[Westheim]

Raccoons (13-12) @ Loggers (14-10) – May 2-5, 2033

The Critters crawled into Milwaukee on a 6-game losing streak in the latter half of a 6-6 homestand, which was one of those great developments that made me forego sleep for more drunkenness at night. Milwaukee was more steady, allowing the fewest runs in the Continental League, but had little offense to show off, with the fourth-fewest runs tallied in the CL. Their run differential was only +6, so things could probably still go either way for them. They also had already piled up four player on the DL, including Alfredo Casique and Gabe Creech. Last year’s season series had ended in a 9-9 tie.

Projected matchups:
Ignacio del Rio (1-2, 2.36 ERA) vs. Josh Long (2-1, 0.47 ERA)
Andy Palomares (1-2, 8.69 ERA) vs. Johnny Nelson (0-2, 4.68 ERA)
Raffaello Sabre (1-1, 2.38 ERA) vs. Mike Hodge (3-0, 0.74 ERA)
Rico Gutierrez (2-1, 4.94 ERA) vs. Joe West (1-0, 7.04 ERA)

All right-handers here.

Game 1
POR: SS Ramos – CF Reichardt – LF Wallace – 1B Zitzner – RF Jennings – 2B Stalker – C Garcia – 3B Perkins – P del Rio
MIL: RF Valenzuela – C J. Young – 2B W. Morris – 1B Sears – 3B Meehan – CF Stephenson – SS Lockert – LF Will Ojeda – P Long

Del Rio bled singles out of the gate, allowing two in the first, and two more, plus a walk, in the second. Five total runners were stranded all by Jimmy Wallace, who robbed Jamie Meehan in the gap in the first inning, and Jim Young racing in in the second. Wallace continued to make a bid for having his name on a game; when Perkins reached base in the top 3rd, del Rio’s bunt was taken to second base by Young, but late. Ramos and Reichardt didn’t get the runners over, let alone in, but Jimmy Wallace found the gap between Josh Stephenson and Will Ojeda for a 2-run double and the first markers in the game, and THAT double broke a 13-game stretch where the other team scored first on us. THIRTEEN. Zitzner grounded out to end the inning, and then Wayne Morris led off the bottom 3rd with a double as del Rio continued to be no bueno, and Andy Sears whomped him for a 2-run homer to left. The Coons retook the lead in the fourth, getting Billy Jennings and cyclist Tim Stalker on base with leadoff knocks, but only Jennings scored on a Fernando Garcia groundout before Perkins whiffed and del Rio popped out to shallow center. That lead also didn’t last even one inning. Will Ojeda slapped a leadoff single to left in the bottom 4th, advanced on a bunt and a stolen base (rare enough off Garcia so far) and scored on Danny Valenzuela’s groundout to get everybody even at three. The Loggers got two more singles with Morris and Sears in the bottom 5th, but then ran into a 9-5 double play when Josh Stephenson flew out to Jennings with one out on the board, and Jennings killed off Morris, who tagged to go to third base, but didn’t live to tell about it.

Del Rio would knock out Long with a 2-out RBI single, plating Jennings to get up to 4-3 in the sixth. Himself, Ignacio also would not last past five and two thirds, but that was on account of rain that started in the top of the sixth and got real bad in the bottom of the inning and forced a rain delay pretty soon, and that one took almost an hour. Anaya got the Critters through the inning after play resumed, and the top of the seventh saw Tommy Iezzi skinned for three runs once Tim Stalker belted a fastball over the fence with Zitzner and Jennings aboard. After Hennessy held the Loggers away with a slam-sized lead, Jennings tacked on a run off Philip Rogers in the eighth with a grounder on a three on (Ramos single, Wallace and Zitzner walks), one out situation. That was the final run in the game; the Loggers had only one more runner, Will Ojeda walking against Bates in the eighth before getting doubled off by Rodrigo Canas, and the Coons ended their spill. 8-3 Furballs. Ramos 2-5, BB; Wallace 2-4, BB, 2B, 2 RBI; Jennings 2-4, BB, 2B, RBI; Stalker 3-5, HR, 3 RBI; Perkins 2-4, BB, 2B;

Game 2
POR: SS Ramos – CF Reichardt – LF Wallace – 1B Zitzner – RF Jennings – 2B Stalker – C Thompson – 3B Perkins – P Palomares
MIL: RF Valenzuela – C J. Young – 2B W. Morris – 3B Meehan – SS Lockert – 1B O. Huerta – CF Wheeler – LF Will Ojeda – P J. Nelson

Ramos doubled in the first and would score on Wallace’s poor grounder that Nelson kicked into foul territory for a pathetic error, which gave a 1-0 lead to Palomares to start his day at the office, and we were slowly reaching a point where the cheap roster filler had to show something other than fireworks for his Coons tenure. How about a nice steady six innings, two runs rather than the other way round? His first pitch was barfed all the way to the fence (but into Jennings’ glove) by Danny Valenzuela, so doubts beset me. For what it was worth, Palomares hit one of those deep flies himself, lifting out to Valenzuela near the warning track to end the top 2nd, and then lined up at least a few zeroes while the Loggers were making sound contact but also remained unlucky. Portland had them – Reichardt and Wallace – on the corners in the third inning, but neither Zitzner nor Jennings could get a runner across. Then the fireworks happened in the bottom 4th. Matt Lockert hit a leadoff single to left and would come to bat again in the inning. He initially stole second base and was still there with two outs and Ojeda up. The youngster was struggling and Nelson was a left-hander, and we didn’t trust Palomares with extra runners on base, so we didn’t go for the intentional walk, and it didn’t matter, because everybody – Ojeda, Nelson, Valenzuela, their mothers, the mascot, and the mascot’s mother – would hit a 2-out single off Palomares, who was bludgeoned to the sweet relief of death with six consecutive base knocks the put the Loggers up 4-1 with three on and Lockert back in the box. He’d face Ed Blair and grounded out on the first pitch, but Blair allowed a run of his own the following inning, putting Mike Wheeler on base before allowing a 2-out RBI single to … John Nelson, 5-1.

(sigh!)

The Critters, who had been extremely invisible for a few innings, happened into a run in the sixth when Zitzner singled, was forced out by Jennings, Stalker doubled, and Thompson hit a run-scoring groundout, but that was too little to matter, especially with Bates giving the run right back in a shoddy bottom half of the same frame. Hennessy did the seventh and the Coons were still a slam behind by the eighth, with an otherwise depleted pen posing the question Wise or Pinkerton for the bottom 8th. We went with the closer, who had not pitched since Friday and retired 3-4-5 in order. The Coons went in order in the ninth just as much. 6-2 Loggers. Reichardt 2-5; Wallace 2-5, RBI; Stalker 2-4, 2B;

Eh. They already won on Monday. It can’t even be worse than last week anymore…

Also, since we were in a 13-game stretch without an off day, I’d try to give everybody some rest otherwise. It would be right-handed bats for this series, and then the left-handers on the weekend when I expected to see some southpaws on the mound for the opposition.

Game 3
POR: SS Ramos – 2B Stalker – LF Wallace – RF Jennings – CF Reichardt – 3B Marsingill – C Garcia – 1B Ferrero – P Sabre
MIL: RF Valenzuela – C J. Young – 2B W. Morris – 1B Sears – 3B Meehan – CF Stephenson – SS R. Rios – LF Will Ojeda – P Hodge

The Coons would dig Sabre going deep in this game, seven innings would be great, and eight would be even greater. He threw five pitches in the first, none of which was hit to Alberta, which was neat for an appetizer, and then it started to rain in the second. He struck out Jamie Meehan in the bottom 2nd, which was the first K by a Coons starter this week (!!), and also helped strand Andy Sears and his leadoff bloop double that had gotten past a sliding Adrian Reichardt. By the third, the Raccoons scored Sabre a bushel of runs; Ferrero walked, was bunted over, stole a base, Ramos walked, too, and a wild pitch by Hodge got the first run on the board. Stalker hit an RBI single, Wallace and Jennings hit doubles, the latter getting 2 RBI, and it was a 4-0 game all of a sudden. And it was also still raining on-and-off, and the Critters couldn’t afford an early knockout for their pitcher…!

Sabre had a 2-hitter, whiffing three, through five innings, then was spotted a fifth run in the top 6th. Reichardt and Marsingill had knocked singles to occupy the corners with nobody out and while I did not approve of double play grounders, Garcia’s was one to forgive with the team already ahead by a fair bit. Get Sabre back out there, too, before the floods consume us all. Pitch count-wise he was in GREAT shape through five, throwing only 44 pitches. He also hit a double off Alex Banderas and was stranded on base his next time at the plate while keeping the Loggers in check. It was the eighth inning when Sabre ran his first full count and issued his first walk to Josh Stephenson, unfortunately also leading off the inning. Robbie Rios fanned, the rain returned for the 300th time, Will Ojeda hit an infield single, Mike Wheeler struck out, the tarp was brought out to cover the field and almost immediately rolled back up, and Valenzuela popped out, but that inning took 30 pitches after he had tossed less than twice as many balls in the seven previous innings combined. He still got the ninth after batting for himself in the top of the inning, whiffing against Chris Myers. Leadoff single by Jim Young, but then Morris spanked one at Perkins, to second, to first – double play! One more out, and it was not Sears, who singled to right. It was Meehan, hitting a comebacker to end the game. 5-0 Furballs! Wallace 2-4, 2B; Jennings 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI; Marsingill 1-2, BB; Sabre 9.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 7 K, W (2-1) and 1-3, 2B;

Sabre!! Whee!! First career shutout and complete game in 33 attempts! Really starting to like that kid!

And just when you’re merry, it’s time for Rico Gutierrez… although he knows a thing or two about shutting out the Loggers, too. He’s done it five times in his career.

Game 4
POR: SS Ramos – CF Pinkerton – LF Wallace – 1B Zitzner – RF Jennings – 3B Perkins – C Thompson – 2B Marsingill – P Gutierrez
MIL: RF Valenzulea – C Canas – 2B W. Morris – 1B Sears – CF Stephenson – SS Lockert – 3B R. Rios – LF Will Ojeda – P J. West

Preston Pinkerton’s homer to right in the first inning gave the Coons the first run in each game in the series; baseball remained weird, then got weirder when Rico Gutierrez opened the game with two strikeouts. When did that last happen?? Also, when the Loggers opened the bottom 2nd with Sears and Stephenson singles and went to the corners, Gutierrez got a comebacker for a fielder’s choice, rung up Rios, walked Ojeda half-heartedly, and then popped out Joe West, which had to count as success. But the writing was on the wall… Canas and Morris hit singles in the bottom 3rd, Gutierrez nailed Stephenson, and with two outs served up a hanging breaking ball that Matt Lockert rammed for a slam over the leftfield wall, putting the Loggers on top, 4-1.

Persistent, terrible rain knocked out Gutierrez after 4.1 innings and still in the same score but with Stephenson at third base after a 1-out triple and Lockert in a 2-1 count. That count was inherited by Bates after a 90-minute delay. He got a pop from Lockert, then a grounder to short from Robbie Rios, stranding the Gutierrez-owned runner. The Raccoons offense didn’t get much cobbled together until the seventh inning when they placed Perkins and Thompson on base to begin the inning. Marsingill hit into a fielder’s choice, Ferrero – inserted in a double switch – whiffed, and Ramos flew out to center. That was the last good chance their had as this series slipped away from them and into a 4-game split. 4-1 Loggers. Jennings 1-2, BB; Reichardt (PH) 1-1; Fernandez 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K;

Raccoons (15-14) @ Blue Sox (13-15) – May 6-8, 2033

The Blue Sox were ranked eighth in offense in the Federal League, fifth in runs allowed, but had a -12 run differential. Their rotation was decent enough, but their pen was a constant source of horrors, getting piled on to a 5.51 ERA tune. They just couldn’t get anybody out…! This was also a small-ball team, stealing bases and taking it a single at a time, sitting near the bottom in the ABL in homers. We had played each other both of the last two years, and the Coons had won a grand total of one game of those six matches, in 2032.

Projected matchups:
Bernie Chavez (2-2, 3.00 ERA) vs. Sean Fowler (3-2, 3.43 ERA)
Ignacio del Rio (2-2, 2.70 ERA) vs. Pablo Correa (2-3, 4.98 ERA)
Andy Palomares (1-3, 8.87 ERA) vs. Steve Russell (0-1, 3.14 ERA)

One more righty, then the two southpaws. This includes ex-Coon Steve Russell, who had been part of the package for Noel Ferrero, and boy, was that not working out for us…

One of the Sox’ best, Jim “Mastodon” Allen (.379, 2 HR, 15 RBI), was listed day-to-day with a bruised jaw.

Game 1
POR: SS Ramos – CF Reichardt – LF Wallace – 1B Zitzner – RF Jennings – 2B Stalker – C Thompson – 3B Perkins – P Chavez
NAS: 1B Bossert – CF Simmons – 3B J. Allen – LF R. Sanchez – 2B Bouldin – RF Ugolino – SS Salmonsen – C A. Jaramillo – P Fowler

Again the Coons pounced in the first, which featured triples by Ramos (scored on a Reichardt groundout) and Zitzner(!), who plated Wallace and his 1-out walk, and scored on Jennings’ sac fly to set Chavez 3-0 ahead. Fowler was further exploded in the third inning, which featured four more Critters runs, including a 2-run single by Thompson to run the lead to 7-0, at which point the attention shifted to Bernie and whether he could out-dazzle Sabre’s performance on Wednesday. Probably not – he retired the first six, but then walked Seth Salmonsen and allowed a single to Alex Jaramillo. The Sox didn’t score, but hit two sharp lineouts in doing so, and the shutout went away in the bottom 4th, but then in unearned fashion. Jim Allen and Billy Bouldin hit singles, Elliott Thompson threw away the ball on a double steal attempt, and that led to two runs on the play itself (one) and on Fabien Ugolino’s groundout (the other). Justin Perkins countered with a solo homer in the fifth, moving the score to 8-2, but three singles by Jaramillo, reliever Paul Metzler(!), and Justin Simmons loaded the bases in the bottom 5th with one out. “Mastodon” Allen hit a grounder to Perkins that was only good for one out and plated a run, 8-3, before Raul Sanchez flew out to Wallace. The bases were loaded AGAIN in the sixth, then with two outs after two singles and a walk and with .333 hitter Chance Bossert at the plate, and it was not impossible that this was Bernie’s final batter. Mound conference – but he faced him, and his first pitch was kicked for an RBI single. Ed Blair replaced him, gave up a 2-run single to Simmons, and only then did Allen ground out to keep it 8-6. Sanchez and Bouldin slapped singles off Garavito to get the tying runs on the corners in the bottom 7th with nobody out. Jay Elder struck out before Anaya replaced him, gave up a 1-out RBI single to Salmonsen, and then the Blue Sox actually ran themselves out of the inning by trying another double steal. Bouldin was thrown out, and Jaramillo grounded out to end the inning. The Raccoons maybe should have tacked on a ****ing run by now, but wouldn’t, instead stranding five runners between the final three innings. Hennessy held up in the bottom 8th, and Wise appeared in the ninth to face the 4-5-6 hitters with no cushion, and walked Raul Sanchez right away. Bouldin struck out, Carlos Montellano bounced out to Zitzner, but that moved the tying run into scoring position against Salmonsen, who was hitting .327, including a damn lot in this game. He walked, bringing up Alex Jaramillo again, also on three base hits. Wise snuck strike three, cut on and missed, by him. 8-7 Blighters. Ramos 4-5, 3B; Reichardt 2-5, RBI; Zitzner 2-4, BB, 3B, RBI;

7-0 in the third, and then THAT… such games make me ****ing angry!

(screams madly, turns green in the face, and breaks through the wall into the hotel hallway)

Game 2
POR: SS Ramos – CF Reichardt – 2B Stalker – 1B Zitzner – LF Jennings – C Garcia – 3B Perkins – CF Pinkerton – P del Rio
NAS: 1B Bossert – SS Salmonsen – 3B J. Allen – 2B Bouldin – RF Ugolino – CF Montellano – LF C. Sanchez – C A. Jaramillo – P P. Correa

Another day, another Coons run on the board before anything else, this time Zitzner doubling home Adrian Reichardt in the first. That didn’t hold up, because del Rio had traffic in every inning, and plenty of it in the bottom 3rd, which Correa (!) opened with a single (…!!!), Bossert singled as well, and Jim Allen doubled both in when he hit one to the base of the fence. For good measure, del Rio knocked Billy Bouldin to add another runner, but Fabien Ugolino hit into a double play to end the damn inning. The Sox kept shredding him the next inning; leadoff walk to Montellano, who was on third after a stolen base and a groundout, and was plated by Jaramillo with a single to center. And even though Correa bunted into a force, the next three batters knocked singles to score two more runs. Bouldin finally flew out to center, keeping the score at 5-1, but nothing kept working for Portland. Marsingill hit for del Rio in the fifth, hit a 1-out single, went to third on a Ramos single, Berto stole second, and then both were stranded in scoring position when Reichardt popped out and Stalker flew out to Ugolino. Nobody scored, except in the bottom 6th, where the Blue Sox got another three guys on and scored another run off Fernandez and Bates…

Marsingill and Reichardt reached base in the seventh, but Wallace, hitting for Bates with two outs, flew to deep center… and into Montellano’s mitten, stranding those two, too. And then, it was time for some pitching by Preston Pinkerton, because these Critters knew how to deplete a ****ing bullpen… (and that was AHEAD of a Palomares start…) He allowed three walks, three hits, four runs, and then we still had to throw in another guy. Oh well, Wise had to pitch a garbage inning. it wasn’t like he’d be needed in a Palomares start anyway… The Blue Sox got him for a run as well… The Coons got two meaningless runs on four hits off a meaningless reliever (Mike Bass) in the ninth, none of them mattering. 11-3 Blue Sox. Ramos 2-4, BB; Ferrero (PH) 1-1; Marsingill (PH) 1-2, BB;

Jim Allen knocked five hits and plated as many runs in this rout. The Critters only reached five hits in the ninth inning…

Game 3
POR: SS Stalker – CF Reichardt – LF Wallace – 1B Zitzner – C Garcia – RF Ferrero – 3B Perkins – 2B Marsingill – P Palomares
NAS: 1B Bossert – CF Simmons – 3B J. Allen – LF R. Sanchez – 2B Bouldin – RF Ugolino – SS J. Jaramillo – C A. Jaramillo – P Russell

For the seventh time this week the Critters scored first, but this time on an unearned run in the second inning when Perkins drove in Noel Ferrero, who had reached base on a throwing error by Jose Jaramillo. Another run in the third inning was Sox-aided; Reichardt and Zitzner were on base with a single and walk, respectively, when a wild pitch to Garcia crucially moved them to third base before Garcia hit a soft RBI single to the feet of Raul Sanchez. Ferrero struck out to strand a pair. Only one Sock reached base the first time through the order, and that was Jose Jaramillo being safe on a Zitzner error. He advanced on a bunt, then was singled in by Chance Bossert when the lineup turned over, cutting the lead to 2-1, before Simmons flew out to the fence. Bottom 4th, Jim Allen ripped a leadoff double to left, went to steal third after a K to Raul Sanchez, and Garcia threw the ball past Perkins to bring in the tying run for Nashville. I was enthusiastically banging my head against the nearest wall…

Ferrero singled home Reichardt with a 2-out bloop in the fifth to give the Coons a new 3-2 lead that instantly in danger with a Jose Jaramillo single to begin the bottom 5th, but the other Jaramillo (no relation, except to be nagging and tugging away at my nerves) hit into a 6-4-3 double play to Stalker. Top 6th, Palomares shot a double up the leftfield line and Stalker and Reichardt both drew 1-out walks to load the bases against a tiring Russell, who was nevertheless left in for Jimmy Wallace’s lefty stick. He got him to 0-2, but then allowed a grounder to right. Bouldin’s only play was to first, and the Coons got their pitcher across, 4-2. Zitzner fouled out to strand two more runners.

The Critters dragged Palomares through seven, with Bouldin hitting a single in the bottom 7th before being caught stealing. The bottom of the order was up in the eighth with Palomares on 70 pitches, but here was the next problem – we had burned Wise the day before, because why would we need him in a Palomares start? Good move! Palomares would be left in at least until somebody got on base, which didn’t happen. One Jaramillo grounded out to short, the other popped out to Ferrero, and Montellano whiffed in a full count. Oy! That was it, though. The Raccoons failed to score another run, and the 4-2 game would be handed to Anaya in the bottom 9th, with Garavito warming up as well while the Blue Sox were already alternating righties and lefties almost all the way through the lineup. Bossert popped out. Jay Elder pinch-hit in the #2 hole, and walked in a full count. “Mastodon” Allen came up, and was the last guy for Anaya in any case. He knocked a 1-0 pitch up the middle. Stalker warped over – six Gold Gloves! – to swipe the ball right on the back, toeing it fondly, and zinging to first to beat both runners by 45 feet each! 4-2 Raccoons…! Reichardt 2-4; Ferrero 2-5, RBI; Palomares 8.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER; 0 BB, 5 K, W (2-3) and 2-4, 2B;

Palomares not only didn’t allow an earned run, he also had the only extra-base hit. That was clutch!

In other news

May 5 – Scoring in every inning bar one, the Gold Sox still drop an 11-10 game to the Stars. DEN OF/1B/SS Tyler Miles (.315, 5 HR, 21 RBI) goes deep twice and drives in three on a 4-hit day.
May 5 – Washington LF/RF/1B Louis Fraisse jr. (.255, 1 HR, 8 RBI) could miss the better part of the season with a concussion.
May 6 – New York trades C Matt Dear (.268, 1 HR, 7 RBI) to the Buffaloes for 2B/SS Randy Schuler (.210, 1 HR, 17 RBI) and a prospect.
May 7 – DEN LF/CF Abel Madsen (.294, 3 HR, 20 RBI) socks four hits and drives in five runs in the Gold Sox’ 17-3 rout of the Knights. Every batter in the Gold Sox’ lineup, including SP Michael Frank (6-0, 1.78 ERA), has multiple hits, and they pummel the Knights’ pitchers for 25 base knocks in total.
May 8 – IND SP Victor Govea (2-3, 3.28 ERA) spins a 3-hit shutout against the Buffaloes, whiffing four in the 5-0 Indians win.
May 8 – Shoulder soreness will keep BOS OF Willie Vega (.323, 3 HR, 17 RBI) out of games for the rest of the month.

Complaints and stuff

I continue to fancy our young pitching, which now has a ho-hum 7-6 record, but with a 2.94 ERA. That is a bit better than what I hoped for.

Chavez is of that Mark Roberts type. Strong stuff, but hard fastballs will sometimes get hit. And Roberts became Pitcher of the Year anyway. Del Rio might be more of the workhorse type like Tadasu Abe. Sabre doesn’t really fit those; he doesn’t throw very hard and he is a groundballer that will shine with strong defense all around, and well, we have two Gold Glove infielders, and two that are at least solidly above-average, plus strong defensive catching. It does not *shock* me that he is currently doing the best of the bunch.

Little else on the roster is exciting, except for Jimmy Wallace, who leads the batting title race and has an .879 OPS, but struggles tremendously on defense. His zone rating is -1.9 already…

Also, Berto reached the .200 plateau on Friday after the 4-hit game in the nearly blown huge early lead game. Wow, lofty heights!

Fun Fact: The most recent Raccoon to win the batting title in the Continental League was Cookie Carmona, batting .344 in the 2017 season.

That was the only one he won, and he hit more than .344 only once in his career. That year he also led the CL in triples with 13, but barely qualified for the batting title race after missing 46 games due to injury. It was the last year he was primarily used in centerfield, moving to a corner after that. It was also the last time he put up 5+ WAR, although he had a bunch more 3+ WAR seasons before coming unglued in his early 30s.