[Westheim]

Raccoons (44-26) vs. Titans (47-20) – June 21-23, 2027

Here came the Titans, and this series was extremely crucial. Unfortunately, the early signs were not encouraging – at all. The Titans were first in offense, first in pitching, the Raccoons had not done anything to make pitchers at least be aware of them in weeks, and finally, the chicken I just opened to read its liver for signs of the baseball gods – (dumps carcass into a bin obediently held in his lap by Cristiano Carmona) – is *disgusting*! Cristiano, roll that out of - … get this - … it smells. Hurry up, we're wheeling with both hands here! Woof. Eh, right. The Coons were so far 3-3 against the Titans in 2027, but that gut feeling… oh that gut feeling was about as revolting as those chicken guts.

Projected matchups:
Rin Nomura (7-3, 3.20 ERA) vs. Morgan Shepherd (8-2, 1.99 ERA)
Rico Gutierrez (4-6, 3.63 ERA) vs. Guillermo Regalado (3-5, 3.87 ERA)
Mark Roberts (6-2, 2.87 ERA) vs. Jeremy Waite (7-3, 3.57 ERA)

In good news, we got three right-handers, we got only one of their two sub-2 ERA pitchers (the other being 8-2 Dustin Wingo at 1.79) and only two of their best three (Greg Gannon sat at 8-3, 3.01 ERA).

And I don't think that will be enough. Not even close. Not remotely. The Niagara Falls, right now, were closer than a Raccoons series win.

Game 1
BOS: CF W. Vega – 1B Gasso – RF Braun – 2B R. West – SS Spataro – LF Reichardt – 3B Perkins – C A. Arias – P Shepherd
POR: SS Ramos – 2B Spencer – RF Gomez – 1B Harenberg – CF Mora – LF Carmona – 3B Nunley – C Liu – P Nomura

Nomura got blasted in the first inning, figuratively and literally. After putting Gus Gasso on base with a throwing error that already sent piercing pain through my abdomen, Adam Braun rocked a fastball for a no-doubt 2-run homer, and Nomura managed to walk Rhett West right after that, whom the Titans brought around on singles by Keith Spataro and Justin Perkins before Alex Arias ended the inning with a groundout to Matt Nunley. There was … not even the pretense of giving it an honest effort… the Raccoons were so dead …!

An hour-long rain delay added to the misery right in the second inning, although in more ways than just one. It also screwed up Shepherd, who had already walked Ramos in the first (although Spencer had 6-4-3'ed the Coons out of that one), and didn't get much more resilient after the rain delay. Cookie walked, Nunley walked, Liu walked, all with one out, before Nomura clipped a single to left that plated Cookie and Nunley, and Ramos tied the game when he grounded to short and Spataro fumbled the ball. Spencer hit into another double play before the Coons could take a lead though, and while play was certainly sloppy from both sides, the Raccoons remained guilty of just not hitting the ****ing baseballs. Nomura's single was their only base hit in the first five innings, and when they finally got a second one, it was Harenberg with an infield in the bottom 6th on which two Titans appeared to slip on wet grass. The Furballs loaded them up with Abel Mora walking (the sixth free pass issued by Shepherd) and a single that Cookie cracked past Gus Gasso. And with nobody out! Nunley lined a ball to shallow left for an RBI single, and Liu dumped a soft single into shallow center to add another run, 5-3! Nomura was done after six innings and was hit for by Tim Stalker, who held still and drew the seventh and final walk issued by Shepherd in this game, pushing in a run before Javy Salomon replaced the discombobulated starter after a nightmare outing. He got out of the inning without bleeding another run, as the lame-ass Coons returned instantly. Ramos grounded into a force at home, Spencer popped out, and Gomez rolled over to short. The Coons now squelched the lemon again, pressing two innings out of Dan McLin, which worked wonderfully (but watch his arm fall off soon…) before sending Snyder into the ninth with a 6-3 lead, not words that had evoked comfort recently. He faced Spataro to begin things. Spataro and DH D.J. Fullerton struck out before Justin Perkins singled past Harenberg, and ooooh, here came the panic again… but for no reason. Alex Arias struck out looking, and the Coons took the opener. 6-3 Furballs. Nomura 6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K, W (8-3) and 1-2, 2 RBI; McLin 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K;

The Coons had more runs than hits, which illustrates sufficiently what sort of game this was.

Game 2
BOS: CF W. Vega – 1B Gasso – RF Braun – LF Kuramoto – 3B Corder – SS Spataro – 2B Good – C A. Arias – P Regalado
POR: SS Ramos – LF Spencer – RF Gomez – 1B Harenberg – CF Mora – C Tovias – 3B Nunley – 2B Rock – P Gutierrez

The Titans again got off to a quick start on this Tuesday where the Raccoons held a special beer promotion to draw an even bigger crowd, making three quick outs in the top 1st, while the Coons struck out thrice in the bottom 1st, but then ramped it up in the second inning. Yasuhiro Kuramoto slapped a single to center, Adam Corder singled to right, and between Kuramoto going for third and a weak throw by Rafael Gomez, the Titans placed runners in scoring position with nobody out. There they remained on Spataro's grounder to Rico, but Matt Good singled hard to right to bring in Kuramoto with the first run of the game. Corder also went for home, but this time Gomez threw impressively well and precise and nailed him out. Good went to second, and Portland bailed out on an intentional walk to Arias and Regalado grounding out to Nunley.

While that was an early setback, Abel Mora had something to respond, cracking a solo shot to right in the bottom 2nd to tie the teams again, although after that nobody bothered to get on base much until Mora came back up again in the fourth, but had no homer in him at that point. While Rico held on at this point, he also threw only 37 pitches through four innings and whiffed nobody, hinting at the Titans being a bit on the unlucky side. Top 5th, the Titans started to poke him. Arias singled, Willie Vega singled, and Gasso also singled to plate Arias with the go-ahead run, 2-1. Adam Braun popped out to leave them on the corners there, and now the Critters needed a swift comeback. Nunley grounded out to begin the bottom 5th, but Trey Rock doubled to left-center. However, neither Rico, nor Ramos could get the ball out of the infield, and the chance was wasted. As was a somewhat dicey but mostly solid start by Rico, who went into the eighth inning before coughing up a run on Kuramoto's 2-out triple that was followed by Tovias being unable to pounce on Corder's roller in front of home plate that allowed the Titans to score an insurance run, 3-1.

Regalado retired nobody in the bottom 8th, conceding a leadoff single to rightfield to Cookie Carmona, hitting for Gutierrez, then a 4-pitch walk to Ramos. The go-ahead run came to the plate and Harry Merwin came to the mound, only to nail Jarod Spencer with his first pitch. Three on, nobody out, middle of the lineup coming up! The park was buzzing; turns out that everybody can be entertained by the most simple and inept way to play the game if it's $10 beer night. Come on, folks, there's always more, don't hold back, it won't ever be so cheap again! Gomez grounded to short, where Spataro wasted no time to fire the ball to home plate for the best out to get, and with the bags still full, Mike Stank struck out Harenberg before Mora grounded out to Good. The despicable **** team had struck again.

And the drama wasn't over. The increasingly intoxicated crowd witnessed Jeff Kearney issue a leadoff walk in the ninth before leaving with an injury, while Billy Brotman surrendered the runner, falling to 4-1, before Julio San Pedro loaded the bases in the bottom 9th with singles to Nunley and Rock, then a 4-pitch walk to Cookie. Ramos came up as the winning run with one out, flew to deep left, but couldn’t really challenge the fence, although the crowd tried to yell the ball over the wall. Alberto had to settle for a sac fly, which was not a winner. Steve Hollingsworth batted for Brotman in this crucial spot and grounded out to Spataro. Magnificently, no riot broke out. 4-2 Titans. Rock 2-4, 2B; Carmona (PH) 1-1, BB;

The Druid diagnosed Kearney with forearm soreness that was totally not going to be any more serious at all, but would rule him out for most of the week, and also diagnosed me with a booming headache and recommended I should do something nice instead of watching the rubber game.

What nice things are there besides baseball?

Game 3
BOS: CF W. Vega – 1B Gasso – RF Braun – LF Kuramoto – 2B R. West – 3B Corder – SS Spataro – C A. Arias – P Waite
POR: SS Ramos – LF Spencer – RF Gomez – 1B Harenberg – 2B Rock – C Tovias – 3B Nunley – CF Hollingsworth – P Roberts

Mark Roberts was all over the place and issued four walks in the first three innings, including two on his way to loading the bases in the top 3rd. Kuramoto batted with three on and one out, grounding to short, but Ramos and Rock couldn't turn two and the Titans scored the game's maiden run. Rhett West grounded out after that, but Roberts was on 63 pitches and didn't convince anybody… Waite used half as many in three innings, and although the Coons put Hollingsworth on with a leadoff single, but then Roberts couldn't get the bunt down, and even when Ramos reached on a throwing error by Arias, the Critters still didn't get anybody to third base in the inning. Spencer popped out, Gomez grounded out, nobody scored. Bottom 4th, Harenberg hit a soft single to center, Rock hit a hard single to right, two on and nobody out. DESPERATE for a run, the Coons signaled Tovias to bunt (gasp!), and it was not a very good bunt, but it still beat Waite's hasty throw to first base. Actually past first base and into the seats down there, taking out a guy's regularly priced beer. This awarded the Coons two bases and a run, and another present was coming as Waite balked in Trey Rock, when he had Nunley (who would strike out) already at 1-2. Hollingsworth plated Tovias with a groundout, 3-1, before the inning ended with Roberts, who – sigh – began the fifth inning like the fourth by surrendering a leadoff double (now to Gus Gasso), then had to fight for every inch of the field to keep that damn runner from scoring. And he did! But he also threw 102 pitches in five innings of 4-hit, 6-walk, 1-run ball and was not seen again thereafter.

Kevin Surginer got five outs before walking both Kuramoto and West in the seventh inning, prompting a move to Ricky Ohl in a quadruple-switch of Spencer to second, Hollingsworth to left, Mora to center and batting #9, and Ohl going into the #5 slot vacated by Trey Rock to pitch for four outs if at all possible here. He got the most important one for now, the one on Adam Corder, who fouled out on 0-2. Ricky would log three outs, then surrendered a 2-out single to Waite(!), which was Waite's third single(!!) in the game, or in other words … one less than the entire Raccoons team had. Boles then got Vega to easily fly out to left. As much as I wished them to, the Coons failed to scratch out an insurance run… or get on base. Snyder was in for the ninth again, got Gasso to ground out to first, then gave up a 1-out single to Braun, soon followed by walking West with two outs after PH Keith Leonard had lined right into Spencer's glove. Corder was to tip the scales again here with two outs… and failed again. He grounded out to Spencer, giving the series to the Coons. 3-1 Blighters. Rock 2-3; Hollingsworth 1-2, BB, RBI;

We had FIVE base runners. FIVE.

That is only about a handful!

That is… uuugh…

Raccoons (46-27) @ Falcons (31-39) – June 25-27, 2027

Now for the diametrical opposite to the Titans – the Falcons! They were 11th in runs scored, dead-last in runs allowed, had a -100 run differential, and were probably a valid recipient to make tax-exempt donations to as well. It was grim. Their rotation was worst by ERA, their bullpen was as well, and they were in the bottom three in A LOT of statistics. The Coons were up 3-0 against them this season.

Projected matchups:
Dan Delgadillo (3-6, 3.28 ERA) vs. Victor Arevalo (4-6, 3.90 ERA)
Kyle Anderson (7-3, 3.11 ERA) vs. Chris Rountree (6-5, 3.93 ERA)
Rin Nomura (8-3, 3.08 ERA) vs. Warren Polito (5-7, 8.20 ERA)

Rountree was their only southpaw in the rotation. There best starter was actually Jesus Chavez (7-9, 3.33 ERA), but he had pitched (and won) on Thursday, our off day.

And whatever you think about league-worst pitching, just remember that these are the series where the Coons tend to get REALLY stale…

Game 1
POR: SS Ramos – LF Spencer – RF Gomez – 1B Harenberg – CF Mora – 3B Nunley – C Tovias – 2B Rock – P Delgadillo
CHA: LF Banfi – SS Bowman – 1B Fowlkes – RF Kok – CF Salto – 3B E. Moreno – C Sigala – 2B Folk – P Arevalo

The Coons' middle of the order slugged out three extra-base hits in the top of the first, taking a quick 2-0 lead on Gomez' double and Kevin's dinger, while Mora's double dissipated when Nunley grounded out like the 1-2 poke had done. The Falcons would not go down without a fight, though, and got to Delgadillo by the bottom of the second. Delgadillo walked Graciano Salto, then surrendered the run on a 2-out double by Jairo Sigala. The Coons called an intentional walk on Brody Folk before getting the third out from Arevalo. Ramos pulled the run back in the third, drawing a walk, swiping second, and moved around to score on two fly outs. Top 4th, another chance to score as Nunley singled, Tovias doubled, and Rock was halfheartedly walked to fill the bags with one out to bring up Delgadillo, who was not exactly a good hitter, even by pitchers' standards (career .145/.189/.164), but he added one to his 10 career RBI with a single up the middle, extending the lead to 4-1. By contrast, Ramos and Spencer remained cold and both made outs, Ramos with the K and Spencer with a roller to the mound.

In the meantime, Delgadillo was somewhat efficient, but not flashy. The Falcons had two on in the bottom 3rd, but Eddie Moreno grounded into a double play to help him out of that. By the sixth, Pat Fowlkes hit a solo homer to reduce the Coons' lead to 4-2. But again, the Raccoons pulled the run back as soon as they got a chance, and again Ramos was involved. Both Ramos and Gomez hit doubles into the leftfield corner in the top of the seventh inning to get the score to 5-2, after which Harenberg got four wide ones, Arevalo balked the runners into scoring position, but Abel Mora's deep fly to center was caught by Graciano Salto, ending the inning. And then Delgadillo blew it completely. Eddie Moreno and Jairo Sigala hit singles to begin the bottom 7th, and Brody Folk rammed a 3-run homer to left. Oh, look, a brand new ballgame…

Since the Coons were invariably not of the resilient kind, they didn't get on base at all anymore in regulation, which was not an immediate problem and cause for defeat thanks to Ricky Ohl and Billy Brotman holding off Charlotte until extra innings arrived. Hooray. But the damn Coons didn't get on base in the 10th, either. But the Falcons did. Dan McLin was in again, walking Luigi Banfi to begin the bottom 10th. Sean Bowman singled up the middle into centerfield, Banfi went to third, Hollingsworth's throw went somewhere, anywhere, both runners reached scoring position with nobody out, but it didn't matter one bit once Pat Fowlkes hammered a homer to left… 8-5 Falcons. Gomez 3-4, 2 2B; Harenberg 2-4, BB, HR, 2 RBI;

(opens mouth)

(moans terribly)

(closes mouth)

Game 2
POR: SS Stalker – LF Spencer – RF Gomez – 1B Harenberg – C Tovias – CF Mora – 2B Rock – 3B Bullock – P Anderson
CHA: LF Banfi – SS Bowman – 1B Fowlkes – RF Kok – CF Salto – 3B E. Moreno – C Sigala – 2B Ra. Mendez – P Rountree

After an uneventful first inning, the Critters began the second with four singles, but didn't score with any of those. Harenberg singled to right, but was thrown out on a hit-and-run where Tovias missed wildly before being the first of three Critters to load the bases on three more singles. Daniel Bullock just held still as Chris Rountree lost it and drew a bases-loaded walk to push in the first run of the game. Anderson hit a sac fly to make it 2-0 before Tim Stalker grounded out. But there was more offense to enjoy before the inevitable collapse; Rafael Gomez buried a triple in deep center in the third inning, then was singled home by Harenberg to make it 3-0, and it was 5-0 after the fourth in which Bullock and Stalker drew walks, not only stole a pair of bases but also coaxed a throwing error from Sigala that allowed Bullock to come in right away, and Stalker came home on Spencer's sac fly. All the while, Anderson was holding the Falcons short, quite short actually. Sigala had been retired on a deep drive in the bottom 3rd, but apart from that they could not challenge him much through five innings, amounting to one walk and no base hits. Raul Mendez hit a deep fly to right-center, but Mora somehow came up with that one, too, and the Falcons remained hitless through six innings.

But the dream ended in the seventh. Banfi struck out, Bowman made an out into Stalker's glove, but Fowlkes, Friday night's coonslayer, ended the bid with a double into the left-center gap. Barend Kok flew out to center to keep him on base, though. Salto opened the eighth with a single up the middle, but was forced out on Moreno's grounder. The Coons didn't get a double play, but got two soft outs from Sigala and Mendez, and Anderson was only on 87 pitches through eight and good to go another inning. Rick Morris pinch-hit in the #9 spot, but popped out on a 1-2 pitch. Banfi grounded to third, Bullock handling the grounder well for the second out. Anderson then did the rest himself, ringing up Sean Bowman on three pitches. 5-0 Furballs! Gomez 2-4, 3B; Harenberg 2-4, RBI; Tovias 3-4; Mora 2-4; Anderson 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K, W (8-3);

Oh finally a cozy game with no terror! I really needed that…!

Game 3
POR: SS Ramos – LF Spencer – RF Gomez – 1B Harenberg – CF Mora – 3B Nunley – C Tovias – 2B Rock – P Nomura
CHA: RF Banfi – 3B E. Moreno – 1B Fowlkes – RF Kok – CF Salto – C Sigala – SS Ra. Mendez – 2B Folk – P Polito

Portland batted through the order in the opening inning, collecting four hits and two walks against Warren Polito. Ramos and Spencer both singled, both stole a base, and both scored, while Harenberg (sac fly), Nunley (groundout), and Rock (single) all collected an RBI in the 3-run frame that ended with Nomura grounding out to short, stranding three. Sizable early lead – Nomura pitching – you better keep a fresh set of underwear ready! Banfi hit a double in the first. Mendez was nailed in the second. Banfi walked and Moreno hit a sharp single in the third. None of them scored, but the tension was something one could easily grasp…

The next two innings were dull with no base runner of any sort, but the Coons added on in the sixth with a Tovias homer, 4-0, and then Polito drilled Trey Rock pretty good. Rock did not approve – it was on! Before Rock could cave in the skull of Polito, Sigala tackled him and the pile formed halfway between the mound and home plate. It took the umpires five minutes to restore order, with Polito and Rock ejected after the fact. Stalker replaced Rock at the keystone. Maybe the Critters could take it out on lefty Danny Burgess, who replaced him Polito. They hit singles to go to the corners with Gomez and Harenberg, and nobody out, in the top 7th before Abel Mora flew to left, where Banfi dropped the ball. Gomez scored, 5-0, but that unearned run was all they got in the inning. Bullock batted for Nunley and whiffed, and Tovias hit into a double play. Bottom 7th, Nomura drilled Sigala, which was surely totally by accident, but the Falcons couldn't get him around, either, but they cashed in Banfi in the eighth. Nomura walked him on four pitches, and pretty soon we weren't going to have back-to-back shutouts once Eddie Moreno drove a ball past Spencer in deep left for an RBI double. Nomura managed to starve Moreno with a groundout, a K to Kok, and Salto fouling out, but he was now at 101 pitches, and the Critters would try the ol' bullpen in the ninth. Surginer and Boles got three more outs with only a Mendez single off Surginer accounting for a Falcons rally. 5-1 Raccoons. Ramos 1-2, 3 BB; Spencer 3-5; Rock 1-2, RBI; Nomura 8.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, W (9-3);

In other news

June 21 – After his hitting streak, the season of SFW LF/CF Jeff Wadley (.314, 6 HR, 49 RBI) also ends after he is diagnosed with a partially torn UCL. He will undergo Tommy John surgery this week.
June 25 – DAL SP Matt Diduch (6-3, 2.45 ERA) has a no-hitter through eight innings against the Capitals, but to no avail as the Stars are not scoring for him and the game is scoreless into the bottom 9th. DAL MR Chris Munroe (3-3, 3.18 ERA) replaces Diduch and gives up a single to the first batter he faces, Washington's Evan Adams (.248, 3 HR, 14 RBI), but the Capitals fail to score and the Stars win the game in the 10th inning, 1-0.

Complaints and stuff

(while Jing-quo Liu, R.C., and Cristiano Carmona sit around the table, your dearest GM motions a flat hand, palm upright; a well with his left hand and *something* with the right; three fingers of the right hand extended to the left and finally V for victory) No, no, no-no-no-no, R.C., listen to me! – Lis-ten to- … - I know he's ****ing deaf, Cristiano, I'm just sayin' … - No! No! – Stop signing! – (extends a pen and paper) WRITE IT DOWN …!!

All is well here, obviously!

Trey Rock was given a 4-game suspension for … basically being knocked by Warren Polito, tackled by Jairo Sigala, and then screaming in rage at the bottom of a pile. Yeah, sounds about fair! At least that gives Tim Stalker a few at-bats.

Oh well, at least we held out to take a 5-4 edge in the season series against Boston, and took the season series from the Falcons for the fifth straight season.

4.3 runs per game, but that is still above average in the Continental League. For comparison, the Gold Sox are fifth in runs scored in the FL, but with 4.8 runs per game! We have two games more and 31 runs less…!? And we really don't have a batter crushing it. Alberto Ramos leads the CL in steals with 26, five ahead of the competition, although he would barely be registered in the FL, where WAS Enrique Trevino is racing towards a new ABL record for stolen bases. He has 46 bags taken and it's not even halftime yet. The ABL record was put up by CIN Nando Maiello in 2020, 66 bases. Only five runners have ever reached 60, and only 21 have ever taken 50, and Trevino might reach the latter mark and maybe even the former mark before the All Star Game. Cookie Carmona (52 SB in '14) and Yoshi Yamada (54 SB in '05) remain the only Coons to take a half-century in a season, but Ramos is on the way there.

Speaking of offense, Kevin Harenberg isn't tearing out any trees right now, but what about Jon Gonzalez in Dallas? It is actually awful. .202 with three homers in 61 games. He is slugging .290. In Dallas!

Next week, Aces and Loggers, and then we are already in July!

Fun Fact: Kyle Anderson had his fifth career shutout on Saturday, and his first as a Raccoon. His previous four had been as a member of the Falcons, who he shut out this time around, and one of those, also a 2-hitter, against the Raccoons.

That had been on a Saturday (also a match) in April of 2023, when the Coons were in the bin. It was the year Matt Nunley batted cleanup for most of the season. In fact, five of the starters that day were still on the roster: Stalker (leading off), Spencer (second), Nunley (cleanup…), Tovias (eighth), and Rico Gutierrez was the Coons' starting pitcher that day and surrendered all runs in the 4-0 game… including Kyle Anderson's only career home run.