoff all over. Instead, Tim Stalker did the honors, brutally murdering a fastball for his second game-winning 3-run homer of the series, a walkoff shot out of right-center! 5-2 Furballs! Spencer 2-5, 2B; Stalker 1-4, HR, 3 RBI; Nunley 2-4, HR, 2B, RBI; Jamieson 2-4, 2B; Roberts 7.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K;

That was the first career win for Steve Costilow, and more importantly, combined with the Wednesday games advanced the Coons to a 4-game lead over the Elks, who had gotten swept by the Condors. The magic number was down to seven, and it was four on the Crusaders and three on the Titans.

Raccoons (90-62) @ Indians (64-88) – September 25-27, 2026

The Indians would avoid 100 losses, which was probably a success given how dead they had looked the entire season. The Raccoons were 11-4 against them and their league-worst offense. They ranked seventh in runs allowed.

Projected matchups:
George James (2-0, 1.29 ERA) vs. John McInerney (10-12, 3.14 ERA)
Dan Delgadillo (12-5, 2.61 ERA) vs. Chris Munroe (7-10, 4.72 ERA)
Rin Nomura (9-4, 2.71 ERA) vs. Tom Shumway (12-14, 2.96 ERA)

Left, right, left. It was mathematically not possible for us to win the division in Indy, but I sure hoped for a sweep to get rid of the cold sweat on my temples and the streams running down my arm pits.

Game 1
POR: 2B Spencer – SS Stalker – CF Jamieson – 1B Harenberg – LF Gerace – RF Alfaro – C O'Dell – 3B Gerster – P James
IND: SS Pizano – 3B Ju. Jackson – RF Good – 1B Herlihy – C Kennett – LF Loya – 2B Oliver – CF Zanches – P McInerney

For the fourth time in four games, the other team scored first. Alex Zanches hit a triple in the bottom 3rd and came home on a groundout by McInerney, while James didn't get anybody to strike out in the early innings. Getting McInerney would have been neat… The Raccoons had only one base hit in the first three innings, Alfaro hit a single in the fourth, but that was once again all they cobbled together. Bottom 4th, the Indians loaded the bases with nobody out when James walked Trent Herlihy, Elliott Kennett reached on a Gerster error, and then Ricky Loya also walked. George James would then have the next three pitchers in 1-2 counts, still struck out nobody, and conceded runs on a Matt Oliver single and on Alex Zanches' grounder for a force out at second base. McInerney bunted Zanches to second base before Mario Pizano knocked out James with a 2-out, 2-run single up the middle. The score was 5-0 in the fourth, and somehow Juan Barzaga wiggled out of the inning, but this game was somehow in the bin, especially with the entire lineup being completely dumb-founded by McInerney. The Indians were wholly unimpressed with our own pitching offerings in the meantime, scoring a sixth run off Nick Derks in the bottom of the sixth inning. When the Raccoons did make it onto the board in the seventh inning, a Pizano error was involved. It put Justin Gerace on first base to lead off the inning. Gerace stole second, then scored on O'Dell's single to right, but that was already all the rally they had in them. When Spencer singled and Stalker doubled to begin the eighth inning and were thus in scoring position with nobody out, Jamieson's foul pop, Harenberg's strikeout, and Gerace popping out to Richard Linnell ended up plating nothing and nobody. Suddenly I had ghastly flashbacks to June. 6-1 Indians. Bullock 1-1;

Eek. Well, there is also good news. Two of our chasers won, but that did not the freefall Elks. Our lead remains at four, and the magic number is down to six.

Well, there is also good news! Alberto Ramos came off the DL by Saturday! RAMOOOOOS!!

Game 2
POR: SS Ramos – 2B Spencer – RF Alfaro – 1B Harenberg – CF Jamieson – 3B Nunley – LF Kopp – C Tovias – P Delgadillo
IND: SS Pizano – 3B Ju. Jackson – RF Good – 1B Herlihy – C Kennett – LF Loya – 2B C. Wagner – CF Zanches – P Estrella

There was ill weather and also a different right-hander to face on Saturday, as Chris Munroe was replaced by Manny Estrella (1-0, 5.19 ERA). Also, for a moment it seemed like the Raccoons would end up trailing to begin yet another game this week. Delgadillo allowed a leadoff single to Pizano in the first, but got around that, then issued a leadoff walk to Loya in the second. Zanches doubled with one out, and then Yusneldan hit the opposing pitcher to load the bags. Pizano chopped a ball back to the pitcher, Dan fired home and they got Loya out by two steps, and then Justin Jackson struck out to strand three.

The weather took a turn for the worse three innings into the game and we were soon in an hour-long rain delay in a scoreless game. Both pitchers were on roughly 40 offerings, both came back after the delay. The Coons had nothing going for the second day in a row, and Delgadillo was still in trouble. Estrella hit a leadoff single in the bottom 5th, and then Pizano took Delgadillo deep to left to give Indy a 2-0 lead. Oh, hey look. The Coons are trailing again! Delgadillo retired nobody anymore, issuing a single to Jackson, then a walk to Matt Good. Josh Boles replaced Delgadillo, struck out Trent Herlihy, then swiftly went away in favor of Kevin Surginer, who got more strikeouts from Kennett and Loya, keeping the Indians at 2-0. How about some instant comeback? That would be swell! Spencer hit a 1-out single in the sixth, and Estrella walked Alfaro to put two on for Kevin Harenberg, who – true story – had not a single RBI on the week. C'MON KEVIN! Nope, no such luck. Harenberg popped out, Jamieson whiffed, and the Raccoons were suddenly extremely toothless again. There was a Spencer single in the eighth, then immediately a double play grounder off Alfaro's bat. The Indians tacked on a run against Costilow and Brotman in the bottom 8th they would not end up needing. Where had all the ****ing sparkle gone? 3-0 Indians. Spencer 3-4;

Spencer aside, the Raccoons managed one base hit off four mediocre Indians pitchers.

All other teams on our heels won. We were going to implode; not now, but in Vancouver. I just knew it.

Game 3
POR: SS Ramos – 2B Spencer – CF Jamieson – 1B Harenberg – LF Gerace – RF Alfaro – C O'Dell – 3B Nunley – P Nomura
IND: LF Cowan – 1B Good – SS Pizano – 3B Ju. Jackson – CF Loya – RF Terrell – C R. Vargas – 2B DeMedio – P Shumway

Ramos singled, stole second, and then somehow things came apart again. Nobody got the ball out of the infield, especially not Kevin Harenberg, who was suddenly completely… DeWeeseian!? By contrast, Mike Cowan's leadoff homer put the Indians up 1-0, and the Raccoons were now 0-6 in scoring first this week, and they continued to play like an 0-6 team, getting only one base hit in the next three innings against Shumway. Maybe Alfaro's leadoff single in the fifth could get them started. Please! O'Dell flew out to center. And Nunley cracked a grounder into a double play…

Unbelievably, it got worse. Nomura conceded a leadoff single to Bobby DeMedio, which prompted Shumway to bunt, obviously. O'Dell handled the grounder, then threw it past Harenberg for a 2-base error. Suddenly, runners were in scoring position with nobody out. Defense would limit the damage when Nomura couldn't. Cowan's sharp grounder was handled by Nunley for an out that did not allow a runner to score, while Good hit a sac fly to center. Nunley then also disarmed Pizano's sharp grounder. This kept the Indians at paw's length at 2-0, but then again, the Coons had only four innings left to score two runs… They sure as heck didn't score in the sixth, nor in the seventh. Nomura got through seven on three base hits, and it sure wasn't his fault that the team was suddenly trundling towards obliteration. Nunley struck out in the eighth, Stalker grounded out while batting for Nomura. Ramos singled. Spencer singled. As Matt Jamieson came up I would have given my right arm for a home run. He put the first pitch on the ground, up the middle, past DeMedio, and into the outfield for an RBI single. And here came Harenberg, STILL no RBI in this week, and actually in an 0-for-17 rut. And we all knew that no Raccoon would ever get a base hit in an 0-for-17 with the season on the line. He lined out to Jeremy Terrell in rightfield, ending the inning. Ricky Ohl retired the side in order in the bottom 8th, bringing up the Coons with one run needed to tie the game in the top of the ninth against right-hander Jose Fuentes. Gerace flew out to right. Alfaro popped out to DeMedio. Cookie was sent to bat for O'Dell, and drew a 4-pitch walk to get the tying run on base. Nunley singled, Cookie raced around second base and made it to third. Now we just needed a pinch-hitter that would get another ball to fall in. How about Terry Kopp, who still hoped for a contract from anybody after this season. Really, anybody. Terry Kopp to bat for Ricky Ohl! All that could stop this week from being a total disaster, all that could stop this year from being a total disaster… was a 3-run homer by Terry Kopp. He popped out to Justin Jackson. 2-1 Indians. Ramos 2-4; Spencer 2-4; Nomura 7.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, L (9-5);

Funny story. We out-hit the Indians in this game. 9-3. Didn't help anything.

In other news

September 21 – WAS LF/RF Tsuneyoshi Tachibana () walks off the Capitals, 7-6 in 12 innings, with a home run off SFW MR Eric Barlow (1-2, 3.21 ERA, 1 SV). Crucially, the home run occurs only after a foul pop by Tachibana two pitches earlier had been caught and dropped by SFW 3B Luis Ortegon.
September 23 – The 21-game hitting streak of LVA OF Danny Serrano (.346, 9 HR, 72 RBI) ends at the arms of the Loggers, who hold him hitless in four attempts in a 4-1 Milwaukee win.
September 26 – VAN OF Tony Coca (.283, 24 HR, 83 RBI) will be out for a week at the worst time after being hit by a pitch by Boston's MR Dan Moon (4-2, 3.49 ERA), who was a Canadien until last year.
September 27 – SAC RF/LF Pablo Sanchez (.302, 9 HR, 74 RBI) has a 20-game hitting streak with a first-inning single in the Scorpions' 10-8 loss to the Pacifics.

Complaints and stuff

We skipped Kyle Anderson this week, not for ill will or injury or anything, but because at the point his turn would have come up (Friday), the Raccoons were in a position where they could consider aligning their rotation, and we considered our interests best served by keeping Gutierrez and Roberts (shoddy as they may have been this week) out of the final weekend of the season to have them line up 1-2 in an eventual CLCS. Now, our rotation would start with Rico on Monday and end with Nomura on Saturday. The Sunday game – if it did not matter – was for Alvin Smith to keep the arm lose. And if that game would indeed matter anything, well, then we still had Rico Gutierrez well rested and ready!

Of course, that was on Friday, before we got swept by the completely atrocious Indians. Two runs in three games. Harenberg is 0-for-18. Everything is ruined. Everything will crumble to pieces.

Down the stretch – games remaining per team – strength of schedule – playoff chance as divined by BNN:
POR (90-65): VAN (4), NYC (3) – .556 – 92.5% (+6.8%)
VAN (87-68): POR (4), MIL (3) – .513 – 6.7% (-7.0%)
NYC (85-70): IND (4), POR (3) – .496 – 0.9% (+0.4%)
BOS (85-71): IND (3), MIL (3) – .428 – 0.1% (0)

Everything will come up tails, as it always does.

Fun Fact: On September 26, 1983, Spencer Dicks drove in the game-winning RBI with a pinch-hit single for a 7-6 win over the Titans. It clinched the Raccoons' first ever postseason berth.

I don't think I have been even remotely happy ever since that day.

And I will never be again.